The Creation of a CF Training College

Daryl Williams, candidate for CF Chairman, explains his policy for a CF Training College (download pdf).

I believe National Conservative Future needs to recognise its primary aim is to act as a service provider, supporting members locally.  The grass roots are the heart of our organisation, without our dedicated activists, our organisation would cease to function.  This is why I will ensure we are supporting members through the creation of a new college.    The college will adopt four principles.  There will be induction events and resources for new members joining our Party.  It will support our grass roots activists through training days, seminars and online resources. 

We need to distinguish between the different roles in CF and provide training specifically to the requirements we ask of our activists.  Also, the college will encourage and support young people running for local government. Many activists I have spoken to have made clear their priority is for Conservative Future to concentrate on getting the basics right.  The college is about providing practical support, helping you get on in the Party and perform your functions better.

YBF careers workshops

The Young Britons’ Foundation is launching a new range of careers workshops to advise on getting into the legal profession, the City, civil service, media, public affairs and other careers.  The first workshop in the series will cater to those students who hope to pursue a career in the City:

"Getting into the City isn’t easy; whether you want to be a trader, a hedge fund manager, or an investment banker it’s a difficult place to break into.  In recognition of this the Young Britons’ Foundation is running an afternoon’s workshop (1-5pm) on Saturday 6th October at LSE to equip conservative minded young people who want to work in the City with the knowledge they need to break into one of the most competitive job markets in the world.   

Attendees will hear from a range of speakers with experience of life in the City.  From Nihar Rach who’s starting out in the City with Mizuho International PLC and can tell you everything you need to know to get your foot in the door, to one of the Square Mile’s big players, Marcus Booth of Travers Smith who can share a lifetime’s experience with you – pitfalls to avoid and opportunities to seize.  You’ll learn how to make your application stand out, the do’s and the don’ts of interviews (what to say and what you should never say), and what to do when you finally land the job you want."

To confirm your place at the workshop (for £10) email Shane Greer asap.

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Shane Greer: Get campaign-savvy

On the 20th July the Young Britons’ Foundation is running its first Campaign Management Workshop of 2007.  This one-day (9.30am – 5.00pm) specialist training programme will enable you to organise, lead and benefit from a successful political campaign.   

The Young Britons' Foundation Campaign Management Workshop will cover:

• The real nature of politics and elections
• Developing a campaign plan and building your organisation
• Opposition research
• Direct mail, personal solicitation and fundraising events
• Campaign websites, blogs and internet activism
• Ballot integrity and election law
• Handling negative information

As with all day-long training workshops the cost is a mere £35.  If you are interested in attending the Campaign Management Workshop email Mike Rouse at [email protected] or call on 0207 405 1818.  Places on the workshop are very limited and will fill up quickly for this workshop so be sure to get in touch ASAP. 

Click here for details for October's weekend training weekend.

What did you do this summer?

Donal Blaney is the Chief Executive of the Young Britons’ Foundation.

Britain’s relationship with the United States is the cornerstone of our nation’s foreign policy. Its importance was reinforced last week by the Queen’s visit to America and the warm words exchanged by President Bush and the Queen. This week Tony Blair has reminded us that America is our most important and closest ally – and the accession to power of Gordon Brown will not change that fact either.

With this in mind, and in a desire for British conservatives to learn from the successes – and failures – of the American conservative movement, the Young Britons’ Foundation has organized what I believe to be a very exciting series of opportunities in the United States for young British conservative activists this summer.

This week is the last opportunity for young conservative activists to apply to attend one, two or all three of the exciting conservative conferences that YBF supporters and students have been invited to attend in Washington, DC and New York this summer.

