ALDC is asking every local party who has local elections in May 2012 to let us know NOW the details of all candidates that area has already in place. Elections take place in Scotland, Wales and in many parts of England. 

Each year ALDC provides a free support programme for Liberal Democrat local election candidates and organisers - in the next few weeks we'll be sending out a Liberal Democrat "Candidates' Handbook". This is being followed by regular emails and mailings.

But we can only send the information if we have the know who your candidates are.

Register your candidates online at www.aldc.org/elections/candidates/  If it's easier just send these by email to david.ball@aldc.org

Don't forget to receive our full advice service candidates will need to be members of ALDC. To help we're offering HALF PRICE membership of ALDC for all 2012 local election candidates. 

Join by direct debit online and paper free here. 

G8 Grants for Local Campaigning (Scotland)

The "G8 Grants" Committee is now seeking applications for funding for "Stage 1" grants in Scotland. Stage 1 for England and Wales is now closed. Later in the year we hope to be running a "Stage 2" round of grants, subject to funding.

2012 Local Elections in Scotland: Rewarding Early Campaigning

We know from experience that early campaigning activity works. We want to reward those that are starting early on their campaign for 2012 and are therefore making grants to local parties to reward early campaign activity in the summer and autumn of 2011 and help finance their campaign during the autumn.

- funding is for wards we are defending in 2012, and for gains where a local party can put forward a strong case for targeting
- where people have elections by 1/3rds we are keen to support wards that we are defending in 2012 but that we lost in 2011.

To be eligible for a grant we will need to see most of the following in place:

- delivery of literature has been taking place in summer 2011, and a literature plan in place up to the elections.
- knocking on doors has been taking place in summer 2011, and that a plan of knocking on doors, and phoning voters is in place up to the elections
- a candidate is in place, or you are well on track towards getting a candidate in place as early as possible
- you have agreed a clear and realistic strategy across the authority for the 2012 elections, and which wards will be targeted.

Link to application form  

If you need further information about G8 , please email Eleanor Ritchie eleanor.ritchie@aldc.org

The deadline for applications is 28 September 2011

Following on from the success of our 2011 artwork pack, ALDC has again commissioned a series of FOCUS and campaign material templates for use by Liberal Democrat campaigners. These are exclusively available to members of ALDC. 

Pack 1 was released at the start of August: 
The templates include: a range of A4 focus templates (to add to the A3 templates produced last year), and a wide variety of materials for "knocking on doors" - surveys (national and local), single issue door-knocking and candidate calling leaflets.   - all of which have been produced in black and white, two colour (for RISOs) and in full colour (Colour RISO or commercial printer). All the FOCUS leaflets have variations to allow for single and for two and three member wards and election campaigns, and different pull outs for  fighting the Tories and Labour. 

The templates use a standard set of fonts, which you need to install on your computer first - or the templates won't work correctly!

Remember you need to "log-in" as an ALDC member to download these files - your log-in details are the bottom of your weekly Campaigner email. 

ALDC members can download PDF and PagePlus files of all the Pack 1 templates from our website here. 

If you're not a member of ALDC please join us! Join today, without any paperwork here. 

Have you tried the new templates ALDC has produced in the last couple of months? We've commissioned a series of FOCUS and campaign material templates, these are exclusively available to members of ALDC. 

Packs 1 and 2 have included:
A3, A4, and A3 booklet style FOCUS 
Direct Mail
Squeeze Materials
Posters
Letterheads
Flying Start leaflets
Councillor's Annual Reports

Pack 3, which is out this week, includes everything you need for your election campaign: 
- election time FOCUS
- squeeze materials
- blue letters
- eve of poll & good mornings
- knock up leaflets
- "thank you" FOCUS

All the materials are produced as appropriate in three versions: black and white, two colour (for RISO) and in full colour (for external printers). All our resources are produced in PagePlus11 (these will still open in later versions of PagePlus). We've also included PDFs of all the documents for you take a look at each template. 

The templates use a standard set of fonts, which you need to install on your computer first - or the templates won't work correctly!

ALDC members can download PDF and PagePlus files of all the Pack 1 templates  from our website here and here for pack 2 Remember you need to 'log in' first as a member. 

If you're not a member of ALDC please join us! Our current Membership rates are just £1.50 a week, and we have a great special offer of HALF PRICE for all Lib Dem 2011 Local Election candidates (only available by direct debit). Join today, without any paperwork here.