Really Useful Day: Social Media | Birmingham
8 February 2013
Afternoon group session:
Consultation exercise on
closing a children’s playground
CONSULTATION:
Riverdale Council is considering the possibility of closing Ferndale Children’s Playground. The reasons they want to close the playground are that:
- It will save money (an important consideration for the council) and there’s the possibility selling the land to developers, which will make money for the council.
- The playground is enclosed by shrubbery, making it very private. This makes parents wary of using it, as they worry about not being able to keep a close enough eye on their children – and about dodgy characters who might be able to hide in the bushes.
- Teenagers hang around at the playground and have in the past vandalised the playthings.
- There is another playground half a mile away which is in better condition and has a more open aspect. It is more popular and better-used.
The council has opened a consultation for 1 month to gather as many responses, suggestions and opinions as possible.
It has asked the digital team to help this process, using the digital tools (including social media) you have at your disposal.
ACTION:
On your table, brainstorm a list of audiences that might contribute to the consultation. Choose a few audiences you’d be happy to work on.
Louise will ask tables to choose 1 of these audiences each.
On your table, brainstorm all the possible methods of persuading your audience to contribute to the consultation.
Think about traditional media as well as social media, and how the two different types might support and complement each other.
List of possible audiences
-Neighbours / local residents
-Schools (school communities, school governors, after school clubs)
-Responsible adults (parents, carers, nannies, guardians)
-Children’s centres and nurseries
-Police
-Neighbourhood Watch
-Teenagers
-Park rangers
-Members / councillors
-Local politicians / MP
-Youth workers
-Council staff
-Scouts / guides
-Street cleaners
-Playing fields association
-Disabled groups / social care
-Youth groups
-Children + young people
-Enthusiasts (environmentalists)
-Authorities (eg Highways)
-Social landlords
-Community groups
-After work exercise clubs
-Local retailers and businesses
-Grounds maintenance team
-Developers / builders
-Park users
Communicating with audiences
All groups
Encourage groups to speak to each other directly on web platforms like Facebook/ purpose-built pages.
2 main questions that are relevant to all stakeholder groups:-
- What does the park mean to you?
- What would you like to see there?
Neighbours of the park
-Web page and FAQs
-Letters to homes- advertise drop-in session
-Press release pointing to:
- online form
- Facebook (including pictures etc)
- Q+A sessions
-Look for focus groups
-Ask for text responses
-Speak to diversity team for equality impact
-Use council / community newsletter
-Use parish halls
-Poster in play area:
- include QR codes
- include social media
- advertise drop-in sessions
-Open drop-in sessions
Local businesses and developers
Actions
- Start with general survey – find out who is there and what space means to them
- Invite proposals for space use
- Get people talking with each other on a common platform
- Grab all information (eg using Storify) relating to debate so all stakeholders can engage/ understand each other’s needs and limitations
- Have a competition to encourage contributions of ‘how site used’ and ‘what could be there’ (e.g. 1-minute videos uploaded to web platform/ photography. Perhaps let people judge)
Means of Contact
-Business rates databases:
- Target with emails / letters
- Use Survey Monkey
- Direct link to local businesses and ask them to share
- Web page
Actions for specific sub-groups
-Local shops / kiosks / vans
- Present plans / solutions on YouTube
- Dropping fliers / posting letters
- Face-to-face talks for those who don’t interact on social media
-Park entertainment
- Send us what you see in the area. What do you like about the space?
- Send in your videos and ideas for the new space
Potential uses of the site in the future:
Concerts
Fun days
Event space
-Present plans / solutions on YouTube
-Get the public to send in video content
-Competitions for schools
-Use online and street surveys
-Development opportunities / social regeneration
Disabled groups / social care
-Use plain English for literature
-Proactively send out to social care, key workers, day centres, older people’s groups, online forums
-Make sure website is AAA
-Easyread
-Talking newspapers
-Closed captioning / alt tags
-Roadshows to specialist schools
-Allow voicemail, email, social media and paper response to consultation
-Sign language
-Audio versions
-Video for YouTube
Children
-Picture survey
-“Kids speak”
-Website
-School visits / libraries / youth clubs
-Bring children to the council
-Interactive devices
-Drawing / design competition
-Use Flickr to vote on pictures
-Likeability survey eg 1-10 or emotive icons
-Facebook votes for older children
-Survey Monkey to capture info
-Posters (to promote)
-QR codes
-Prizes / competitions
-Youth champions