Join 'CamdenTalks' and
have your say!

We are asking you for help in encouraging local people to take part in an exciting new initiative called CamdenTalks.

CamdenTalks is a consultative panel of local residents run by Camden Council, the Metropolitan Police Service and Camden Primary Care Trust. These organisations provide the major public services in Camden and CamdenTalks is a chance for local people to influence life in the borough.

We are setting up CamdenTalks as a way of regularly involving residents in consultation and debate on local issues. CamdenTalks is not the only way we seek the views of residents, but it will add an important new channel of communication.

What does being a member involve?
Being a CamdenTalks member does not need to take a lot of time - what we ask is for members to respond to surveys a few times a year. There will be other activities such as public events that they can participate in too. As a member of CamdenTalks, staff from the council or researchers like MORI will contact panel members from time to time to obtain their views. Individuals can stop being a member of CamdenTalks at any time.

How can you help?
We hope that your organisation can help by allowing MORI (the independent research company) to visit during mid May - early June 2004, to recruit users of your group to join CamdenTalks. We are keen to involve a wide cross-section of local people, which is why it is so important we make contact with organisations such as yours. Fully trained MORI interviewers will recruit panel members by asking them to give their agreement in writing (only a signature is required). The recruitment interview will also contain some survey questions on topics such as how safe people think the local area is. Participation in CamdenTalks, and any information given will be confidential to MORI and the organisations involved in this project. Information will not be used in relation to any other dealings members may have with the council, the health services or the police.

What's in it for people when they join?
Firstly, there is a prize of £100 for the first lucky panel member to be randomly drawn and four runner up prizes of £50. More importantly, by joining, members will have the opportunity to let us know about their experiences of living in Camden and what they expect from local public services. Regular feedback on what we have found out, and action taken as a result will be provided. A regular newsletter and email messages for example, will be features of communication with CamdenTalks.

Contact us!
If you can assist with the recruitment of the panel, please call Victoria Harkness or Debbie Lee Chan at Camden Council (in Corporate Policy & Projects) and on 020 7974 2704/5513, or you can email us on: victoria.harkness@camden.gov.uk or debbie.chan@camden.gov.uk

Our freepost address, should you want to write to us is: CamdenTalks
Room 323
Corporate Policy & Projects
Chief Executive's Department
London Borough of Camden
FREEPOST LON 20084
London
WC1H 9BR

We look forward to working with you on the panel and to welcoming members of your community to CamdenTalks.