Using SMS with youth groups
Back in October, we set up an online text message system for communicating with the young people who attend our activities. Many schools now use these types of systems that integrate with their databases to send messages to parents of pupils, but there are also many simpler services available for smaller organisations. To see a range of options, just search for bulk sms messaging.
We’ve found using group messaging really helpful. Our Ignite group has grown from an average of 40 young people each week to nearly 80 because most of the young people now receive a text reminding them of the time, venue and activity. Where many of them would come every few weeks, their attendance has grown because they know what is happening each week.
Using the system has also been really good when we’ve had to communicate changes to the programme such as cancelling an activity due to staff shortages. One simple text and most of the group know!
Bulk SMS
When setting up our service, we chose to use Bulk SMS because they offer charity rates and you can simply buy credits as you go. Although the service is relatively simple, it offers a range of options such as setting your Sender ID (the name that says who the text is from), allowing replies to your text, sending text by email, and even text a group from your own phone.
The only drawback I’ve found is that you can’t set the sender ID and have replies at the same time. While this may seem a limitation, it’s not been a problem for us as we didn’t really want the young people sending replies to the online system as we don’t check it regularly enough.
Texts to mobile numbers in the UK cost 1 credit per message (at charity and non-profit rates). Credits cost 3.5p (exc. VAT) each so you can buy 300 credits for £10.50. This is a subsidised cost in exchange for including the message ‘bulksms.co.uk’ on the end outgoing texts. When the credits run low, we just buy some more.
To get started, you can type in individual numbers or upload a formatted spreadsheet with the name and number of each contact. You can then organise them into groups such as Juniors and Seniors so when you send a message, you simply select the group(s) you want to send it to. It even lets you know when a phone number stops working and messages aren’t being delivered, by moving that contact to a ‘failed’ folder.
So does anyone else use text messages to communicate with young people? What systems have you found that work for you?