Continue reading "What did you do this summer?" »

One day public speaking workshop

The Young Britons' Foundation is excited to announce it is bringing Dr John Shosky, former speechwriter in the Reagan administration, over to the UK for a special one-day Public Speaking Workshop on Saturday, 21st April. Whether you're a novice or a polished presenter, the Foundation's one-day Public Speaking Workshop will give you expert tips for public speaking success. There's no doubt about it, good public speaking skills can put you over the top. And when you're learning the tricks and techniques from a seasoned professional like Dr John Shosky you're guaranteed to come away ready to perform at your very best. The Public Speaking Workshop is only £50 and includes course fees, materials, coffee, lunch and dinner at a local restaurant. To apply contact Shane Greer at [email protected] or call on 020 7440 4016.

Statement from Mark Clarke, CF Chairman:

"YBF public speaking courses are the very best around. I personally learned a huge amount from them. The professionalisation that they bring to this vital skill will benefit everyone.
 
Some people have said that public speaking is not something which candidates need to worry about much too much these days. Nothing could be further from the truth. My public speaking diary for this week sees me speaking to 300 Muslims at a rally in Tooting, speak at a debate on multi-culturalism, speak at a public meeting to Save the Bolingbroke Hospital, speak to a meeting of around 40 CF members at the launch of a new marginal seat branch, speak to 100s of Medical Students at St Georges Hospital and speak at an annual ward dinner for 50 people.
 
I thoroughly recommend the course to all CF activists. Sign up while you can!”

Mark Clarke: Opportunities to study America's conservative movement

Mark Clarke is Chairman of Conservative Future.  He was recently selected for Tooting.

Conservative Future and the Young Britons Foundation are today announcing an exciting collaboration to give CF members access to the political opportunities available in the US. Whilst the US conservative movement has its own issues which differ from those in the UK, the level of political sophistication, whether in campaigning techniques, training, internet understanding or communications ability is far more advanced than here in the UK. We want to give CF members an opportunity to learn these techniques and experience American political life. We also hope that this will strengthen the links between our two Conservative movements and between our two great nations.

We have together developed relationships with a wide range of organisations who are willing to take UK CF members for internships for varying lengths of time. Some of these may be paid, some will pay flights, some will offer accommodation. All will offer an exceptional and life changing experience.

The Young Briton's Foundation have kindly offered to manage this process.  Together, CF and YBF will make the initial selection and recommendations to our friends across the Atlantic. Detailed application details can be found on the YBF site. In order for us to place people with organisations with which they will be a strong cultural fit we also include a questionnaire to understand people's current politics. This is not pie in the sky. We already have sent over informally CF members to the US as we have pulled together the details of this plan for general consumption.

CF is grateful to YBF for its help here. YBF has for many years trained Conservative activists in advanced political techniques. I myself hugely benefited from this training, as have 100s of other CF members. More recently, YBF has provided personal coaching to me in my current role and organised a trip for me to the US at which we jointly created this programme.

This is also a sign that CF is embracing the full conservative movement - as partners not rivals.

YBF training in television techniques

Just to highlight an event featured elsewhere on ConservativeHome...

The Young Britons' Foundation is beginning a new round of training sessions, the first being on Thursday February 22nd on television techniques. Places are very limited.

Interning in the US

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Shane Greer: The Battle for Student Government

Continue reading "Shane Greer: The Battle for Student Government" »

Shane Greer: The challenge for young conservatives

Shane (blog) is a member of the Conservative Party, and is currently interning at the Leadership Institute in Arlington, Virginia.

The left was never right, but it is dominant.

Young conservatives throughout the United Kingdom face a massive challenge, a battle which must be fought. That challenge is to dislodge the leftist dominance which saturates University life, and we owe it to our philosophy to win.

From student politics, to student media the left’s grip is all consuming. For proof of this one need look no further than the NUS ban on the sale of Nestlé products. So untrusting are they of individual liberty that through central planning, leftist dominated student unions across the UK attempt to control behavior. Rather than allowing the free-market to determine what products are, or are not purchased they choose to enforce their ‘higher morality’ through quasi-legislative diktats. Indeed their dictatorial machinations are so odious as to bring to mind Montesquieu, who as Bastiat indicated, considered “…persons, liberties, property – mankind itself – to be nothing but materials for legislators to exercise their wisdom upon.”

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