Information is power. If you want to stop stupid things happening to your neighbourhood, city or planet, one of the things you need is accurate facts about who owns what, who is planning what. This very interactive training day will help you get research skills so you can investigate what local authorities, government and corporations have planned for your area.

It is free to attend, and will be held in Central Manchester on Saturday 15th March from 10.30am to 4pm.

The event is being organised by Manchester Climate Monthly and Manchester Citizenship, but IS open to people from all over the country (we are especially interested in for a good turn out from the North West).

Because we want the day to be genuinely interactive and useful to all, we are capping numbers at twenty-five. Please only apply if you can definitely come!
No prior experience is necessary, but we do want you to do some homework before you come (see below).

To apply, please send an email to mcmonthly@gmail.com with “Research Training” in the subject header, with your name and mobile phone number(s). You do NOT have to tell us who you are interested in researching. It would however help us if you would tell us
a) have you ever used the Freedom of Information Act?
b) have you ever done research on a company using Companies House?
c) have you ever done further research using other databases?

We will confirm receipt of your application within 48 hours.

What you need to do

Before
Commit to watching the short videos we put up in the weeks leading up to the training day. These will be “how to” and “about” videos, with Nick Hildyard of The Cornerhouse, and other people. We will send you the links!

On the day
Bring a laptop if you can
Bring a list of things you want to try to find out (the more specific the better)
Bring your own lunch (we provide tea and biscuits!). We may be providing a veggie curry on the day, but do NOT depend on this!
We will ask you to fill in a short and anonymous feedback form on the day. Anything short of brutal honesty will be frowned upon (but it’s anonymous, so we won’t know who to frown at…)

Afterwards
Try to pass on your newly-acquired skills to fellow activists in your neck of the woods. One of the themes of the day will be how to do this!
Reply to a three-month-after email about whether the day was helpful or not, how it could have been better.