Street stalls go a long way

A street stall can go a long way to connecting with the community and helping members and supporters become good friends.

By Alex Schlotzer, National Co-Convenor

Street stalls are a great way of engaging with the community. And they're great for getting like-minded people together, allowing for friendships to grow. Plus, they show our community that the Greens are people who are part of the community, speaking with them about issues they're concerned about, and paying attention. It is doing something simple but encourages a wealth of engagement.

Talking to people and being visible in our communities is essential to getting our ideas and initiatives to the community without the media's filter. Street stalls let you speak to people in your local community about local, state and federal issues. And by holding street stalls when there isn't an election on shows the community that we care – irrespective of an election being held.

Street stalls are also a great way of sharing information like pamphlets, newsletters, petitions, stickers or policy booklets. They are an excellent opportunity to highlight Greens ideas and initiatives, whether they're local, state and federal issues.

Before you set up a stall

Now, before you head out and set up a stall it's important to keep in mind a few things. The very first thing to do is to make sure you're allowed to set up a stall in your municipality, as there are different rules for different local government areas.

It's always a good idea to pick an issue or two to focus on for the stall; get the branch involved in identifying the different issues for different street stalls. If you have a local councillor, state/territory Member of Parliament or a federal Member of Parliament, you should contact them to discuss your stall. They'll have information, leaflets, pamphlets, stickers, petitions and other materials for your stall. And by contacting them about your stall you're creating more opportunities for them to participate in local grassroots activities.

If you're able to set up a stall, make sure you keep within the limitations set out by your local municipality. However, there are few things you'll want for your street stall (not an exhaustive list but great for those starting out):

• A folding card table and a nice cloth to cover it - there are some excellent small folding tables you can buy that won't bust the bank.
• A few clipboards and pens. You'll need one for a petition on the table and one for each person who is expected to be helping on the stall.
• A Greens triangle or corflute and some way of attaching it to the table's legs. (You can hold a branch working bee to turn old corflutes into signs for your street stall that are transportable and very useful.)
• A stack of leaflets for the issues for that stall. Have some for the table and stick a few in the clipboards to give to people passing by. Remember to stick to a maximum of two issues and speak with publicly elected Greens representatives about your stall/issues.
• A petition or two covering the issues for your stall.
• A stack of membership/volunteer forms.
• Stickers, if you have them.
• A couple of spare Greens t-shirts for members or volunteers who don't have one or forgot their own t-shirt.
• Sunscreen, scissors, permit if required, umbrella and water (you should always encourage people helping on the stall to bring a hat and water).
• First aid kit.
• A good sense of humour and a willingness to have a chat.

If you get a large storage container with a lid, it will be large enough to hold all the things you'll need for the stall while small enough to comfortably carry - well, everything except, of course, the folding table.

Should you be lucky enough to sell merchandise at your street stall in your local municipality, make sure you put in place arrangements in order to sell merchandise. This can be another way your local branch can generate additional funds. Make sure that you check first about any permit requirements before deciding to sell merchandise.

Some things to remember

Street stalls don't have to go all day long and they don't have to be held every weekend. Find a good Saturday or Sunday (survey your branch members) once a month for a couple of hours in a high traffic area in different parts of your municipality to hold your street stall. Keep in mind that you don't want the stall in the middle of the footpath or in the way of passing pedestrians or on the road.

Make sure to promote the stall to members and volunteers as well as through your state's newsletter, website and social media. It's a good idea to ask people to RSVP for the stall so you have a relatively good idea of who is coming and so you can follow up with them. You'll probably want to arrive a little earlier than advertised so you have time to set up your street stall.

Then it's time to get chatting with your community. You'll find most people are polite and some people will want to sign your petition and take the information you have available. Of course, there is the odd person who is looking to have a go, but in my experience the vast majority of people are polite or politely ignore you. Don't worry if you don't hand out every leaflet or get huge numbers signing your petition; by being there and visible you're still showing the Greens members are part of and active in the community regardless of whether there is an election on or not.

And one of the fun parts of holding street stalls is the chance to catch up and speak with others helping on the stall and building friendships. A way of keeping the good vibes going after the stall wraps up is to have lunch or dinner together, depending on when you hold the stall.

Once you've run a few street stalls over a number of months it becomes a fun part of the branch's work locally and builds a rapport with your community, which helps for local, state and federal elections.

Now what?

Street stalls are a classic way of campaigning, but they shouldn't be underestimated. They are a great way of being visible and showing the community that we're a part of it. It gives us opportunities to highlight local, state and federal issues and our initiatives and campaigns. And they help build a rapport with our local communities beyond election times, while being a fun way to engage local members and volunteers – and build friendships along the way.

Now that you have some basics, start talking about when your local branch is holding its next street stall.