CAReless Pollution campaign

Whether you are a local resident who is concerned about the health impacts of air pollution from idling vehicle engines in your street, a local employee who is keen to see your company take positive action locally, or an experienced environmental campaigner tackling climate change, this volunteer pack is here to provide ideas for action on how we can all help improve the air that we breathe in Colchester.

Any help you can offer, however small, is appreciated – we are stronger when we work together. There are a range of ways to provide support, for example, distributing postcards to neighbours and displaying a poster in your window or giving a talk at your local community centre or workplace.

One of the most effective actions is to encourage the people you know, or come in contact with during the course of your day, to switch off their vehicle engines every time they wait. This is because idling car engines are one of the most significant causes of air pollution, contributing up to 30%.

That’s why we hope you will join us to raise awareness of the CAReless Pollution campaign across Colchester.

We have listed a range of ideas below. This is not an exhaustive list, so please get in touch if you have any other ideas – we would love to hear from you, and we can then share your ideas with other volunteers.

Promotion in your local community

• Outdoor signs
  • If you live in an area where people frequently sit in their vehicles with the engine idling, for example at traffic lights, or while waiting to pick up a child from school, then why not consider putting up one of our ‘switch off your engine every time you wait’ weatherproof boards on your fence, or a poster at your window.
  • Our research shows that idling is an inadvertent action and that visual reminders to switch off the engine can be very effective.
• Posters
  • Our campaign posters can be displayed on community hall notice boards or in other places where people gather for meetings or activities.
  • We have two different designs to suit a home or community setting, one with a simple ‘switch off while you wait’ message that can easily be read from a distance, and the other with a ‘take care of your air’ message designed to be read close up.
• Postcards
  • We have postcards with a simple ‘switch off while you wait’ message on the front and myths & facts on the reverse. Distributing the postcards to your neighbours is a great way to raise awareness of the campaign locally.
• Social media posts on your local Facebook group
  • If your local community or Resident’s Association has a Facebook group then posting regular updates is a simple way to raise awareness and let local residents know where they can access materials. We have provided some template copy to get you started but please feel free to amend this and make it relevant to your local area. Your local Councillor may be able to help too.

Campaign tools available to support you

• Outdoors weatherproof boards A3 or A4 sized: ‘Switch off your engine every time you wait’
• Posters A4 sized: one with a simple ‘switch off while you wait’ message that can easily be read from a distance, and the other with a ‘take care of your air’ message designed to be read close up
• Postcards A6 sized
• Template newsletter text
• Template social media posts
• Myths and facts