Members' highlights include:
ALDC Members' Reception (SUNDAY LUNCHTIME) with Nick Clegg and Vince Cable.

Once again we are working with our friends at the Co-operative on our members reception which this year focuses on the theme of sustainable communities. ALDC members only.

ALDC Annual General Meeting and Campaigner Awards 2009 (SATURDAY EVENING)
Members of ALDC are invited to our Annual General Meeting which is also the announcement of the Campaigner Awards 2009.

Policy focused events include: 
Will the bus get you back to work? Transport Strategies post Credit Crunch with GMITA (SUNDAY EVENING) with Norman Baker MP and Caroline Pidgeon.
Reclaiming the Green Agenda (MONDAY EVENING) with Simon Hughes MP and Friends of the Earth.
Winning against the Far Right (TUESDAY EVENING) with Chris Davies MP, Seachlight and Cllr Gordon Birtwistle (Burnley)

Full details will be avaialble in our Local Government Directory nearer the time. Please get in touch for more details.

Back to Basics with "Campaign Essentials"
Winning elections is about getting some basics right, so as part of our 40 hours of training at Bournemouth Federal Conference we've got a programme of training every morning from Sunday - Tuesday which is all campaign essentials that all of us need to know. Whether you're new to Lib Dem campaigning, or a seasoned campaigner who needs to refresh those skills these are the sessions for you. We would particularly urge you to encourage new campaigners to attend these sessions.

The sessions will cover:
- FOCUS leaflets - why and how to
- Campaign Planning
- Postal Voters and Direct Mail
- Polling Day - all you need to know for a successful final day
- canvassing techniques
- EARS and Data - why we use collect data and what we do with it

All these sessions are free to any member (or staff member) of the Liberal Democrats. More information in the Local Government Directory to be published nearer the time.

FACT:
In the next nine months all of us face a General Election; most of England face important local elections - most likely on the same day

FACT:
In just 21 months - May 2011 -  more than half of our local councillors face election.

FACT: 
To win in these challenging circumstances your team needs the skills and information to campaign effectively. You need a campaign plan in place that can build success through 2010 and 2011. 
 
SOLUTION: 
ALDC’s Weekend Kickstart event takes place on 27-29 November 2009 and is the most important training opportunity each year for Lib Dem volunteer campaigners. It's proven to work - last year’s attendees saw net gains of 10 County Council divisions in June 2009. 
 
WHAT YOU GET:
Over 20 hours of training – both advanced and beginner.
Over six hours for your team working with an experienced mentor to develop your campaign plan. 
A weekend's accommodation at the Holiday Inn (M6 Junction 7 near Birmingham), food and training rooms.  (There's even time for both the pool and the bar...) 
 
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: 
Kickstart is great if you can bring along your campaign team. Imagine a whole weekend of campaign planning with expert help without any interference! 
Individual campaigners are also welcome - they will work together in small teams to develop plans and ideas. 
Experienced campaigners and new campaigners. It’s a great way to develop ideas and bring on new people. 
 
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST:
Kickstart is financially supported by the G8 process, so the cost is right down to the minimum we can charge. 
ALDC Gold Members who book early (before 3 October) £140 for the weekend – a bit more if you’re a Silver Member or not yet a member!
Save £60 by sharing a room – (twins and doubles available!)
We have a small number of HALF PRICE places for groups starting off (see below). 
WHY NOT ask your council group to pay or pay half of your costs – it could be the best investment they make all year? 
Some people apply to G8 for help attending Kickstart. 
 
If you're near to Birmingham we have some low-cost non-residential rates - not available to book online but contact emma.hall@aldc.org  
 
HOW DO I BOOK: 
You can book now – online at ALDC’s website – click here to go direct to the booking form. Remember you need to LOG IN as an ALDC member FIRST to receive your members discount which will then be applied automatically. 
More information from Emma Hall – 01422 843 785 emma.hall@aldc.org 
 
50% DISCOUNT
As a new initiative this year ALDC has set aside a fund to pay for a small number of half-price places available for groups who are starting off. This is only for councils where we have NO COUNCILLORS or very few Councillors (e.g. one or two wards).
 
If you are interested in taking us up on this please contact anders.hanson@aldc.org before 3 October 2009 deadline.

Results are in for Liberal Democrat positions on the Local Government Association bodies for 2009-2011.

All (principle) councillors in England were polled with the highest turnout ever recorded.

Leader: Richard Kemp, Liverpool Deputy Leader, Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Portsmouth Group Whip, John Commons, Manchester Group Chair, Jill Shortland, Somerset

Group Executive Carl Minns, Hull; Howard Sykes, Oldham; Liz Green, Kingston; Stan Collins, Cumbria & S Lakeland Urban Commission Lead Abigail Bell, Hull - Lead; Greg Stone, Newcastle - Deputy Lead Rural Commission Lead Stan Collins, Cumbria & S Lakeland - Lead; Alison Clish-Green, West Devon - Deputy Lead Culture, Tourism & Sport Board Chris White, Herts & St Albans - Lead; Flick Rea, Camden; John Commons, Manchester; Gary Millar, Liverpool - Substitute Community Well-being Board David Rogers, East Sussex & Lewes - Lead; Doreen Huddart, Newcastle; Zoe Patrick, Oxon & Vale of W. Horse; Denise Hawksworth, Chesterfield - Substitute Environment Board Dorothy Thornhill, Watford - Lead; Paula Baker, Basingstoke & Deane; Berni Turner - Liverpool; Roger Symonds - BANES - Substitute Improvement Board Jill Shortland, Somerset - Lead; David Williams, Richmond; John Commons, Manchester - Substitute Children and Young People David Bellotti, BANES - Lead; Gloria Cawood, Somerset & Mendip; Martin Candler, Stockport; Rabi Martins, Watford - Substitute Regeneration & Transport Board Richard Knowles, Oldham - Lead; Heather Kidd, Shropshire; Zulfiqar Ali, Rochdale, Isobel McCall - Milton Keynes - Substitute Safer Communities Board Duwayne Brooks, Lewisham - Lead; Daisy Benson, Reading; Anita Lower, Newcastle; Paul Porgess, Stockport - Substitute Scrutiny Panel Trevor Jones, Dorset & West Dorset - Lead Resources Panel Sarita Bush, Hull - Lead Human Resources Panel Steve Comer, Bristol - Lead; Stephen Knight, Richmond Fire Forum Lead Paul Shannon, Manchester - Lead

The Liberal Democrat Group of the Local Government Assocation (LGA) are currently looking for nominations for Liberal Democrat vacancies to the following central bodies of the "Local Government family". These are:

Chair                  4ps
Board member    IDeA
Board member    Leadership Centre for Local Government
Board member    LACORS

These 4 positions are appointed and an appointments panel will be established by the Lib Dem Group Executive as soon as the Group elections have been finalised. The closing date for applying for the positions is 12th August so that they can try to have the people firmly in place for 1st September. The positions are open to any Liberal Democrat Councillor whose council is in LGA membership with the exception of those who hold a position within the LGA of Leader, Deputy Leader or a lead Lib Dem member on a Board or Panel. 

Application should be by way of curriculum vitae (no longer than 2 sides of A4) and a covering letter 
(no longer than 2 sides of A4) emailed to libdem.temp@lga.gov.uk no later than 12^th August.

Bournemouth is the venue for this year's Liberal Democrat Federal Party Conference (19-23 September 2009). (Book online here.)

For local campaigners and councillors this is a hugely important conference. It is the last time we will all be together for such a big event before the London and English "thirds" local elections on 6 May 2010, and, of course, the General Election. 

Come a Day Early!

Although conference "proper" doesn't start until later on Saturday, our training programme kicks off first thing Saturday making it well worth coming to Bournemouth on Friday evening or very first thing Saturday if you can.

We have a full day of Campaign Planning Workshops (four separate half day sessions) all about WINNING in 2010. There are separate workshops for groups who have local elections but no target parliamentary seats, and for groups who have local elections AND target parliamentary seats.

Campaign Essentials

All of us had to start somewhere, and there is a danger with training that we forget the basics of how we win. From Sunday - Tuesday at Bournemouth we're running a series of Campaign Essentials training aimed not just at newcomers, but also people who want to refresh their knowledge. 

Super-Skilled Councillors

Finally we have a packed training programme from Sunday - Tuesday aimed at Lib Dem Councillors. Sessions range from climate change, health scrutiny, using the internet, helping citizens through the recession, recruiting council candidates and much more. 

All in all that's almost 50 hours of ALDC training, all FREE, all for Lib Dem local campaigners and local councillors. 

More information nearer the time, in our Conference Directory.