Unionist Event of the Year - Our 2nd Union Social
A Force For Good held our successful second annual 'Union Social' in Edinburgh on the afternoon and evening of Saturday 26th October. It was "the Unionist Event of the Year" as a colleague remarked!
35 of our committed donors and activists enjoyed several hours in like-minded company, with a delicious Buffet, and a successful Raffle.
Director Alistair McConnachie spoke on our achievements so far this year - our busiest ever!
He stated that we began on 21 March 2012, and we were incorporated as a company on 27 April 2016.
So far this year, AFFG has taken part in 9 Counter Presence events. As he pointed out, these are our Trademark events, and the Nationalists are always angry that we count them and reveal their astonishing lies, which can be up to 18 times the true number. For example, they claimed 200,000 at Edinburgh on 5 October this year, but we counted them in at 11,286.
We've also done 12 Street Stalls so far this year – throughout Scotland; Larkhall, Inverary, Bathgate, Stirling, Dunfermline, Edinburgh and Glasgow 6 times so far.
We've also had 2 more Days of Action, and Alistair has given 2 major Speeches
– one in Glasgow on '12 Ways to Strengthen the Union', and one in London on '50 Men and Women who Created, Maintained and Sustained the British Union'.
We've also launched our first magazine, Union Heart, which is a quarterly and is free to monthly donors.
We've also got a fantastic little Handbook in the works, and we've written many articles and reports on our Website
Not only have we been doing this physical and written activity, but we've also been very active on Social Media.
We are putting out very strong unionist content, several times a day...every day. We've over 25,000 Followers now. However, that would be a lot more if we were advertising. We haven't advertised this year because we haven't had the budget.
Alistair pointed out that since Facebook changed their algorithms for "Business Pages" last year, it is now very difficult to grow without advertising. We do, however, have excellent high engagement with the Followers we do have.
Our Twitter growth this year has been exceptional. In the last few months we've doubled our Followers up to 11,100 as of that morning, which is way ahead of any other organised pro-UK group on Twitter.
For next year, we intend to more than double again our Twitter Following.
This is a new Platform for us this year. We're the leading pro-UK Unionist group on Instagram by a very long shot (and we only started in February).
Again, our aim for next year is to, at least, double our Followers, and get up to 3.5K at least. Our activism is tailor-made for Instagram - which is primarily a visual photographic medium - because our activism is so colourful.
Finances
The backbone of our organisation is kept upright by our monthly donors who sign up to our 'Union Supporters' programme, donating from £1.15 a week (£5 a month).
It is absolutely critical that we double the number we have at present. Our aim is 200 monthly supporters, at least. At present we have 111.
Alistair detailed our annual Income (which is public knowledge): During the 16/17 Tax Year we took in around £8,000. During 17/18 we took in around £11,000 and during 18/19 we took in £15,000 and spent around the same amount.
So, it is clear, we are doing all this on a very modest income.
Alistair said that an immediate goal is to try to find an additional £1,000 a month. With an extra £1,000 a month, we would, he said, be able to see exceptionally good outreach.
He detailed 4 projects which we would spend the money on – and for which we already have the trusted and capable people ready to go!
All these projects are aimed at building our profile, and our outreach, in order to enable more people to know about us and, in turn, support us.
People who want to be part of this, are encouraged to contact us (using the box at the bottom of this page) and we can explain our plans and our needs, in depth.
Presentations
Alistair then made 3 Presentations to activists, including a bouquet of Red, White and Blue flowers to the amazing Hostess of the evening (pictured above).
A very extensive and tasty Buffet was then enjoyed by all, and a popular Raffle raised several hundred pounds.
To be invited to next year's Union Social please become one of our --> monthly donors. Our monthly donors get first call on tickets.
