Making the Case for Coast

How campaigning, communications, fundraising and a few ice-creams saved the England Coast Path

Making the Case for Coast• Insider lobbying

• E-asks

• Case for Coast Report

• Fundraising

• Media

• Campaign Stunt

• Social media

The England Coast Path• A third of the English

coast has no coastal path• Major investment for

coastal communities – £1 a metre to build– Wales coast path brought

in £15 million in it’s first year

• An awesome walk

“A sledgehammer to miss a nut”

Insider lobbying

Online campaigning

• 19,500 petition signatures• 800 letters to local papers• 900 tell a friend• #onecoastforall

Funding the Case for Coast

• Experiment – not tried online fundraising before• Tie in with Newsnight:

“Did you see us last night?”

• Emailed to 10k members/non members• 1.48% response rate• Total raised £2250• Average gift £15

The Case for Coast report

• Key benefits of coast path with case studies

• Infographics• Maps• Front cover photo competition“The best report I’ve read as an

MP” David Rutley MP

Case for Coast launchBringing the seaside to Westminster!

Challenges• Getting permission• Sourcing an ice-cream van• Ensuring the message went back

to Richard Benyon• Telling the CEO you want him to dress up…

Follow up• Social Media• E-ask to supporters – email

your MP• MPs who came given press

releases and asked to sign EDM

• MPs who didn’t come were sent a copy of the report

• Christmas present OS Map

Success?

Difficulty of knowing when we’d won...

• Generic MP response to e-asks

• Insider conversations• No announcement• Natural England map