CONSULTATION STARTS HERE - THE REPORT, THE RESULTS



CHAPTER 3 - DISTRIBUTION

3.1

The Campaign has an established distribution network, consisting of dedicated co-ordinators and distributors. The network was responsible for distributing 40,000 copies of the newsletter door to door within the five boroughs surrounding the Park, namely, Bromley, Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark.

3.2

We aimed for complete coverage within the postcode areas near to the Park, together with further distribution in outlying postcode areas, depending on the availability of distributors in those areas. The extent of distribution may be seen from the map, Figure 6, below. The term "inner zone" is used to refer to postcodes close to the park and the term "outer zone" for the rest.

 

Figure 6 : Distribution area (inner zone shown shaded)

3.3

From feedback, we are satisfied that good coverage was achieved within the postcodes near to the Park, although we do not pretend that every single household was reached.

3.4

An interactive copy was posted prominently on the Campaign's website and replies have been received from a wide geographical area. This busy site, which has received more than 41,000 hits since inception, helped to publicise the study as well as elicit direct responses.

3.5

The Campaign has achieved widespread publicity about the questionnaire in the media, so further stimulating responses.

3.6

The questionnaire was distributed with the Dulwich Society newsletter, to the homes of approximately 1,000 members of the Society. It was also distributed to members of the Norwood Society, Herne Hill Society and Croydon Society with 400, 250 and 300 members respectively. Reference to it has also been made in the newsletter of the Sydenham Society (1,000 members) amongst others.

3.7

On Sunday 9th September 2001, Campaign supporters took the questionnaire into the Park, and asked Park users to complete it. We found people in the Park pleased to provide answers. We regarded their answers as particularly important, since it enabled us to test how closely their answers corresponded with those submitted by the public generally. This led us to conclude that, while the members of the public who responded to our questionnaire were self-selecting, their views were in line with those of the park-using community as a whole: see paragraph 4.9 below.

3.8

We thought it important that the views of young people were canvassed. Their needs are likely to differ from those of older people, and they will have more years to enjoy the Park than their parents. So we have also taken the questionnaire into schools, consulting children as young as six years of age. It was not possible to cover every school with pupils who enjoy the Park. But we have taken a range of schools from around the Park, both primary and secondary, and from both the state and independent sector, so as to ensure a representative range of views. We are particularly indebted to these schools, which are listed in the acknowledgments.

3.9

Naturally, the style of consultation varied depending on the age of the children consulted. The questionnaire could safely be left unexplained in the hands of older pupils, while a greater degree of explanation was required for younger pupils. For the youngest, we left the schools to carry out project work with their pupils, so as to gain a more qualitative picture of how they view their Park. All information received, where possible, has contributed to this report (see Appendix C for data not included).

3.10

We wanted to encourage people to respond to the questionnaire, and so placed collection boxes in a series of shops, libraries and supermarkets in the Anerley, Beckenham, Dulwich, Penge, Sydenham and Upper Norwood areas. The collection boxes were advertised in the newsletter, and were widely used.



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Crystal Palace Campaign March 2002 - Consultation Starts Here
Copyright: Day, Kolvin, Sacks 2002
Last updated: 26 March 2002