Professional AdviceYou are here : In Your Area » Midlands » Regional News » Communications » CLA
CLA Midlands Comment: Rural Business and Social MediaTo Stephen Fry, it might be a drop in the ocean, but that most traditional of associations in the Midlands – the CLA - is feeling justifiably pleased with itself as it welcomes its 1,000th follower on the social network Twitter. The CLA has been around since 1907 and, as its membership developed to encompass landowners, farmers and around 250 types or rural business, the Association has wholeheartedly embraced new technology and new forms of communication. Indeed one of the major issues facing its members today is the lack of access to broadband in rural areas, an issue on which the CLA has been lobbying for the ten years. Providing advice, support and representation on a wide range of often complex issues for over 6,000 members across the Midlands, the CLA has to work hard to communicate with members and with politicians, the media and key influencers, and it has found that social media can help. CLA Midlands Communications Manager Mike Ashton explains: "People seem surprised when they hear that we use Twitter, but the CLA is all about people, and surely that is the point of social media. "Our members follow us to keep up to date with developments in legislation, to see the news - which we can filter to make sure it's relevant - and politicians follow us to make sure they are well briefed on our lobbying stance. It is also a good source of stories for the media. "It's a two way process. The people we follow provide us with useful and timely information, which can have some bearing on how we approach an issue. If we signpost members towards other sources of information that adds value to our own communication. The good thing is that you have to opt-in. People must actively follow us, and we know that if we get it wrong, they will cease to do so. "Rural businesses across the Midlands are embracing social media in all its forms, which combined with the internet and e-mail means that operating from a remote location no longer means being remote from your customers. Given the right tools, and that must include fast, reliable broadband, rural entrepreneurs can lead the recovery." CLA Midlands - @clamidlands - represents the interests of members in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire. You can follow the activities of the team at www.twitter.com/clamidlands |
Contact Mike Ashton
Have a problem - need advice? Midlands Office Knightley
The CLA Game Fair 2013
Partnership Opportunities Discover how a corporate partnership with the CLA could help your business. CLA Events in your area To receive our regular email newsletter containing advice and the latest news affecting the region - contact the office or send your email address and membership number to midlands@cla.org.uk |
RSS Feeds
Mike has worked in communications roles for the CLA for over ten years and has extensive experience in PR and marketing in the public and private sectors.
He is responsible for regional communications with members and the media and firmly believes that the CLA is about people, and that its strength comes from its members.
- Policy Topics
- Policy Topics
- Site sections
- Specially for members
© 2013 Country Land and Business Association Limited (CLA). All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature without prior written permission of the copyright holder except as expressly permitted by law.
Disclaimer
No responsibility for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action in reliance on or as a result of the material included in or omitted in this website can be or is accepted by the author(s), the CLA or its officers or trustees or employees or any other persons.
The Advisory Services are made available to members on the basis that members' rights to compensation and the liability (if any) of CLA and its officers and/or its staff advisers, are restricted in the following ways. In the event of any advice given by any CLA staff adviser being given negligently or otherwise being incorrect no liability whatsoever is accepted by the CLA or its officers or by its staff advisers concerned
(a) towards any person who is not the current CLA member to whom the advice was directly given,
(b) to any person in the respect of consequential loss or loss of profits, or
(c) to any person for any sum exceeding £50,000 in respect of any one enquiry (whether made or responded to orally or in writing and whether dealt with at one time or over a period of time).
Any person making use of the Advisory Services accepts such restrictions. Members should refer to appropriate professional advisers in private practice before taking any particular course of action potentially or actually involving any substantial amounts of money.
Please note that whilst the advisers are able to advise on a wide range of subjects relating to land ownership, they cannot act in place of a member's own solicitor, accountant, surveyor and tax specialist by, for example, drafting documents or corresponding on their behalf and may be precluded, by the rules of their own professions, from advising one CLA member against another CLA member in the case of conflict.
Solicitors Indemnity Fund . Solicitors in the CLA Legal Team are not covered by the Solicitors Indemnity Fund in relation to professional negligence in relation to any advice given by them.
Please note that from time to time telephone calls maybe recorded for training purposes.