Muslim action against Poverty
How To ...Run a Poverty Campaign Stall

The Idea
There are many places where you find campaigning stalls – conferences, church events, fetes, on the street – where campaigners feel they can raise awareness about an issue. Running a stall gives you a visible presence and a chance to recruit and fundraise, as well as to enlist support for the campaign.

Make the Most of Your Time
When you are running a stall, it is essential that you make the best use of your time. Rather than waiting behind your stall it is far better to spend quality time standing in front of your stall handing out leaflets, asking people to sign actions, and actively trying to engage people in conversation about the campaign issues. Be prepared to debate the issue with passers-by and persuade them of the merits of getting involved.

Opening Lines
Your opening line is crucial if you are going to engage members of the public. It should capture, in a short space of time, what you’re doing and why you want people to help. It should be concise and ease you into a dialogue with people, making them feel comfortable about stopping and spending valuable time with you.

Example Opening Lines

• “Hi there. Would you like to sign a letter to Gordon Brown and Hilary Benn asking them to cancel poor country global poverty issues? Let me give you a leaflet and there’s more information on the stall if you’d like it.”

or

• “Would you like a sticker? Take one of these leaflets too - it will tell you all about campaigning to drop the global poverty issues”

Key Equipment List

• Table
• Banner and posters
• Sign up sheet (to join mailing lists)
• Did you know...? leaflets
• Current action (postcards, letters or petition)
• Merchandise flyers
• Collecting tins, stickers
• Reports 
• Merchandise (t-shirts, video etc.)
• Clip Boards and pens
• Cloth to cover table
• Blue Tak, sellotape, scissors etc.

Getting into Conversation
When people do stop and talk to you it’s important not to bombard them with jargon. Talking about HIPCs and IFIs will make it difficult to get your message across unless you are talking to someone who already has a background knowledge of the issue. You do not have to present yourself as an expert you know more than enough to get your message across. You may well encounter people who feel they are experts so don’t be afraid to say what you are – a concerned citizen volunteering your time. You can always put people in touch with the office if they’d like to have an in-depth conversation on a topic that you don’t feel well enough informed to discuss.

Dealing with Difficult People
When you are on a stall you may occasionally be unfortunate enough to come across somebody who takes that opportunity to attack you and what you stand for. Avoid getting into protracted arguments or disagreements. Your aim is to get a concise message across and you will not do this by getting into arguments. It’s important to know when to let go of the conversation – there are some people that just won’t be swayed and aren’t really interested in hearing what you have to say. Politely but firmly end the conversation. Just thanking them for sharing their views and stopping talking is a good tactic if the problem persists.

Materials
Make sure that you have good stock of the materials on your stall. Put out just a few of each at a time and keep spares under the table. This will keep the stall looking neat and tidy. It is also a good idea to have some posters and leaflets laminated in case of rain.

Some materials cost much more to produce than others. As a rule, it is much better to give out the Did You Know...? flyer first. People who are interested to find out more can then be given copies of more detailed literature and/or reports can be given to those people to whom they are of particular interest. Try not to hand copies of everything to each person that goes by. The Did You Know? flyer gives people the opportunity to request more information if they decide they want it later.

Remember
If you are setting up a street stall, check whether you need permission. You normally won’t in a public space as long as you are not obstructing a public highway or fire escape. However, if you are on private property then, without the right permission, you could be accused of trespass. Some local authorities require you to have public liability insurance.

Make sure your stall is eye-catching. Passers by should be able to see from a distance what the stall is about.

You could use posters, balloons, banners and t-shirts.

If you have a volunteer rota for the stall, try to ensure that you put new people with more experienced campaigners.

To sell goods in the street or in a public place you need a Traders’ License. You can, however, sell merchandise at special events such as conferences and fairs. You can also give out merchandise flyers wherever you are.

Please contact us for further details or clarification.