Running an Info Stall

Events Guidelines

Running an Information Stall

Information stalls are probably the easiest way of raising the profile of your group, as you can run one yourself without any other volunteers (provided that you don't need frequent toilet breaks, which can be tricky in cold weather!)

Infrastructure

As a minimum, you’re likely to want a table, a chair, a banner and a load of flyers to give away. If you have one or two large-ish posters (A0 size is good) explaining what Freecycle is and how it works (perhaps with the same wording as is on your flyers), that’s also handy, since the posters will grab the attention of people who might otherwise not have stopped at a small stall/stand. At Freecycle Kingston, we've had some banners made by a poster company, as they're made of a recyclable, woven material which is pretty much waterproof, they fold up small and are light.

If you can lay out a bag or two of Freecycle goodies (collected from your own group) on the table with a notice saying they’re free to any takers, that can make quite a bit of difference to how many people actually come over and grab a flyer or ask you about the group. Don’t be surprised to find that quite a few of your visitors have trouble getting their heads around the idea of good stuff just being given away – it’s a common reaction!

Location

Your choice of spot to set up will vary depending on where you live. In a large town or city, the entrances to shopping malls on a Saturday morning/afternoon can be great, as you’ll get loads of people going in and out. Obviously, you’ll need to get permission before you set up. In the case of the events we’ve run in Kingston, this permission has come from the town centre management group. If you’re not sure how to contact them, call your council as they should know.

In smaller towns or villages, you might be better off at a church hall or outside the Post Office (if you’re still lucky enough to have one) - basically, anywhere there’s a decent flow of people.

If there’s a local school/church/town fair or fete, you can of course try booking a slot for a stall there, as you’ll be pretty much guaranteed visitors. If you explain to the event organisers that Freecycle is run by volunteers, and that everything offered on the group is free, you’ll often find they’re prepared to give you a free plot on the day. If they won’t, then you need to consider how you might finance the cost of the plot; contact your GOA for more info, or have a look at the Freecycle Finance group at: FCUKFinancegroup.org.uk

Timing

Weekends, especially Saturdays, tend to be a good day for running a stand/stall, as that’s when the largest number of people are out and about shopping. It's best to avoid days when major sporting events are on though – try it on the day of the world cup final, and you'll be just about the only person outside!

You could spend a good few hours handing out flyers if you’re up to it – 11am to 4pm wouldn’t be unreasonable, though not everyone will want a flyer, and you’ll need to get used to a degree of rejection from passers-by who aren’t interested. Even a couple of hours is likely to be time well spent, and you may well end up giving out 200+ flyers if you’ve set up in a busy area.

Publicity

For more information on publicity material, have a look in the Files section of this group’s web site at: Uk.groups.yahoo.com/xxxxxzzzzzzz

How To Give Out Flyers

Please bear in mind that not everyone is going to want a flyer from a group they’ve never heard of before, so don’t force flyers on people. On the other hand, if you stand mutely behind your table all day, you won’t dole out as many flyers as you would if you were to take a more active approach.

Probably the most effective way to distribute your leaflets is to try and catch the eye of someone walking past (especially if they’ve already seen your banner or posters) and say something like, ‘Free stuff, get your free stuff.’ That gets the attention of most people, or you can opt for a different phrase like, ‘Local green group, help the environment and have a clearout.’ Basically, it boils down to whatever sensible alternative you think works best.

Although you might initially feel a bit self-conscious or uneasy giving out flyers like this, it is a perfectly reasonable way of doing it, and you’ll get used to it quite quickly. While it can feel quite daunting the first time you run your own info stall, you'll soon get used to it, and it's a good way of taking the first step towards a fully-fledged event complete with volunteers and lots of stuff to give away.