Top tips – writing to a councillor

Use these simple tips to craft a message that stands out and grabs your councillor’s attention.

Address them using the title 'Cllr'.
For example, if writing to Councillor Jane Doe, you would write “Dear Cllr Doe”. If they sign their email “Jane”, you can call them Jane in your reply.
Include your address and postcode
Whether writing by email or letter, always include your address and postcode so they know you are a local resident.
Tell them why you care enough to write to them
Councillors receive a lot of correspondence (much of it negative!), so make sure your email grabs their attention. A great way to do this is to make it personal and local. Please don’t just copy and paste our template letters, councillors will often disregard what they view as “campaign emails”. The Motion for the Ocean is not a campaign, it is a blueprint to help them take meaningful action.
Make it clear what you are asking for
Be sure to attach the relevant Motion for the Ocean Pack so councillors can see the full motion.
Be polite, respectful and patient
Councillors receive a lot of emails and sometimes you may wait longer than you expect for a reply. A good rule of thumb is to give the councillor a week to respond and then to send a polite follow-up email. See tips for this situation in Step 5 of the toolkit.

Cllr Emma Oldham of Newark & Sherwood District Council

A note about Cabinet Members and Portfolio Holders

Some councillors also have special roles within the council, in addition to their normal councillor duties. These may include being the lead on certain issues, such as health, education or environmental matters. You may see these councillors referred to as Portfolio Holders or Cabinet Members.

It can be helpful to write directly to the councillor that has responsibility for environmental issues about the Motion for the Ocean. You can find this information on the website of your local council, often under “The council”, “Cabinet Members” or “Cabinet”.

Invite your councillor for a Try Dive!

A great way to engage your local councillor and get them invested in ocean recovery is to invite them for a try dive with your BSAC club. Experiencing the underwater world firsthand can be a powerful motivator, helping them understand why protecting our waters is so important.

You could use this opportunity to chat with them about the Motion for the Ocean, highlight water quality issues, and showcase the positive impact of diving in your community. It’s a memorable experience that could help turn their support into real action.

If your councillor is interested, your club can arrange a safe and fun introduction to scuba diving - just let us know at m4to@bsac.com so we can support you with resources and advice!

[L] Motion For The Ocean Activities in Newark; [R] Emily Cunningham MBE

Councillors are people too!

Please remain respectful and polite, even if your emails or letters have been ignored. You don’t know what is going on in their lives and remember that many councillors do their council role on top of a full-time job and any parenting or caring responsibilities.

Councillors are normally hard-working local residents who give a lot of time and energy to try and make their area a better place to live. Councillors do not receive a salary, instead they get a modest allowance to cover their expenses and the time they spend on their duties.

It will harm the reputation of Motion for the Ocean if people do not follow the principles of respect and courtesy.