Communication Commission - supporting local congregations
At a recent meeting, members of the Communication Commission (CommComm) took time to review what has been achieved over the last two and a half years and to consider priorities for the remaining months of this particular incarnation of the Commission. The CommComm's mission statement is:
- To encourage the growth and development of the Unitarian community by promoting a clear, contemporary Unitarian message via traditional and innovative means, in accordance with liberal values.
- The CommComm has tried to consider different ways in which, nationally and locally, we can promote, and raise the profile of, the Unitarian movement by providing different resources for communication activities.
Support for local congregations and groups
Since its launch two years ago, the notice board project has provided support for some 40+ congregations. It has been extremely successful, encouraging not only new notice boards but also use of the consistent identity - the chalice logo, fonts and colour schemes - thus helping to establish a recognisable Unitarian presence.
We are now launching a new scheme to support congregations and groups with local publicity and promotional activities, again linked to use of the consistent identity. Some may remember the project undertaken at Macclesfield, which resulted in a selection of leaflets and associated publications about the congregation and church - the process of discovery in developing these resources was found valuable in itself and something which others might consider.
Take some time to look around you and consider how a consistent image helps businesses and non-commercial organisations become easily recognised. How do you promote your congregation, your building, and your local activities? What does it say about you and your church? What message do you give?
We are inviting applications for grants up to £250 to develop local promotional activity and materials. A total of £1,500 has been made available to this project for the current GA year. The grant is intended to support congregations seeking funding to help develop promotional materials in keeping with consistent identity guidelines.
You may want to produce leaflets, redesign your newsletter, consider advertising campaigns, or have other creative ideas, perhaps for non-paper-based materials. We are hoping to support cost-effective activities of high quality, which might be applicable to other groups/congregations.
Other resources
Following its launch at Chester , the new travelling display returned briefly to Essex Hall, but has since been touring the country and has been very well-received. There are five panels. One - which can stand alone - has four statements about Unitarians and has since been produced as an A2 poster (cost £4.00 plus p&p). A digital version can be downloaded by clicking here.
Work to review, revise and produce the range of leaflets in consistent identity style is progressing. New leaflets include Namings and Blessings - the Unitarian Way , which completes the births, marriages and deaths trio, and Unitarian Views of Jesus .
We also have bookmarks , available in three colours. They have been used as publicity materials, having been handed out to spectators along the route of the Rivington Pilgrimage. A white china mug with the chalice logo in green and the words, "freedom, reason, tolerance", is available at a cost of £5.00 (plus p&p).
The DUWIT group via the UK Unitarians site has been helping local congregations and Unitarian groups to get online, using an online form into which anyone with a computer and internet connection can enter details of their local group.
And you will have read hopefully seen the new national website, the result of hard work by James Barry, Yvonne Aburrow and others!
What next?
We need people within the movement and the wider public to be able to quickly recognise a Unitarian building or publication when they see it - use of the new chalice logo and consistent identity fonts and colours will help this to happen. Next year we hope to hear from Upper Chapel, Sheffield and the progress made in their three-year project to implement consistent identity. There should be lots to learn from that experience.
The CommComm is supporting the NUF in production of online worship and meditation materials . There will be a workshop at the 2010 UCCN conference on creating video for the web and the opportunity to generate a video clip.
More leaflets are underway, some in liaison with other commissions and panels: Unitarian Views of Earth and Nature, Unitarian Approaches to Worship; Building bridges: building communities and review of Our continuing history and Unitarians and World Religions . Work is ongoing to develop a new series of Wayside Pulpit posters. Advertising is being reviewed - where it happens, what it says, who it's trying to speak to.
Thanks must go to the Commission and Panel members, who work extremely hard on the many projects under way, and to staff at Essex Hall who quietly support that work.
