BELIEVE in Scotland (BiS) has revealed dates for two national days of action, an all-groups Yes meeting and the second Scottish independence congress.
The grassroots independence organisation has said it is vital for the Yes movement that activists “step up and work hard over the summer”.
The meeting of organisers of Yes groups to strategise for the next year of campaining will take place before the SNP independence convention on June 24.
BiS now has 141 affiliated Yes Groups, including 10 national campaign organisations, and is partnering with The National to organise the two national days of action.
These will take place on Saturday, July 1 and Saturday, August 12.
More than 100 Yes Groups are expected to participate by holding local events, with stalls, leaflet drives and coffee mornings on the day, and events will be held in the run-up to the dates also.
The campaign is being organised by the BiS Campaign Steering Group which is made up of elected representatives from the 141 local Yes Groups and 10 nationally affiliated Yes campaigns sorted into 17 regions.
To help organise the Days of Action, BiS will host its second All Yes Groups organisers' online meeting of the year on the evening of Wednesday, June 14. At the meeting, organisers are also to agree on the agenda for the second independence congress.
The congress will take place on Saturday, October 28. It is open for all Yes campaigning groups to attend and participate in regardless of whether they are affiliated to BiS or not – in an attempt to bring the movement together.
Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp, founder of BiS, said: “It is vital to the whole Yes movement that grassroots campaigners step up and work hard over the summer to engage and educate the people of Scotland about the massive benefits of independence for Scotland and about the costs and dangers of staying tied to the failing UK.
“We need independence supporters to get out of the Yes bubble, stop talking to one another and start sharing our vision of a better independent Scotland with the people of Scotland.
"There is work to do for everyone this summer and autumn, be it manning a stand, leafleting, organising an event or doing some fundraising – the key is to get away from all the complaining on social media and get campaigning positively with your local Yes Group.”
The organisation held its first independence congress in February. Around 241 voting delegates attended the hybrid event to hear opinions from a representative of the SNP, the Greens and Alba.
Michael Russell, Ross Greer and Kenny MacAskill represented the three pro-independence parties.
This year, the congress will look to agree on priorities for the next year of campaigning and vote on resolutions that set out a grassroots stance on key policies and issues. Any group which can demonstrate they actively campaign can send delegates.
MacIntyre-Kemp, who is currently touring Yes groups with presentations on the wellbeing economy, hopes the congress will be a “seminal moment” in reorganising Yes.
He said: “Leaders of political parties and activists are calling out for a Yes convention – one where all parties are represented and where all Yes groups get to participate as equals and vote on the way forward.
“Well, we have already organised one. It was a great success, and we are about to host another – we don’t exclude any campaigning organisation or party and we sure as hell don’t think we need political parties to tell us what to do or when to organise one.
"The Congress will take the pulse of the grassroots and Believe in Scotland will make sure the political leaders hear their voices.”
He added: “Sitting around talking politics can be pretty depressing at the moment but getting out with your local Yes Group and campaigning is fun, engaging, social and highly effective.”
