We need technical volunteers to build on our successes since 2018. Can you help?

Right now we are:

• reviewing the 2023 election campaigns,
• updating voter data for the next campaigns,
• responding to a consultation on new county council seat boundaries,
• replacing everything we do with NationBuilder, including:
  • editing content for new web sites,
  • converting and moving supporter data from NationBuilder to Action Network,
  • evaluating the national canvassing system that is under development,
  • improving our social media presence.

How can you help? There are data tasks and writing and design tasks. Let's start with data.

Every year we review the election campaign. What worked well and what can we do better next time? You could help by analysing election results or surveys of volunteers, then create a presentation for our members.

Also every year, we update the data we hold on voters, so we are better prepared for the next election campaign. There are simple tasks like typing data into spreadsheets from this year's canvassing sheets and the marked registers (of who voted, not how they voted). And there are more technical tasks integrating data from different sources, getting ready for the new canvassing system being developed by a team of national volunteers. They will be demonstrating it to us in the next two weeks.

This year, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England has started a review of the division boundaries in Oxfordshire County Council. A county division is equivalent to a district ward, the area a councillor represents. They will release a draft set of boundaries on 1 August 2023. We will have until 9 October to respond with our own arguments and maps. If you have any GIS skills, we need you.

Since 2013, we have been using the NationBuilder software as a service to manage web sites, events, donations, emails and a database of members, volunteers, supporters and voters. As the price has gone up, we are replacing it over the next month with the national party's Action Network system, WordPress web sites and the forthcoming canvassing system.

Our best data on members, volunteers and supporters is in NationBuilder. We need to work out what data records and tags we want to keep, then decide how to convert important NationBuilder tags and fields into Action Network fields and tags before moving the data. This is a lot of work, but it can be split into many small tasks done by many volunteers.

Action Network, doesn't provide web sites, it just lets you create individual web forms to volunteer, donate, sign up for an event etc. So we will need to set up web sites for Oxfordshire Green Party and the branches which do not yet have their own web site. These will probably be WordPess sites. There are a few technical WordPress tasks that need developer skills, but most of the work is in creating web pages, editing existing pages and writing new ones. We need image designers and writers for that.

Web sites aren't much help unless people visit them. So we need to improve our use of social media to get out message out and then bring them to our website to sign up for something. Could you advise us which social media tools we should use to better reach voters and supporters and to analyse our online impact?

Please select from the list of tasks below. I am arranging more online briefing sessions in the next two weeks (including a demonstration of the canvassing system).

Sign up below to receive more detail, including a longer briefing video, a link to a Trello board and the time of the canvassing system demonstration.

You can help us campaign to win in Oxfordshire by telephoning people. Our supporters appreciate contact from the Green Party.

You could talk to members and supporters to:

• ask them to come to an action day,
• find out how we can help them and they can help us, or
• ask for regular donations so we can build the party and extend our campaigns.

You can phone from home at times to suit you.

Or you can join a small group of Green Party volunteers in a phone banking session. At a phone bank you join a few others to call Green Party supporters from your phone. You will get a list of names and numbers of people to call and a script. The script will contain a list of questions, such as can you come to this action day? If not, how about this one? and so on. You note down the responses then go on the the next call. From time to time everyone stops for tea and to chat about how the calls went.

If you would like to help, even if only for 30 min. each week, please complete the form below with all the ways you can help.

Thinking of volunteering? Want to help the Oxfordshire Green Party campaign for the common good?

You can volunteer here.

Not sure what you can do? This FAQ gives an introduction into some of the less obvious ways you can help.

• How can I send out email blasts?
• Mobile phone surveys (door knocking)
• Data entry and analysis
• Phone banks
• Printing leaflets

Let us know how you can best help on election day, 5 May 2022. Tasks include:

1. Reminding people to vote:
   • Knocking on the doors of people who said they will vote Green (“knocking up”).
   • Telephoning people who said they would vote green.
2. Helping organise 1.
3. Taking voter numbers at polling stations (“telling”)—many voters don’t make up their minds until they are in the polling booth. A Green rosette and a welcoming face can help persuade them. Key times include 7am-9.30am, and 5pm-8pm.
4. Tallying the votes at the count on Friday, so we know where in the county there are more Green voters.

Please tick all the ways you can help below, and where you can help. The autoresponse email will tell you whom to contact or where to go.

Ian Middleton (Kidlington East Ward) needs your help to get elected as a Green Councillor next May.
Without Green and Liberal Democrat councillors there will be virtually no one left to: 
HOLD THE CONSERVATIVE-RUN COUNCIL TO ACCOUNT

PROTECT THE GREEN BELT FROM THE HUGE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FILLING THE GAP BETWEEN KIDLINGTON AND OXFORD

Please complete the volunteer form below:

We need to build back better

Not only is there is a climate and ecological crisis but we have many more people in the City and County struggling with steep increases in the cost of living. 

We need to get Green councillors elected to voice the concerns of the vulnerable and insecure in our midst, and to take the urgent steps needed to build a sustainable future. As an international city, Oxford also have a duty to speak out on issues of fairness and injustice around the world and, as a City of Sanctuary, it has a role to play in welcoming and supporting refugees and asylum seekers.

The Green Party does not take money from vested interests so we rely on grass roots volunteers to help us to win seats.  In 2023 Oxfordshire elected 8 new Green councillors. We now have 27, up from 2 only 5 years ago. With your support, we can do even better. 

Whatever your skills, there is something you can do to help get Green Councillors elected. Fill in the form below, and one of our volunteers will get in touch to talk about how you would like to become involved.

THANK YOU!

Would you like to help welcome newly-joined members into your area? Not everyone feels confident enough to immediately come to a big meeting or join in a campaign team. So we are looking for members who can talk to them about local issues and the things we are doing as a party.

If you are willing to be a local link person who will make that extra bit of effort to get to know new local members, please let me know and I will ensure you are provided with details of people who join in your area. In cities this area might be a few streets, in the countryside a village. I will divide up the areas once all the volunteers have signed up. Let me know which area you would like to handle.

How you welcome new members and supporters is up to you. Below are some suggestions. Tick the ones that you think might work in your area. Some are more suited to a rural village, other in towns. Or you may have better ideas.