Joining in

On this page you can find about:

• Getting involved in Anti-Poverty Week
• Some ideas for activities during the Week
• A check-list for organisers of activities
• Attracting Media Coverage
• Some promotional material for the week

Information and ideas relating especially to schools can be found at Schools.

Getting Involved 

The success of Anti-Poverty Week depends on individual people and organisations taking action to organise an activity with friends, colleagues or other groups. Any activity, large or small, that helps people to express their interest and concern about any aspect of local, national or global poverty is very welcome.

Some activities are organised by welfare and health organisations, religious groups, community organisations schools and youth groups. But many other types of organisations also arrange activities, including government departments, local councils, business organisations, universities and sporting and cultural groups.

In recent years, activities have included:

• lectures, debates, workshops and conferences
• letters to newspapers, petitions, surveys and publications
• open days, walks, rallies, sleep outs, film nights and concerts
• advice and training sessions, exhibitions and information stalls
• meal services, fund-raisers and religious services
• competitions, award presentations and school projects

They have been held in a very wide range of places, including:

• parliament houses, town halls and government offices
• shopping malls, shops, factories, streets and parks
• local libraries, schools, universities and TAFEs
• hospitals, health centres, social clubs and sports grounds
• welfare services, community and youth centres, churches and church halls
• galleries, cinemas, cafes and hotels.

We can support your activity by including it in the Calendar of Activities on this website, providing copies of Anti-Poverty Week flyers and posters to help promote your activity (see some promotional material for the Week), and giving contact details of other people and organisations planning activities in your area.

You will also find helpful information in other parts of this website, including Some Ideas for Activities, A Check List for Organisers and the Resources page which gives links to information about poverty and related issues.

You don't need to get approval from us to organise an activity. But it would be helpful if you could send details to us (see Registration Form). If you would like to phone or email us, see Contacts.

Some Ideas for Activities  

In this section, we suggest some ideas for possible activities during Anti-Poverty Week. They are organised under the following ten headings, which reflect different goals that you might want to achieve:

• tell people about poverty
• encourage debate or discussion
• call for action
• encourage people to express their views
• provide some practical help
• promote a local community service
• get the local community together
• do something artistic or spiritual
• organise a collection or fundraiser
• volunteer or donate

You can look at the Calendar of Activities for this year or previous years (APW 2008, APW 2007, APW 2006, APW 2005, APW 2004 & APW 2003) for some examples of activities that have been organised.

1. Tell people about poverty

Aims: *Raise awareness *Increase public knowledge and understanding *Encourage interest and enthusiasm *Encourage people to think, take action, volunteer or donate

• You could organise a talk or presentation by someone who has experienced the effects of poverty or worked closely with someone who has done so. This could include, for example, a client of a welfare organisation, a Big Issue seller, a welfare or health worker or someone from an overseas aid project,
• You could hold the event at your workplace or social group or combine it with a social event like a breakfast, morning tea or dinner. Or you could just organise a simple get-together for staff at your work to mark the Week and help create interest
• You could set up a display, exhibit or stall giving information about poverty issues at a local event, your work or a public place like the library. Or you could write an article for a newspaper, website or other publication.

2. Encourage debate or discussion

Aims: *Raise awareness *Encourage people to get involved in local problems and how to solve them *Encourage people to think, speak out, take action, volunteer or donate

• You could organise a debate, forum or hypothetical about a local issue, and include for example local community leaders and identities such as MPs, councillors, heads of community groups and local media.
• You could organise a workshop, seminar or conference on particular poverty issues. It could be designed mainly for people who are directly affected by poverty, provide community or welfare services or work with disadvantaged people in some other capacity.
• You could carry out some research or a survey about the issue and use it as a basis for discussion at the meeting.

3. Call for action

Aims: *Raise awareness *Generate community sentiment and support *Encourage people to think, speak out and express concern *Encourage government action or policy change

• You could organise a submission or petition which highlights key problems and makes specific proposals for action to address them. It could be delivered by a delegation or mail to your local MP or council or to the state or federal government.
• You could organise a rally, walk, march or sleep-out in your local area to raise awareness about an issue or to call for government action.
• For more impact, you could organise a series of these kinds of activities with other groups during the week.

4. Encourage people to express their views

Aims: *Raise awareness *Encourage people to think, speak out, take action and express concern *Encourage government action or policy change

• You could encourage people to write to their local MP or council about a particular issue. This could include providing pro forma letters or setting up a stall to help people write individual letters to politicians, public servants or other people who may be able to help address their problems.
• You could organise a question session with a panel of local councillors, MPs, public servants or community and business leaders.It could be held in a public place like a shopping mall, library or community hall (perhaps in combination with a lunch, dinner, breakfast or morning or afternoon tea).

5. Provide some practical help

Aims: *Raise awareness *Provide basic training, advice, information or help for people who might otherwise miss out *Encourage the local community to think about poverty and how it can better include disadvantaged groups in its services

• Law or accountancy firms, health or nutrition professionals, local banks or financial advisers, computer or internet businesses, hospitality businesses or other service providers like hairdressers could offer practical help to people experiencing poverty or hardship.
• They could provide individuals or groups with free training, advice or information in their areas of expertise (eg, tenant's rights, family law, budgeting and financial planning, availability of benefits and tax, retirement prospects, health and nutrition advice or computer training).
• Brochures, guides or handouts could be provided, perhaps together with kits including other useful items supplied by sponsors. Or services like haircuts, dental checks or meals could be provided on a once-off basis or regularly.

6. Promote a local community service

Aims: *Raise awareness *Teach people about the work and services provided by a local community or welfare organisation *Encourage people to use the services, or to volunteer or donate

• You could set up a display, exhibition or information stand about your organisation or service (eg, at a local library, shopping mall or community centre). Or you could hold an open day or social event like a lunch or afternoon tea to raise awareness of the service and encourage support for it, including volunteers.
• You could launch a brochure, publication or a new service during the Week. You could hold a competition to help raise funds for the service or conduct an award presentation. Or you could organise a project or activity with a local school.

7. Get the local community together

Aims: *Raise awareness *Generate community sentiment and support *Encourage people to get involved in local problems and how to solve them *Encourage people to think, speak out, express concern, take action, volunteer or donate

• You could organise a family day, festival, fete or award presentation. It could involve as many local people as possible from schools, welfare or community organizations, police, health centres, places of worship etc. Different groups could have stalls or exhibits which explain or promote their services or issues.
• The event could encourage community participation in programs to address local problems. For example, it could launch a program of community donations to help schools, sports clubs and other organizations provide free or low-cost services for low-income families.

8. Do something artistic or spiritual

Aims: *Raise awareness *Encourage people, including people who are affected by poverty, to express their feelings and reflect more meaningfully about poverty *Encourage people to speak out, take action, volunteer or donate

• You could ask people in the general community or particular disadvantaged groups to produce art, photography or writing which reflects poverty generally or a specific issue. You could hold a workshop or an exhibition or display of the work in a library, town hall or shopping mall or at a particular function.
• You could organise a performance, concert or screening on a poverty-related issue. Some events could be designed especially for children (eg, a puppet show with a poverty related theme).
• You could hold a religious service on poverty or a particular aspect of it, either at a place of worship or a public place such as a local park or beach. Or a special sermon or prayers could be included in regular religious services.

9. Organise a collection or raise some money

Aims: *Raise awareness *Raise money for a particular cause, organisation or charity *Collect other resources which are needed locally or in another area or country

• You could combine almost any of the other ideas in this section with raising money (eg, through admission fees, ticket sales, gold coin contributions, raffles or auctions).
• You could organise a collection of used or new clothes, sports or baby equipment, school uniforms from the local community or businesses. You could organise distribution, or give them to a charity or aid organisation to distribute.

10. Volunteer or donate

Aims: *Raise awareness *Provide, or encourage others to provide, positive and practical help *Encourage people to think about poverty

• You could volunteer your services to an organisation working to address poverty and hardship, either for a one-off event or on an ongoing basis. You could ask your employer to let you organise a volunteering program at work, or if you are an employer you could think about putting a volunteering scheme in place.
• You could donate money yourself and you could consider organising a donation scheme at your workplace. Donations could perhaps be made through direct deductions and matched by the company or business.
• See www.volunteeringaustralia.org for ideas and information about volunteering, or contact a local community service or your local council. See www.ourcommunity.com.au for ideas about donations.

A Check List for Organisers  

This checklist draws on suggestions from the State and Territory Facilitating Groups, especially in Queensland.

1. Decide on organisers and contact points

An obvious question at the outset is who will be responsible for organising the event. It might be an individual or a committee, and it might include people from various organisations.

It is very important to have a clear contact point for people who want to find out about the activity and perhaps become involved. It should include the name/s of the contact people as well as their phone and email details.

2. Decide on your activity

Another obvious issue is what activity you want to organise. If you would like some help, you could look at Some Ideas for Activities above and at the Calendar of Activities for previous years on this website.

You will need to decide whether to focus on a particular local, national or global issue and what your goals are (eg to raise funds for something in particular, call for some particular action, or raise community awareness).

You will also need to consider the time you have available to organise the event, what finance and other resources you will need, and which skills you or your organisation can offer.

