In this episode, I'm chatting to Charlotte Mason-Curl, who is the founder of No Crap Parties and the Kids Party Pact campaign. Charlotte has a background in marketing and comms, and not only does this help to explain how she's done such a bloody great job with getting her message out there, also means she's written herself a really good bio. I had to write myself a bio when The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide was published, and I found it really cringe-inducingly difficult, but Charlotte's done a fab job, so I'm just going to copy and paste her words as an intro:
Charlotte Mason-Curl is a marketing and comms consultant and the person behind The Kids Party Pact. She believes children’s parties are overlooked as a place to spark change. What started as a few Instagram posts has grown into a campaign that’s reached millions of parents. Thousands have now changed how they approach gifts and party bags, sending ripples through their communities. The campaign has secured National Lottery funding and featured in The Times, BBC Newsround, Positive News and more. With 13 years of marketing experience and a sharp understanding of behaviour change, Charlotte builds campaigns that cut through. Powered by strategy, creativity, and a fierce commitment to leaving the world less of a mess for her kids.

How is that for kick-ass!

In the first episode of the re-boot, I dived into the debate around individual change vs system change, and how it can feel really hard as an individual to feel like you can change 'the system;,whatever that really is, and what it means. And then in the last episode I was chtting to the fabulous Nick Oldridge who is going all out for getting MPs on board with the urgency of aciton on the climate crisis, to effect system change from the government, which is ultaimtely what is needed.
But for systems to change, we need people to recognise where things are broken, and to do something differently, which starts to shift social norms. This is somethign that Charlotte is doing brilliantly. She saw that not only was there an issue around kids parties in terms of plastic tat, and waste, and ultiamtely I guess, excessive consumptiuon, but that most parents aren't really that comfortable with it, but well feel like everyone else must be on baord with it, so we don't say anything.
Charlotte says at one point in the podcast, that it's 'just a few party bags', but it's absolutely not. What Charlotte has done, really cleverly, is tapped into her knowledge of behaviour change and comms, and utilised it brilliantly, to help make it really visible that it's not just you, and that you're not alone, and that thousands of other parents would love to do kids parties differently.
And if you're not a parent, or if your kids are out of the party phase, there is still so much in this episode for you - so much of what Charlotte has done can (and should be!) applied to other campaigns and movements, so while you're listening have a think about what social norm you would love to challenge, and what you might be able to replicate from what Charlotte is doing.

Enjoy!

Charlotte Mason-Curl

LISTEN...

USEFUL LINKS:

No Crap Parties
- Website
- Instagram
- Facebook
- Sign the Kids Party Pact
- Email templates to share the Party Pact
- Sustainable Party Bag alternatives
- How to host a toy swap
Party Kit Network
- Podcast ep with Isabel Mack - founder of The Party Kit Network

If you've got young kids, have you signed the Pact?
What are your plans for the next kids party in your household?
Do let me know!

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Mark Levin Audio Rewind - 5/4/18