June 2008
Shakespeare tribute to re-open to public
A charity hosted a series of events to mark the 250th anniversary of French sculptor Roubiliac's, statue of William Shakespeare including the opening of Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare in Richmond upon Thames.
The temple which first housed the statue of the bard in 1758, opened to the public this summer. The Temple was built in 1756 by actor-manager David Garrick, who commissioned Roubiliac to create a life-size statue of Shakespeare to be placed inside. The original is now on display at the British Library and a replica sits in the temple.
Scott McLean from Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare Trust said: ‘The Trust is a small charity established in 2004 to help conserve the Temple and develop its use for cultural and educational purposes. As such we rely very heavily on free publicity to encourage visitors. Using Community Newswire makes such a difference as it gives us potential access to the media that would normally only be available to organisations with large budgets.’
Media coverage:
Local media
June 2008
British Ahmadi Muslims pray for world peace
Community Newswire ran the story of British Ahmadi Muslims joining in prayer for world peace in London. This raised the profile of the event, encouraging over 15 000 Muslims from around the country to take part.
Ahmadi Muslims believe that Mohammed was not the final prophet sent to guide mankind. Although they believe he was the most important figure as he delivered the final word of God, they say a further prophet emerged in the 19th century.
Dr Basharat Nazir, of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK, said: 'A lot of misrepresentation has crept up in Islam. We want to curb extremist views. We are trying to live a different life altogether. Islam is a beautiful religion which can be practised very well like the majority every day.'
Media coverage:
Local newspapers
June 2008
New fuchsia discovery offers way to raise money for charity
Duchy College, Cornwall's College of the Countryside, announced the discovery of a brand new never-before-seen fuchsia at its Rosewarne site near Camborne. This will be grown and sold exclusively for Diabetes UK next year to raise money for the charity.
Ruth Sparkes at Cornwall College said: ‘Positive national media coverage is important to Cornwall College, it's an ambitious college and needs to build a national reputation. Media coverage is important for the wider stakeholder audience and Community Newswire delivers our focused messages.’
Media coverage:
Local media and gardening magazines
June 2008
Alzheimer's research required to diminish future financial burden
Community Newswire ran the story of leading scientists warning that unless there are research strategies in place, the future financial burden of dementia care in the UK will be vast. Stories like this help to raise awareness for Alzheimer's charities and can influence decision makers.
Andrew Scheuber from the Alzheimer’s Research Trust said 'Community Newswire is a great resource. It’s a quick, simple way of getting a story out to regional papers. Media coverage can be the backbone of charities like the Alzheimer’s Research Trust; it raises public awareness and helps influence policymakers'
Media coverage:
Local media
June 2008
GP with bipolar disorder honoured for contribution to mental health awareness
Community Newswire covered the story of a London GP with bipolar disorder who was honoured for her work in helping to change attitudes about people with mental health problems.
Dr Liz Miller was named Champion of the Year 2008 by mental health charity MIND at an awards ceremony hosted by broadcaster Melvyn Bragg at the Kingsway Hall Hotel in London.
The MIND Champion of the Year award, voted for by visitors to the charity's website, recognises those who have made a 'significant contribution to challenging discrimination against those with mental health problems'.
The story was subsequently picked up by Society Guardian featuring on the front page.
Media coverage:
Front page of Society Guardian
May 2008
Fearless fundraisers test mind over matter
The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) wanted 'fearless fundraisers' to take part in the ultimate test of mind over matter - walking barefoot over hot coals at the Windmill Pub in Clapham. The challenge was to raise £5,000 to help FSID continue its vital support to families whose babies have died suddenly and for no known reason, as well as fund further research into why cot death happens.
Stacey Kerr, FSID Communications Officer said: 'Community Newswire is fantastic. It’s really easy to use, and gave us a great boost to our regional coverage. It’s really important that we get our messages into local media outlets so that parents know how they can reduce the risk of cot death. It’s a really useful tool that I would recommend to other charities.'