3. Get other groups involved

Do you want the activity to involve other groups or organisations (eg a school, community or welfare service, businesses)? If so, you will need to contact them early, plan how you will work together and allocate tasks.

You could think about partnering with another organisation which you have previously not worked with or is not generally involved in poverty issues. For example, if you are a welfare or community organisation you could think about working with a school or a local business (and vice versa).

You could consider involving your local council and service groups from an early stage (for example, Rotary, Lions), as they might be able to contribute resources and help out in other ways.

4. Invite guest speakers or special guests

If you are having guest speakers or other special guests, it is best to contact them as early as possible (preferably before you finalise the date, time and venue).

It is often wise to make an informal approach first and then, if there seems to be a possibility of acceptance, send further details in a formal letter. Be careful that you do not invite more speakers than you will be able to fit in the time available.

5. Decide on a date and time

It is a good idea to think about date and time as early as possible because you may need to be flexible to work around the availability of venues and speakers etc.

You could look at the Calendar of Activities (or contact your State Co-Chairs) in order to check what else is happening in your local area or State. This can help you to avoid clashes of timing or perhaps allow you to team up with other events if appropriate.

If you are planning a year ahead, remember that International Anti-Poverty Day is held on 17 October in each year and Anti-Poverty Week is fixed as the week from Sunday to Saturday that includes 17 October.

6. Choose a venue

You will need to select your venue and book it as early as possible. This involves thinking about likely numbers of participants, the space you will need, who you are trying to attract, how publicly accessible the venue needs to be and the appropriate layout.

If you want to use council property or a public place (such as a shopping mall) don't forget to get permission as early on as possible. You should also think about wet weather plans. For some types of venues that have been used in previous years, see Getting Involved and the Calendar of Activities for previous years.

7. Let us know about your activity

When you have decided on the type of activity and the probable date, it would be helpful to send us a Registration Form. We will send a copy to the Co-Chairs in your State or Territory but it will also be helpful if you contact them directly.

We will let you know if we need further details before putting your event on the Calendar of Activities on the website.

8. Fix a detailed timetable

It will be helpful to put together a detailed timetable of action between now and the activity, with a specific person being assigned for each task.

It will then be important to keep a regular check on progress and to adjust the timetable if necessary.

9. Organise sponsors

Possible sponsors could include government departments, local councils, businesses, service clubs, churches etc. If you want sponsors, you will need to think about what you want from them and what they might be able to provide.

Sponsors may be willing to contribute money or to provide things like a venue, food or equipment free or at a discount price. They could also donate items for distribution to people in hardship or for auction to raise funds.

10. Decide on any invitations

If you are issuing some special invitations, you will need to think early on about how many you can send out and who you would like to attend. You will also need to consider how to approach them and whether they should have a special role or acknowledgement at the activity.

You may need to get a good idea in advance of how many people will be attending (eg, if you need to get enough copies of materials or if space is limited). This may involve asking people to register or confirm whether they will be attending.

11. Publicise and promote your activity

A promotion strategy will need to be developed for many activities. Promoting your activity will help make it more successful as well as raise the profile of your organisation or the cause you are promoting. You will need to think about who you would like to take part or attend and how they can best be targeted. For example you could:

• Put an advert or an article in relevant newsletters (eg, staff, school or club newsletters) or appropriate websites (eg, free listing in community-based websites such as www.wherelive.com.au)
• Include your activity in the Calendar of Activities on this website by sending in a Registration Form. Also include it in community diary pages of newspapers or a similar radio or television outlet.
• Email colleagues and friends and also change your email footer to include the details of your activity.
• Put up posters or flyers at your organisation, at other organisations or groups that are involved and in community venues. You could also consider mailing out flyers (eg inserted in newsletters) or delivering them to letterboxes.

A hard copy of our Anti-Poverty Week posters, flyers and other promotional material is available by contacting your State Co-Chairs or the National Facilitating Group. See some promotional material for the Week for soft copies. You can convert them for your own activity, and use the Anti-Poverty Week logo, provided that you send the National Facilitating Group a draft of what you intend to use and get its approval.

Please send details of your promotional material (eg, posters, flyers, adverts) to your State Co-Chair and/or the National Facilitating Group. This helps us to plan and promote Anti-Poverty Week, including in discussion with the media.

12. Think about fundraising

You may need to think about whether you will be raising funds from the public and, if so, what the money will be used for, how it will be raised and who will take care of the financial side of things.

It is not appropriate to raise funds for Anti-Poverty Week itself (except, of course, through specific fees to help meet the costs of an activity). If any donations are made to Anti-Poverty Week, you should pass them on to an appropriate charity.

