What is an Amnesty local group?
Local groups are vital to Amnesty International UK's activist movement. Whether you are an experienced grassroots campaigner or new to activism, joining a local group provides an avenue to collaborate with individuals who share your passion and drive for meaningful change.
Roles and responsibilities of local groups
Local groups undertake a broad range of activities, including campaigning locally on human rights issues, advocating for individual cases, and fundraising. Additionally, these groups meet annually at the National Conference and the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
By engaging with your local group, you can contribute to:
- Campaigning on human rights within your local community,
- fundraising to support our ongoing work,
- raising awareness locally by organising events, stalls, and community engagement activities,
- lobbying Members of Parliament (MPs) on human rights issues.
To connect with a local group in your area please email [email protected], Local Groups Administrator – Community Organising. If there is not a local group in your area currently you can establish a new local group.
Support for local groups
We recognise the vital role of local groups in building a powerful human rights movement in the UK. The support we offer includes:
Community Organiser – Local Activism
The Community Organiser - Local Activism offers tailored support to local activists, including local groups, area networks and individuals who want to get involved in human rights activism. They provide guidance and training on local campaigning and community organising.
Community Groups Fundraiser
The Community Groups Fundraiser is the main contact for activist groups regarding fundraising and affiliation. They offer guidance on fundraising activities and maintain contact with local group Treasurers.
For more information on fundraising with your group, read our fundraising guidelines.
For more information on the role of treasurer, read our local group treasurer’s guide.
Local Groups Administrator
Our Local Groups Administrator oversees and provides administrative support to local groups and regional networks, enabling them to take action on human rights within their local communities.
Activism Representatives
Volunteer Activism Representatives are elected by local groups to serve as regional coordinators. They play a key role in facilitating and supporting local activist activities, including local groups and area networks. Their responsibilities include promoting collaboration among groups, facilitating knowledge exchange, and upholding Amnesty UK's principles of safeguarding, inclusion, diversity, equity, anti-racism (IDEA), and data protection in all activities.
Resources for Activists
We offer a variety of resources to support local group meetings, campaigning, fundraising, and events. Explore key resources and fundraising materials tailored for local groups in our Knowledge Hub.
Related content
Activism Representative are elected voluntary lead activists who support local Amnesty groups across the UK. There are Activism Representatives for Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and 10 geographic regions in England.
Considering starting a local Amnesty group in your area? We're here to support passionate individuals like you in establishing active local groups.
Our local groups, regional networks, specialist networks and student groups help drive our campaigns, raise funds and speak up for human rights.