Media coverage obtained:
Three regional newspapers
May 2008
Fun runners to take part in 10k London Run for BDF Newlife
BDF Newlife (Birth Defects Foundation) is putting together a team of fun runners to take part in the Asics British 10K London Run. The charity, funds research and supports babies with a birth defect which can result from a syndrome, disease or malformation that affects ability, physical and mental development, organs, limbs and life span.
Chris Strange at BDF said: 'Having a service like Community Newswire is like having an experienced extra member of staff on your side. With such a wide range of media available it can be difficult to hit all the bases with our stories, so Community Newswire is something we always use to help us increase our coverage and spread the word about the work our charity does.'
Media coverage obtained:
Bucks Free Press
May 2008
National Autistic Society call for charity runners
Charity runners were offered a final chance to sign up for next month's London BUPA 10,000 road race to run on behalf of the National Autistic Society (NAS) and raise money for the charity's helpline, education service, befriending scheme and parent support programme.
Alice Ridley, a press officer from the NAS, said: 'We used Community Newswire to issue a press release calling for participants to take part in a running event in central London. The release was picked up by a number of London media including the Ealing Gazette and the Hammersmith Gazette. Community Newswire is a quick and easy way to get information to key regional media. It really is an invaluable resource for voluntary and community groups.'
Media coverage obtained:
Ealing Gazette and other London local media
May 2008
Father walks 500 miles for Variety
A father-of-two undertook a 500-mile walk from Gretna Green to Land's End to raise thousands of pounds in aid of the Variety Club Children's Charity and the Willow Foundation. The Variety Club is a children's charity that supports sick, disabled and disadvantaged children throughout the UK.
Simon Walsh, Variety Club Children’s Charity said: 'Our story of a man walking the length of England in aid of Variety Club Children’s Charity was picked up by the Cheshire media following a news release and image going up on Community Newswire. If your story is selected for the wire you can guarantee it will land on a newswire that will be read by key journalists in the regions you are trying to target. Community Newswire provides an invaluable tool in assisting small and large charities achieving vital media coverage.'
Media coverage obtained:
Cheshire regional media coverage
April 2008
Inspiring success for young campaigners
Two inspirational young women celebrated after their campaign to highlight the chronic shortage of organ donors was given charitable status.
Emily Thackray and Emma Harris, both have cystic fibrosis (CF), the UK's most common life-threatening genetic disease which affects various organs of the body, in particular the lungs and the digestive system.
Emily Thackray, Vice-Chair, Live Life Then Give Life said: 'Since we started Live Life Then Give Life, the support from Community Newswire has been unfaltering. We always receive a quick and helpful response and accurate coverage which we feel relays the message we want to put across perfectly.
Without Community Newswire we would not have achieved a lot of the coverage we have done over the last few years, and whenever we have anything important to release into the public sphere, we ensure Community Newswire are the first people to hear about it! We genuinely do appreciate the fantastic support you provide us with.'
Media coverage obtained:
Local media coverage including This is Wiltshire
April 2008
Image © jgroup. From BigStockPhoto.com
Cleveland disabled actors net funding boost
Actors with learning disabilities in Cleveland will be able to tread the boards for another three years after netting a £7,000 funding boost. Already, 21 performers from the group have passed the exam with seven receiving a commendation and one person receiving a highly commended grade.
Tony Galuidi, manager at Earthbeat which supports people with learning disabilities in Cleveland and the North East commented,
'Community Newswire published our story on a Friday and it was immediately picked up by the Sunday Sun creating great exposure in a key local paper. Hopefully it will lead to more people coming to our future theatre productions.'
Media coverage obtained:
Key local media coverage including The Sunday Sun
April 2008
Local Wildlife Trust gets result to protect water vole
The water vole, which has seen its numbers drop by 90% since 1990 as a result of habitat loss and predation by the American mink, now has full protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, which has been surveying and conserving vole populations for the past decade, said the measures had been "a long time coming" - six years after changes to the law were first recommended.