13. Some other details

• Work out everything you need for the activity and how it will be supplied (eg prizes, art supplies, stamps, stationery, food supplies). Decide which you can fund and which need to be provided by sponsors.
• Carefully plan what food and equipment you will need (and dietary requirements). If you need external caterers, you will need to book and reconfirm them and then make sure payment is organised.
• Think about whether any council or other permits are needed (eg for an outdoor food event). Public liability insurance may be needed if your event is being held in a public place.
• Plan a running order for the day that shows specific times, activities and responsibilities. This includes working out who will responsible for liaising with speakers, special guests and media on the day.
• If appropriate, take photos on the day for newsletters etc. It is also very helpful if some of your best photos can be sent to your State Co-Chairs and/or the National Facilitating Group.

Attracting Media Coverage 

This material has been adapted with permission from a guide originally prepared by Oxfam Australia to assist people to raise media awareness about their community events. The adaptation was made mainly by the State Facilitating Group for Anti-Poverty Week in Queensland.

1. Preparing a media release

The first step is to prepare a media release that summarises the key points about your event, and explains Anti-Poverty Week. Below is a template that you can adapt:

When inserting information into this template, make sure you include and consider the following:

• Key information: The first paragraph should include the 'who, what, when, where and why' of your event.
• Quotes: Include a quote from a spokesperson, such as the head of your organisation or the main organiser of your event.
• Make it different: As well as providing key information, your media release should show the journalist why your event is unique and newsworthy.
• Short, simple and clear: Media releases should use clear language, never be more than one page, and generally there should be at most two sentences per paragraph.

2. Selecting media

Now that you have prepared a media release, think about the media publications and journalists who will be interested in your event.

Some things to consider are:

• Do you have existing resources? Be sure to have news items in your own organisation's newsletters, website, intranet, and other channels of communication.
• Where is your event taking place? Community events are of most interest to local media, so make note of the publications that are distributed in the area where your event is taking place.
• What type of event is it? Journalists have briefs to cover particular areas, so do some research and find the names of journalists who cover Community issues. You may also like to contact journalists who write stories about your particular industry, e.g. sports writers, education writers, etc.

3. Contacting media

Now that you have put together a list of media publications and some particular journalists, you are ready to contact media.

Find the contact telephone number for the publication's news desk. This can usually be found on their website, or in the White Pages.

Call the news desk. If you know the name of a particular journalist that you would like to speak to, ask to speak to them. If not, say something along the lines of:

"Hi, this is Jane calling from Peachgrove Primary School. It's Anti-Poverty Week next week and over 300 of our students will attend a breakfast to bring recognition to people living in poverty and hardship. Members of Peachgrove Council are attending a special assembly and there will also be a 20 metre banner across the front of the school. I'm calling because I thought this would be of interest to the Peachgrove Times."

Introduce yourself, and outline the key points that make your event interesting. For example, the banner will be of interest to a journalist as it provides a possible photo-opportunity.

When speaking to the journalist, you should have at hand:

• A copy of the media release. You should offer to send this to them, either by email or fax. If emailed, ensure that you copy the text into the body of an email, rather than as an attachment.
• Contact details of someone they can interview, who will be able to speak about the event during Anti-Poverty Week. This can either be you, the main organiser of the event, or the head of the organisation taking part.
• Name and mobile telephone number for someone who the journalist or photographer can contact, should they wish to attend the event.

4. At the event

Assign someone at your event to look after any journalist or photographers who may attend.

Journalists and photographers will have minimal time, so this contact person should help them complete interviews and take photographs in a short space of time. This may mean you will need to be flexible with your event's running order to accommodate their needs.

You should also assign another person to take photographs of the event, record any speeches that take place, and get quotes from the some the attendees.

5. After the event

Many journalists will have been unable to attend the event, but may still be interested in receiving information about it.

Select the best images from the event, and put together some quotes from the speeches and participants. Contact any journalists who expressed interest earlier, and send these additional materials to them. Try to gauge the likelihood that they will feature the story in their next edition.

6. Checklist

Have you:

• Written a short, concise media release that provides an overview of your event and the significance of Anti-Poverty Week?
• Developed a list of publications and contacts that would be interested?
• Called each of them and sent them the media release?
• Appointed a spokesperson who can complete interviews about the event?
• Appointed a contact person for any journalists or photographers who attend the event?
• Appointed someone to take photographs of the event, and obtain quotes from participants?
• Sent these to any journalists who were interested in the event, but were unable to attend?

Promotional Material for 2009 

You may want to use some of the following promotional material:

• An Anti-Poverty Week flyer
• An Anti-Poverty Week poster
• Join In note (full A4)
• Join In note (half A4)
• Join In note (quarter A4)