NCB Now: PM sticks to pledge after online action
Monday, February 21, 2011
Citizen e-action is a growing force for change and an area that is becoming increasingly important for charities to be at the forefront of.
In June 2010, Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM) joined forces with Mumsnet, asking supporters to email Prime Minister David Cameron and ask him to honour his pledge to Mumsnet that he would ensure children with continence issues received the number of nappies they needed. The Prime Minister acted swiftly and told primary care trusts that restricting access was "inappropriate".
How successful would this campaign have been without online action? The issue was initially discussed face-to-face between Cameron and a Mumsnet user before the election. However, when there had been no progress months later, bloggers in Mumsnet forums were quick to comment, creating a snowball effect with e-actions and debates. Online campaigning was key to the campaign win - messages could reach a larger targeted audience; the campaigns team and bloggers could respond on a real-time basis; and MPs were instantly aware of issues that faced their constituents.
So far, 1,700 EDCM supporters have emailed their local authority to ask about funding for disabled children's services. In a time of cuts, e-action is a simple way to ensure disabled children and young people remain a high priority issue in the minds of decision makers.
To sign up as a supporter of EDCM and take online action, go to: www.edcm.org.uk/signup.
