CAMDEN LGBT
FORUM
Camden Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Forum
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.