Laura Cunliffe-Hall, Communications Officer

Hey everyone, I’m Laura and I’m mega excited to have been elected to the new Young Fabians (YF) National Executive Committee as our Communications Officer!

Outside of YF, I’m a Communications Consultant, specialising in stakeholder engagement and public affairs. As YF Communications Officer, my role involves the operation of our social media accounts (Twitter, Insta, FB, LinkedIn etc), drafting and issuing weekly email updates, designing infographics and working with the team to maximise YF’s profile.

I’ve always been fascinated by politics from a young age. This is perhaps unsurprising as a ‘90s baby growing up under New Labour in Dover (a ’97 red gain). I saw the difference a Labour government could make in a town like Dover, and later, the damage a Conservative government can inflict on our local communities.

I joined Labour, and subsequently YF, because this country deserves better than a Conservative government that only acts in its own best interests, and not the interests of this country. Strong communications is essential in politics – the government’s inability to get this right during COVID-19 has turned public opinion against them even more and exposed their self-interest and cronyism.

Joining YF has been the most incredible experience – I’ve learned so much and made some incredible mates all across the UK. It also made me realise that getting into politics isn’t and shouldn’t be ‘scary’. Being a Young Fabian is all about being able to share ideas and work together in the best interests of the Left, in an inclusive, non-factional and vibrant environment

I’ve been an active member for the last two years and this year I threw myself into all things YF. As the outgoing Communications Officer for the Environment Network, I chaired events with MPs, Mayors, Councillors, Trade Unionists, co-edited and wrote for our Environment Pamphlet and contributed to both Antics and the YF blog.

As Communications Officer, I want to utilise all of our existing YF social channels (and open up new ones), to achieve the following goals:

1. Furthering our outreach and bringing in as many new members as possible - making sure to step outside of our established silos/echo chambers and ensure we get YF’s name out there to people that are interested in politics/Labour but may not have heard of us before.
2. Showcasing our strong policy work - especially on women’s rights and climate and racial justice.
3. Promoting all of our members across our networks, advocacy groups and regional and national groups - not to be all Simon Cowell (showing my age with this reference), but YF has definitely got talent – I want to give our members the platform to show it off and make their voices heard!
4. Generating engaging and memorable content – the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of digital technology and social media in connecting us and helping us to build networks and collaborate. To do this well, and help our members make an impact, I’ll prioritise making our comms outputs stand out.

I’m buzzing to work together with all of our members to make 2020/21 another incredible year for YF!

If you have any ideas for comms, thoughts on anything related to any of the above, or just want to have a chat, drop me a line at [email protected] or hit me up on Twitter @LauraHall1995 or LinkedIn.

Tobi Dada, Member Development and Engagement Officer

Hi, I’m Tobi and I am delighted to be your new Member Development and Engagement Officer. Let me start by telling you who I am and what I do. I am currently in my final year of studying Computer Science at the University of Surrey. During my time at Surrey, I have served as a course representative, elected student’s union representative and president of #WOKESurrey (a debating society). Outside of university, I run an Instagram Blog page called TobiTalkss. TobiTalks is the platform in which I share my opinions on a range of topics, most notably technology, politics, life and personal development. Links to all my blog posts and short explainer videos can be found on my Twitter.

As someone who has always been interested in shaping policy, I joined the Young Fabians in 2019, serving as the data scientist in the Economy and finance network. I also organised and chaired a Black Lives Matter event in the aftermath of the wrongful killing of George Floyd.

This year I hope to focus on:

1. Adding Value to YF Members: Young Fabian members will be able to upskill themselves via regular workshops focusing on their personal development, policy development skills and public speaking. This will be done through the establishment of a new event series called The Young Fabian Academy, which will encompass all events that add value to the personal development of members.
2. Improving the diversity of the membership: There is no question that the Young Fabians is a movement committed to ending institutional racism. However, more will be done this year to ensure the policymakers of tomorrow are reflective of our diverse society.
3. Engaging content: As the world becomes digital, the Young Fabians need to solidify its social media presence. This will be achieved by creating bite-size videos and graphics explainer that explain policy ideas in layman terms.
4. Technology Campaigning: The debates around technology are currently non-ideological. There is political consensus that social media companies should not have unrestricted access to our personal data. Questions surrounding our relationship and interaction with technology will be the defining moments of the 21^st Century, I plan to help broaden the discussion by assisting the Technology Network's campaign that will be taking place is 2021.

To the entire membership of the YF, I am here for you. Whether you want to discuss a pamphlet idea you have or want to catch up, do not hesitate to reach out to me!

Contact me on:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @tobitalkss
• Twitter: @tobitalkss
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobidada