An active membership community can be key to the survival and development of an organisation. This means creating systems that engage, excite and retain members, as well as recruit new ones. Using a judicious blend of innovative and traditional methods, we can maximise your membership growth capacity.

Below is a list of projects we have worked on in this area. They are presented in more detail further down the page.

Bakers', Food and Allied Workers' Union (BFAWU): membership strategy
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust: membership development
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust: membership recruitment
Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust: membership development
Communication Workers' Union (CWU): member communications
Community and District Nursing Association (CDNA): member communications
East Somerset NHS Trust: membership recruitment
Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Trust: membership recruitment
Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: membership recruitment
Liverpool Women's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: public perceptions
Milton Keynes General NHS Trust: membership recruitment
Musgrove Park NHS Trust: membership development
NDC Network: strategic support
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust: membership recruitment
Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: membership development
Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Trust: membership recruitment
Rotherham General Hospitals NHS Trust: recruiting hard to reach groups
Royal Berkshire Hospitals NHS Trust: membership recruitment
Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust: membership recruitment
Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: membership recruitment
Sheffield Children’s NHS Trust: membership recruitment
St Helen’s and Knowsley Hospitals Trust: membership recruitment
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust: membership recruitment

Below is a list of projects we have worked on in this area. They are presented in more detail further down the page.

Bakers’, Food and Allied Workers’ Union (BFAWU): membership strategy
We are project managing and delivering a one-year, UMF-funded project for the union. It comes as a response to the increasing diversity of BFAWU members’ workplaces and involves research, training and the development of an ongoing member development strategy.

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust: membership development
We are assisting this mental health trust in recruiting 3,000 members for its public constituencies in time for the trust's first election in January 2007.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust: membership recruitment
We have supported the Trust in its NHS Foundation Trust application by running targeted recruitment campaigns.

Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust: membership development
We are working with the Trust to support its NHS Foundation Trust application, by developing a membership strategy that allows it to communicate effectively with local people, businesses, community groups and other key stakeholders.

Communication Workers’ Union (CWU): member communications
We have worked with the Communication Workers’ Union, which represents workers in the postal and telecoms industries, to conduct qualitative and quantitative research into members’ perceptions of CWU communications methods and materials. We then used this knowledge to help develop and roll out a communications strategy to support the role of CWU workplace representatives.

Community and District Nursing Association (CDNA): member communications
To help judge members’ perceptions of CDNA communications, we ran a members’ survey and several focus groups. We also advised the CDNA on the development of their recruitment materials, including creating a new leaflet aimed at health care assistants. We have also built up a substantial photograph library that the CDNA now owns the rights to.

East Somerset NHS Trust: membership recruitment
We have supported the Trust with its NHS Foundation Trust application by running targeted campaigns to recruit 3,000 members.

Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Trust: membership recruitment
We are supporting the Trust with its NHS Foundation Trust application, by running targeted campaigns to recruit 10,000 members to the Trust.

Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: membership recruitment
We supported the trust by running targeted campaigns to recruit 1,000 new members.

Liverpool Women's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: public perceptions
We have supported the trust in its NHS Foundation Trust application by running targeted recruitment campaigns. This involved developing a membership strategy comprised of clear, key messages, aimed at clearly identifiable audiences. We have also conducted research on behalf of the trust, to assess the attitudes of it membership towards its democratic processes.

Milton Keynes General NHS Trust: membership recruitment
We are supporting the trust with is NHS Foundation Trust application, by running targeted campaigns to recruit 2,200 members to the trust.

Musgrove Park NHS Trust: membership development
We initially helped the trust with its Foundation Trust application by recruiting 4,000 members. When the trust decided not to pursue foundation trust status, we helped them use the contacts they had made to set up a supporters’ network.

NDC Network: strategic support
The NDC Network is the umbrella body for the 39 New Deal for Communities partnerships in England . Its members are the chairs and chief executives of the NDCs. We undertake the coordination function of the network and provide strategic, organisational and administrative assistance to support their work nationally.

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust: membership recruitment
We have worked with the trust to develop a membership strategy which enables it to engage with its diverse and geographically widespread community. This also involved recruiting 10,000 members to the trust.

Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: membership development
We have worked with Papworth Hospital throughout, and since, its application for Foundation Trust status. The work initially involved recruiting members to the Trust to ensure a balanced and representative membership community. It also included a pioneering pilot project to establish and support a group of membership champions for the trust, who act as advocates to increase membership in a sustainable and cost-effective way.

Click here to read this case study.

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Trust: membership recruitment
We have supported the Trust with its NHS Foundation Trust application by running targeted campaigns to recruit 8,000 members.

Rotherham General Hospitals NHS Trust: recruiting hard to reach groups
We undertook a systematic and rigorously targeted recruitment drive, to help the trust redress imbalances in the profile of its membership. This included recruiting 2,000 new members.

Royal Berkshire Hospitals NHS Trust: membership recruitment
We have supported the Trust with its NHS Foundation Trust application by running targeted campaigns to recruit 5,000 members.

Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust: membership recruitment
We have supported the trust with its NHS Foundation Trust application by running targeted campaigns to recruit 7,630 new members.

Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: membership recruitment
We have supported the trust with its NHS Foundation Trust application by running targeted campaigns to recruit 1,600 new members.

Sheffield Children’s NHS Trust: membership recruitment
We have supported the trust with its NHS foundation trust application by running targeted campaigns to recruit nearly 2,000 members. This was part of two specific projects, which focused on securing members in under represented geographical areas.

St Helen’s and Knowsley Hospitals Trust: membership recruitment
We have supported the trust with its NHS Foundation Trust application by running targeted campaigns to recruit 6,630 new members.

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust: membership recruitment
We have supported the Trust with its NHS Foundation Trust application by running targeted campaigns to recruit 4,630 members.