Volunteers driving Birmingham’s Yes to an elected mayor bid are looking for donations to take their campaign to the next level.
So far the Yes campaign, launched by a group of young professionals last year, has been promoted on the www.yestobirminghammayor.com website and social media.
But they are conscious that, while engaging business people and politicos, the referendum has yet to reach the majority of people in the city who will be able to vote come May 3.
But now they aim to push the ‘Yes Vote’ message through billboards, posters, stickers, leaflets and events in suburban high streets and shopping centres.
A public meeting, called the Big Brum Debate, has been lined up at the Town Hall on April 15 and there are a series of smaller coffee shop events starting at Brewsmiths in the Jewellery Quarter on March 5 at 6pm.
To ensure the campaign retains its independence from big corporate backers and the political parties they are asking individual supporters to donate £25 each, with a target of around 1,800 supporters.
Campaign spokeswoman Julia Higginbottom said: “Companies and organisations are welcome to donate more, but uniquely we are asking for them to donate on behalf of named staff friends and family.
“The ethos behind this is that we would like the campaign to be driven by grass roots citizens who want to show that this city has a strong civic, non-party political scene which can drive and engage with issues outside of traditional party politics.
“This would be a far cry from the usual funding of issues that are then driven by an organisational agenda, rather than ordinary Brummies’ needs and desires.”
The ‘No’ campaign has been launched by two city MPs John Hemming and Roger Godsiff and councillor James Hutchings, and can be found on the www.votenotoapowerfreak.org.uk website.
