A MAJOR fundraising effort by the engine of the grassroots Scottish independence campaign has been launched to get ready for a major Yes push in 2023 – and every donation will be doubled.
Believe in Scotland’s sister campaigning group, Business for Scotland, will match the first £50,000 raised pound for pound.
The group has guaranteed supporters that 100 per cent of all funds raised will be spent on campaigning materials, leaflets, canvassing systems, posters, books, billboards, polling and videos.
If you want to donate, click HERE.
Believe in Scotland said: “None of the money raised will be spent on wages, office space or admin costs because business-owning Yes supporters have already taken care of all those costs.
“So, if we raise £50,000, we get £100,000 to support our campaigning with local Yes Groups.”
A video has been released by Believe in Scotland to launch the fundraiser, showing the organisation's progress and its role in laying the foundation for Yes success.
Since its launch in January 2019, Believe in Scotland has distributed more than 2.6 million items of independence campaigning material in partnership with local Yes groups and activists.
With the business network financially behind it, the group’s goal is to shift independence polls through consistent, concise information and grassroots activism.
127 local Yes Groups are now affiliated with and campaigning under the Believe in Scotland campaign umbrella.
Those groups all maintain their independence but have elected 17 regional representatives to the Campaign Steering Group, making it the first fully inclusive and democratic grassroots led Yes campaigning organisation of this scale.
READ MORE: Scottish Labour push back on 'too many overseas workers in NHS' claim
“The campaign is funded entirely by individual donations and memberships,” says Believe in Scotland. “We do not accept funds from any political party, and we are political party neutral.”
Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp, the founder of the Believe in Scotland campaign, said: "We reach out to the undecided and soft-no voters and help them to Believe in Scotland. Whilst others complain, we campaign. Whilst others seek social media likes from the Yes community, we seek future Yes votes from the people of Scotland.
“2023 will be the year we help convince Scottish voters that independence is normal and to realise that independence is inevitable.
“This Crowdfunder is about the Yes movement helping us to help them get Scotland to Yes.”
Their sold-out book, Scotland the Brief, is receiving an upgrade in the form of a second edition, out at the end of the month. The book features up-to-date arguments for the next independence referendum and a new look. The launch will be in Glasgow on November 30.
Believe in Scotland runs the largest and most active Yes Group on Facebook, titled "Believe in Scotland", which has 30,600 members sharing campaign tips and discussion on how to reach voters.
READ MORE: £17.6m funding boost for Scotland's green heating scheme
The campaign's 17 local pages are in their infancy but are growing and other social media platforms are also receiving investment, giving the organisation a combined reach of one million people through social media on a single day during its August Day of Action.
The group has co-ordinated a further two national days of action and six billboard campaigns to reach millions.
The 2021 Autumn of Action saw the polls move from 47% to averaging 53% at the campaign’s end, with one poll registering 55% Yes. However, independence campaigning then stopped for the Holyrood elections and Yes support inevitably dropped again.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel