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sector: lobbying |
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location: Measham, Leicestershire |
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methods used: website, email, leaflets/flyer/newsletter campaigns |
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website: http://www.broadband4measham.co.uk |
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Gareth in Measham decided to take matters into his own hands. He was given a target of getting 400 people locally to register for broadband. So he set about making sure that not just Measham, but its surrounding villages were also aware of the potential for broadband and how much it could benefit them. |
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He started by building his own website dedicated to securing registrations, based on campaign websites produced by others around the country. This brought in several registrations immediately, but Gareth also started searching for companies in the six surrounding villages who were served by the Measham exchange. |
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"Having found about 30," said Gareth, "I sent them an e-mail highlighting the lack of broadband in the area and mentioning the campaign to collect registrations. Several replied almost instantly. They were very pleased to see that someone else was trying to bring ADSL services to the area." |
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The next step was to contact BTWholesale, who were being very proactive in supporting local groups, by financing the production of leaflets and flyers. It was around now that Gareth discovered he was far from alone – it seems that there were three or four people who had enquired to BT about help with leaflets. |
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After contacting the Measham community office, who produce the community newsletter, Gareth contacted Dean Westhead, one of those responsible for another campaign to bring broadband to Measham. Dean also produced the Measham Messenger, a monthly community newsletter, and he included two articles about the campaigns in the June 2003 issue. |
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Other articles also appeared in the local newspaper, and support from the local MP, David Taylor, also helped. |
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All this produced a steady trickle of registrations, but once the leaflets produced by BTWholesale had been delivered, there was a noticeable surge. |
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The publicity started to add up and in July 2003, the target of registrations was achieved. As a result, the Measham exchange will be broadband ready in November 2003. |
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Measham's website – see how they constructed their online campaign
ADSL guide – a comprehensive guide to all things concerning ADSL
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Many thanks go to: |
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Dean Westhead – fellow Measham Broadband Campaigner, Ian at Zen Internet, David Taylor MP, BT Wholesale, everyone else who helped. |
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