National Quaker Week?
It looks like Friends in Britain are up to something:
What if there was a week in 2007 where Quakers popped into public view, not once, but many times? What if energy and resources for outreach came together for one big push? This could significantly multiply the impact of our work on outreach. It wouldn’t replace regular work on outreach, but it would give the Quaker profile a huge boost.
National Quaker Week, from 22-30 September 2007, aims to do just that. By combining national media work and advertising with local events and activities, the week will raise the profile of Quakers across the UK.
“A joint effort on advertising and events throughout the country is a great way of boosting the Quaker profile,” says Steve Cappleman, Outreach Co-ordinator, “If people hear about Quakers from a number of sources at the same time, it will hopefully arouse their curiosity.”
September 22-30 — so both weekends and the five days between.
They’ve been at it since March, when local meetings received a resource pack from the Quaker Communications Department at Friends House. Media training workshops were then held in London and Leeds for Friends who want to use the media to publicize events and maximize outreach.
Topics included:
- Understanding your audience
- Taking a proactive approach
- How to write a news release
- Letters to the press
- Handling radio and TV interviews
One blogger has been looking forward to it since February:
It should be fun. Just as Fairtrade fortnight is a chance to indulge in good chocolate, coffee and again decide you will buy fairtrade clothes instead of cheap bright things from H&M, National Quaker Week will be a chance to enjoy some silent Meetings and worship in your own style. Be sure to give up violence (physical and structural) for the week, especially if you are an arms dealer, prime minister or manager. Wage real, active peace and discern some brilliant ideas, being sure to find collaborators who can change the world with you. If you really want to go for the Fox style of Quakerism, wear simple clothes, drop all titles for the week, wear a hat at all times (especially if asked to remove it) and step into pubs to verbally abuse the revellers in such a way that actually persuades them to come out and join you in a Great Gathering.
And a microsite has been launched, with three diarists (bloggers?) set to journal their activities and reflections during the week, and a competition to “sum up the essence of Quakers in ten words or fewer.”
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