LEA Appeal

The Local Election Appeal Mailing is a high quality direct mail programme that helps Lib Dems win.

You can buy in to the LEA mailing programme whether you have been awarded funding or not.

The LEA appeal is a funding programme whose goal is to maximise the party’s electoral impact in local elections. It has made awards to those seats it feels match it’s criteria. Funding is limited, so there are seats that could benefit from the funding who will not receive it. So we open out the programme to wards that wish to participate.

It costs £12 plus 80p per letter. This includes print, postage and VAT.

Key Facts

  • ALDC raises money for the Local Election Appeal (LEA) to support people standing in local elections.
  • The LEA focuses on supporting wards which may be gains in the election and have candidate/s from communities under-represented in politics.
  • The award takes the form of a piece of direct mail being posted to postal voters.
  • The direct mail is an A4 letter with an A5 insert inside a C5 envelope and delivered through Royal Mail.
  • You need use the templates available; they are designed to ensure the right information is in the right place, for example the address
  • You can design your direct mail either using ALDC Artwork, or downloading the templates
  • If you want to buy additional letters, for example if the size of your award doesn’t cover all of you postal voters, you can buy more. You can also buy for additional wards.

What do you get

Your mailing will be consist of a DL window envelope, 90gsm white, containing:

  • A4 colour letter, single sided and mail merged, on 100gsm uncoated paper
  • A5 insert, double sided, one side in colour and one side in black and white on 170gsm gloss paper

Templates

If you are awarded LEA funding then you should use the template produced by ALDC:

The template is available on Artworker here.

The Affinity files are available here: Letter  –  Insert

If you design your artwork in Affinity, then you can place your order and upload you artwork here.

If you buy in, then insert can be anything that is an A5 double sided insert, such as:

  • Squeeze
  • Record of Action
  • CV mailing
  • Survey

LEA Appeal  Frequently Asked Questions

  • The LEA award programme is for a posted piece of direct mail to the ward. 
  • The direct mail is a squeeze mailing which will go to targeted voters.
  • You need use the templates available; they are designed to ensure the right information is in the right place, for example the address  
  • Use Artworker to produce the letter at artworker.aldc.org and select Local Election Appeal Direct Mail

What is included in my award? 

The letter is single sided with a double-sided insert stuffed in a window envelope. 

Why have I got a voucher code? 

When you order your letters through Artworker, it will ask you to pay. Applying the voucher code is how you receive your award. You can only use the voucher once and you do not get credit if you do not use the full award. You can of course buy letters in addition to your award at the same discounted price of 80p.  

What is the deadline and posting date for the LEA Appeal?? 

The deadline is:

  • 5pm on Monday 27 February 2023

By these dates the artwork must be uploaded onto Artworker and the data must have been sent to Election Workshop. 

Where are the templates? 

The template is available on Artworker here.

The Affinity files are available here: Letter  –  Insert

If you design your artwork in Affinity, then you can place your order and upload you artwork here.

How do I get my data to Election Workshop? 

You must get your data from Connect and download it into an Excel spreadsheet. The spreadsheet must then be encrypted with a password. The spreadsheet is then emailed to Election Workshop enquiries@electionworkshop.co.uk and the password sent via text to 07852 557530. 

A step by step guide to produce your data is here.

I want to send more letters that the award amount and/or to a ward that I haven’t received a grant for. 

That’s brilliant! Direct mail is one of the best campaigning tools so doing more will help your campaign. When you do your order, you apply the voucher code when you pay.

This deducts the amount of the award from the cost. If you want to do additional wards, you will have to pay £12 for the new version and then the 80p per letter, buy in here.

Do I have to use ALDC Artworker to complete the artwork? 

No. You can upload your own artwork to ALDC artworker instead.

Order the number of letters you are sending and advance it through the checkout process, using the voucher code you’ve been emailed to pay for the letters your grant covers and then a card should you wish to order any additional.
Once the order has completed you will be taken to a confirmation page where you can upload the PDFs of your artwork.

Using ALDC Artworker to create the design is free and quick. 

Can I get help with doing the artwork and getting the data? 

That’s brilliant! Direct mail is one of the best campaigning tools so doing more will help your campaign. When you do your order, you apply the voucher code when you pay.

This deducts the amount of the award from the cost. If you want to do additional wards, you will have to pay £12 for the new version and then the 80p per letter.

What happens if I miss the deadline? 

If you miss the deadline for the award will be redistributed.

Key Contacts 

ALDC Office number:  0161 302 7532 

ALDC Email:  info@aldc.org 

Election Workshop number: 0161 272 6216 

Election Workshop email: enquiries@electionworkshop.co.uk