Over 700 contacts from all over Europe and across issues, ranging from public health, environment and climate change, safety and social justice, were invited to participate in the process of setting up a European association. More than 130 people expressed their interest and ideas on the building of such an organization in an online survey in September 2011. It was agreed that an association could be useful to develop networks for practitioners and academics working in the field of social change and social marketing and to capture and spread good practice and research across Europe.

On 25th November, the inaugural meeting of the European Social Change and Social Marketing Association (name still to be determined) was held in London. Over forty people from 10 different countries attended this first meeting in person, joined by about 15 supporters by web link and telephone form a further four countries. Discussion was lively and there was much enthusiasm for the new association. It was agreed that eight working groups be set up to undertake the work of establishing the association as a legal entity and to develop a set of services to encourage people to join and members to become actively engaged with the new association. A small interim working group will act as a coordinating hub for the first year of the association - until the first set of elections for an executive board will be held in late 2012 or sooner.

Currently, the results of the first meeting, together with a brief for working groups and their tasks, are in a consultation process with all interested contacts in the network’s database. Working groups are open to anyone interested in engaging with the new association and ready to deliver results within the next three months. We’ll keep you posted on developments.

To join a working group simply click on this link http://quarzo.elearninglab.org/limesurvey/index.php?sid=89921&lang=en.


For further information on the European association, please contact
Christiane Lellig: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or
Jeff French: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it


To be included in the database, please send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with "ADD me" in the subject line or click on this link http://quarzo.elearninglab.org/limesurvey/index.php?sid=64242&lang=en and complete your contact details.