Simple steps to act now! 1. Get informed
2. Spread the word
Visit our website: www.pan-uk.org/pesticide-free. Here you will find all the guidance and materials you need to start your campaign and develop it successfully. As well as details on all aspects of pesticides there are information leaflets and posters to download, links to sample letters and other useful documents, advice on how to create a petition and who to write to. And lots of information about what others are doing in the UK and around the world to stop hazardous pesticides being used in their towns and cities.
Armed with the information and materials available on our website start spreading the word: talk to your neighbours, friends and colleagues about your concerns and provide them with information on why you want to get rid of pesticides and what the benefits of a pesticide free environment will be.
3. Grow your own campaign Start a Facebook group, Twitter account or other social media channel to help spread your campaign. PAN UK has a dedicated Facebook page (and a Facebook group is coming soon!) where you can join in the discussion and find likeminded people in your area or use our website to see if there are others in your area already campaigning against pesticides and join up with them. Start your own local petition either online using a platform such as 38 degrees or on paper and gather signatures that you can present to your local council. Host a meeting and invite a representative of PAN UK to come and talk, we are always happy to do so.
Write a letter about what you are doing to the local newspaper or contact the local radio station for example. You could host a meeting for local people to come and discuss the issues and create a group with you. Print off our leaflets and/or poster and put them in local shops, libraries and other venues. If there are areas that you know don’t use pesticides, perhaps a local allotment, print off one of our pesticide free zone posters and put it up. Don’t forget to send PAN UK a picture of it in place so we can put it on our website for others to see.
4. Contact the right people You will need to contact the people that can make the decisions that will make your town pesticide free or give greater support to your campaign. Your MP, local or County Councillor or local green spaces manager are all people to contact and we have a sample letter available on our website for you to use. We also have more details about who you should contact.
6. Contact other local PFT groups
5. Organise a meeting
Others around the country are campaigning for the same pesticide free goals as you and they will be able to provide help and advice as you progress. You may well hit a point where you think you can’t go any further and they will be able to advice on how to get past this.
Meet with your local decision makers, members of the relevant council committee and those who run the appropriate council department. Contact and meet with your MP. If you are particularly concerned about pesticides used in schools try and arrange a meeting with the head teacher and or the parent teachers association or board of governors.
Details of other groups will be available on the PAN UK website or you can contact others in our Facebook page/ group for help and advice. You can also contact PAN UK for help and advice via email, letter or telephone. Contact details are available on our website.
If you have started a group take a number of representatives along to any meeting to help support you.