Local Shop Campaigners
ACS is seeking politically interested shop managers or owners who would be interested in joining our Local Shop Campaigners (LSC) initiative. LSC aims to get retailers involved in some grassroots lobbying work, developing our previous work under Campaign Champions. ACS believe that LSC is invaluable because it will enable retailers to express to decision makers the reality of dealing with policy changes that impact on their businesses. LSCs can be powerful lobbyists because they are from local businesses and speak from their experience. We would work alongside the LSC giving them any assistance that they may need.
The one requirement that all LSC agree to is participating in four letter writing campaigns a year. Beyond this they can participate further by; inviting MPs to store visits to gain publicity for the store and for some of the issues that they are dealing with, attending occasional MP surgeries to raise issues of concern with their local MP, there will also be an opportunity for selected LSCs to get trained by ACS to act as local and national media spokespeople.
Upon signing up to be a Local Shop Campaigner you will be sent a pack containing:
A letter from independent retailer Jonathan James on his experiences of lobbying his MP
What Being a Local Shop Campaigner Involves
Campaigning Works
What some current campaigners say about the initiative
How to -
- Contact your MP
- Take part in a letter writing campaign
- Write a letter outside the letter writing campaign
- Attend your MPs Surgery
- Invite your MP for a store visit
- Become a local or national media spokesperson
- Who’s Who at ACS
- Local Shop Campaigner Agreement Form
You will also receive a framed certificate to hang up in your shop, as pictured above.
We are currently running our first campaign on tobacco, focusing on the negative licensing system that the Government is planning on bringing into England and Wales. This could see retailers that make three underage sales in two years lose their right to sell tobacco for up to a year. ACS is campaigning for more proportionate sanctions. We are also calling for proxy purchasing and attempting to buy tobacco underage to be made an offence. The policy will be going to the House of Lords between the end of February and the beginning of April therefore we would like as many active LSC’s as possible to be assisting us in this campaign.
TO BECOME A LOCAL SHOP CAMPAIGNER RING HELEN DAVIES ON 01252 515001 OR EMAIL HER AT HELEN.DAVIES@ACS.ORG.UK