Are you #Essential?

We are village halls, sports clubs, youth clubs, cafes and shops
We are organisations working in housing, health, social care and transport
We are advice services, campaigns to bring about change and so much more…

Our work changes people’s lives for the better, brings communities together, improves policy and contributes to the economy. What we do, and the benefits we bring, are constantly at risk if we do not have the support and funding we need to thrive and survive. So, we’re starting a new campaign called #EssentialSector and we want you to get involved.

Let’s make some noise to remind everyone how #Essential our work is so it can be protected and nurtured.

Get involved

Applications are open NOW to become one of eight organisations showcased during the launch of the #EssentialSector campaign later this year.

The campaign launch will feature short video clips of real people, telling their stories in their own words to paint an inspiring and raw picture of the value and impact of our sector – to show the challenges the sector faces as well as its many achievements.

In addition to heart-warming and informative stories, we are on the hunt for surprising and hard-hitting stories from every corner of Scotland, and from all different shapes and sizes of organisation, to help show the diversity and impact of the sector.

Shortlisted organisations will:

• Receive training on how to do simple filming using a mobile phone or tablet
• Be supported to plan out the best way to tell their organisations’ story on film
• Take their own short films of key people involved with their organisation/activities
• Own the content they help to create
• Have their content featured in the launch of #EssentialSector

We will:

• Organise the training
• Provide support with story-planning for filming
• Organise support check-ins during filming
• Set up channels for peer support amongst the organisations involved
• Edit the film content into short films to support the #EssentialSector launch

You’ll need a few things for the training including a laptop if you’re joining by video, a smart phone or tablet for filming, an app called Adobe Premier Rush, headphones, a USB cable, a tripod and mic (if you have them).

Don’t worry if you don’t have equipment! We’ll help as best we can with that.

We want to co-create videos with you, so your organisation gets to learn new skills as well as showcase its work. And we want you to own your video content so that you can use it to keep promoting your work beyond the #EssentialSector campaign.

All your stories are important. It will be hard to choose, but we aim to select a shortlist that shows as diverse a range of the sector as possible – different types and sizes of organisation, in different locations, doing different things and with different stories to tell.

While only eight organisations will be selected to make videos for the campaign launch, every story matters. We will send a campaign toolkit to everyone who applies with support and ideas for sharing your story as part of the campaign.

Applications will close at 12pm on 5 May 2023

Apply to be part of the #EssentialSector campaign

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