Introducing The Campaign

Since it launched in the middle of the pandemic, the #NeverMoreNeeded campaign has been championing the incredible work being undertaken by charities and voluntary organisations, highlighting the mounting challenges they are facing to do that work and meet the rising need that is out there and pressing the case for greater support from Government. If you are new to the overall campaign, you can find out more about it here, as well as lots of ways you can get involved and support it through your work and organisation.  Right Now is an opportunity to bring together as many supporters of charities, social enterprises and other voluntary organisations as possible behind a rally cry for more support for government. It is all about highlighting the scale, breadth and impact of the work being done in the sector and the difference it is making, as well as showing all of those work for, volunteer for or support the sector that they are not alone.

How we hope it will work

On Wednesday 17 February, using the hashtags #RightNow and #NeverMoreNeeded, we want to encourage as many sector supporters, volunteers, trustees and workers as possible to post on social media what they or an organisation they support is doing to create positive change and tackle the issues facing our society, e.g.:

• “#RightNow, we’re checking in on some older people isolating in our community”
• “#RightNow, we’re answering calls to our helpline”
• #RightNow, I’m finding a place in a refuge for a woman fleeing abuse at home”
• “#RightNow, charities and their volunteers are restocking 1,500 food banks”
• “#RightNow, 3 acres of ancient woodland are being preserved for future generations”
• “RightNow, we’re raising money for my local youth group”

We want each of the posts to sign off with a message to the government:

• “#RightNow millions of people and thousands of voluntary organisations are doing everything they can to tackle the problems we face. Government, give them more support #NeverMoreNeeded”.

We also want them to tag in their local MP, where appropriate, so they get to see as many of the posts as possible. We are in the process of working up a series of social media assets to help bring the campaign to life and to give supporters some different options for their own social posts. Once those assets are ready, we will have their available to download from the #NeverMoreNeeded website – www.nmn.org.uk. On the same day, we are also going to publish an open letter and an ad in one of the national newspapers, repeating the message and calling on government to provide more support. We want to get as many sector leaders, influencers and high profile supporters as possible to sign the letter.

The letter is currently being finalised, but will be built around the following core message:

Dear Government

Right now…………………………(series of stats on the breadth, depth and impact of the sector)

Right now………………………..

Right now………………………..

Right now, millions of people and thousands of voluntary organisations are doing everything they can to tackle the problems we face, the ones that in many cases have been made worse by the pandemic. Right now, they’re also doing everything they can to be ready to deal with the aftermath and drive our recovery once the current crisis subsides. They are stepping up and they are doing so despite the biggest financial crisis the sector has ever faced, with an estimated £12bn hole in funding, mass redundancies and organisations going to the wall every single day.

That’s why those millions of people and thousands of voluntary organisations need more support from you right now.

In the two days leading up to 17 Feb, we want as many of those influencers, leaders and supporters as possible to share stats and stories that illustrate the breadth, scale and impact of the work being undertaken by charities, social enterprises and other voluntary sector organisations, and encourage their followers to go to the #NeverMoreNeeded website and use the assets there to help them post their own messages on the 17^th.

How you can help

There are six main ways you can help the campaign:

• Supporting it through your own social posts

This campaign needs leaders from the sector to inspire others to get on board and show their support. So, we would love you to post in the days leading up to 17 Feb and on the day itself, and encourage your followers to do the same. There will be assets and suggestions for posts available on the #NeverMoreNeeded website which you can download ahead of the day itself.

• Promoting the campaign to your employees, trustees, volunteers and supporters

If we want to really make a splash, we need as many people as possible to support the campaign on social. You can help us do that by promoting the campaign internally and externally in the days leading up to 17 Feb, encouraging all to put their own personalised posts up on the day or go to www.nmn.org.uk for assets and inspiration to create a post.

• Getting your comms team or lead involved

We are planning to hold a webinar for sector communications professionals in the next couple of weeks, to explain the campaign and encourage them to promote it to their organisation’s staff, volunteers, trustees and supporters.

You can get your comms lead involved by asking them to email us at [email protected] and we will send them information about the webinar.

• Signing the open letter and recruiting high profile supporters to do the same

We are in the process of finalising the wording of the open letter but it will focus on highlighting the amazing work being undertaken by the sector right now and use the same call to government as the social posts. We will send out the letter in the next couple of weeks, but it would help us if you let us know your willingness to signing it, subject to approving the final version, by emailing us at [email protected]. Also, if you have any high profile supporters such as business leaders, celebrities, commentators or other influencers, it would be great if you could reach out to them once the letter is finalised and encourage them to sign it as well.

• Sending us stats and stories on the breadth, depth and impact of the work you are doing

This campaign will come to life with the stories, anecdotes and stats on what organisations are doing right now to deliver change and support society. Please send us anything you think will help us do that by emailing or getting your team to email [email protected]  We will then make some of them available on the campaign website for people to use as part of their social posts, post them ourselves and include the best and most impactful in the open letter.

• Allowing the campaign to takeover your social channels on the day

It would be great if you could step aside for an hour on the day, or for the whole day itself and dedicate one of your social channels sharing the #RightNow stories and posts of your supporters, volunteers, employees and trustees. That would show support and solidarity for the campaign and encourage even more of your followers to support it as well.