Civil society campaigners have reported facing increased pressure with many struggling to maintain energy levels in their roles.
In response to a survey by the Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK), 81% of campaigners reported that the pressure on them from the government, politicians, media, donors and their own organisations had grown over the past 12 months.
Three-quarters of respondents said that in the past year they had questioned whether they have the energy levels to keep campaigning.
Some 64% of campaigners said they have directly received backlash from politicians while 45% said the same about the media.
Nearly a third of respondents said they have faced resistance or backlash from a regulatory body such as the Charity Commission (30%) or from within their own organisation (29%).
Meanwhile, 19% reported that they have faced backlash or resistance to their campaigning by donors.
Most respondents said they felt supported by their organisation while 19% said they felt unsupported.
SMK surveyed 145 campaigners and activists between 1 February and 7 March 2024, 80% of whom primarily carried out their campaigning for a registered charity and 73% of whom were in paid roles.
Some 63% of respondents say they had personal experience of the issues on which they were campaigning.
Most respondents (56%) said negative rhetoric from politicians or media affected their campaigning activities, while 42% expressed concerns about changes to protest laws.
Some 30% said the Charity Commission’s social media guidelines were a notable challenge while 25% raised concern about the new reporting thresholds imposed by the Elections Act 2022.
‘Stark warning’
Sue Tibballs, SMK chief executive, said: “These results are a stark warning to organisations and donors.
“They need to pay attention to how they support campaigners or risk losing them through burnout or career change.
“We can see that campaigners are dedicated, and in many cases deeply connected, to their work.
“Yet, with pressure coming from so many sides, they are juggling an extraordinarily diverse set of competing stakeholder interests.
“While training continues to be desirable, campaigners are also asking for more help connecting with their peers to create communities of support and practice.”
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