Solent Youth Action
Campaign message: "Are you game?"
Aim: To recruit young volunteers (aged 11 – 24) in the Southampton area to get involved in sporting activities – as umpires and coaches etc. To meet a local need for sports related volunteers.
Number of people involved: 1 (a volunteer co-ordinator)
Launched: February 2007
Campaign description: Solent Youth Action wanted to reach young people with a volunteering project based on “what they're already into”. SYA wanted to show young people how they can get involved in sports volunteering and explain that the expenses involved in volunteering are paid for by SYA. To inspire local young people and to catch their attention SYA asked local football star, Chris Baird, to appear in the campaign.
Poster and postcard: The poster was designed to be used on board local buses. SYA negotiated a discounted rate from the local bus company. Final costs were approx. £4,000 for one month. To keep costs low the same artwork was used for the postcard. The postcard is designed to be sent back to SYA with the young person’s details filled in. The artwork cost approx. £400 (a discount rate was negotiated via a friend of SYA). The postcards were distributed to local schools, PE departments, careers fairs, sports centres, local universities – anywhere young people interested in sports might be.
PR work: The aim of their PR work was simply to increase awareness of the campaign and Chris Baird’s involvement. The local paper (The Echo) included an article on the campaign and a photo of the SYA volunteer co-ordinator with Chris Baird. SYA also got coverage for the campaign in the local university magazine and local government sports magazine. SYA used their own newsletter to promote the campaign and publicised the campaign at local neighbourhood meetings.
Outside agencies involved: Grishart.co.uk for campaign poster/ postcard artwork.
Results: Approx. 60 – 70 young people in the area have made contact with SYA by returning the “Are you game?” postcards with their contact details. The majority of respondents were aged between 11-16, from an equal numbers of girls and boys. One person called SYA following the local paper article about the campaign. SYA felt that the postcards distributed in schools had been the most effective way of recruiting new volunteers. However SYA were also pleased that the bus poster campaign and newspaper coverage had reached so many people and increased local public awareness in their organisation and what it does for young people in the area.
Contact: Karen Roberts www.solentyouthaction.org.uk