Media coverage obtained:
Local media coverage including This is Wiltshire
April 2008
Bolton drop in centre to continue running
Community Newswire covered the announcement by a drop-in centre in Bolton that serves more than 10,000 free meals a year has announced it will keep running thanks to a £53,000 grant. The centre at St Luke's Church, Halliwell, provides a range of services including washing facilities, clothes, advice on housing, benefits and debt and counselling.
Paul Blackburn, trustee and treasurer at St Luke’s Drop-in Centre in Halliwell, said, 'We thought we would give Community Newswire a try in addition to our usual local contacts. We were delighted to get online coverage as a result.'
Media coverage obtained:
The Bolton News - www.thisisbolton.co.uk (view story)
April 2008
Whizzkids car rally gears up for fundraising drive
Teams taking part in an annual car rally across Europe were gearing up to raise a total of £50,000 to help young disabled people get the "wheels" they need to be more independent.
Each team must raise £500 for London-based charity Whizz-Kidz which provides wheelchairs to disabled children, and drive race cars that cost less than £500 - although any amount can be spent on modifications.
Rob Dyson at Whizzkidz said: ‘Motors Today and Crash.net both used the text as written up on Community Newswire, thanks for your help – it raised the profile to a key target audience.
Media coverage obtained:
Motors Today and www.crash.net
April 2008
Merseyside event raises awareness for Multiple Sclerosis
People affected by multiple sclerosis were invited to an event in Merseyside aiming to shed light on the debilitating condition. Neurosupport, a charity dedicated to helping people with neurological conditions, hosted the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) advice session at its centre in Liverpool.
Danny Start from Mersey Neurological Trust said:’ I would just like to say we find Community Newswire a useful and easy to use tool - enabling us to spread the news about our work and events.’
Media coverage obtained:
Local newspaper coverage
April 2008
Air Ambulance charities seek to benefit from airlines unclaimed compensation
When David Philpott, chair of the Association of Air Ambulance Charities and chief executive of the Sussex, Surrey and Kent Air Ambulance unveiled plans to seek any unclaimed compensation money awarded to British Airways and Virgin Atlantic customers affected by illegal fuel surcharges, Community Newswire broke the story.
Media coverage obtained:
The Argus and BBC news online (view story)
March 2008
Youth journalism charity granted volunteer funding
Headliners UK has received a £9,977 grant from the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales, which supports charities working with disadvantaged people.
The Islington-based charity aims to advance the education of children and young people, particularly those from inner city areas or from a needy family background, by teaching them journalism skills.
The youngsters research and produce their own stories on issues that affect them for publication and broadcast in the mainstream media. Their work has been widely used in national and regional outlets including The Guardian, BBC London and London Tonight.
Fiona Wyton, director of Headliners, said: 'We know money alone isn’t enough. We need to maintain good relationships with all sorts of media organisations, to ensure they are aware of who we are and what we do. Coverage in publications like Hold The Front Page is important as it gets seen by plenty of media professionals.'
Media coverage obtained:
www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk (view story)
March 2008
Friary's funding success
The Friary Drop-in Centre in Rushcliffe and Stapleford Bureau were celebrating after scooping grants totaling more than £70,000. The Friary was founded in 1988 to provide support, advice and friendship for vulnerable people in temporary accommodation. The grants have been awarded by the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales through its Community Programme, which supports organisations helping disadvantaged people.
Sara Brown, media & PR at the Foundation, said: 'Coverage on Community Newswire is going way beyond the expectations of the small charities we work with. In addition to regional coverage several have gained exposure in key trade titles which they otherwise would not have accessed.'
Media coverage obtained:
Nursing Practice (view story)
March 2008
Charities demonstrate against Glyndebourne turbine
Community Newswire carried the story of four environmental charities who demonstrated against plans by Glyndebourne Opera House for a 70m wind turbine on the South Downs in East Sussex. The South Downs Environmental Protection Consortium (SDEPC) believed the turbine, would have a seriously damaging visual impact on the national park and area of outstanding national beauty.
Media coverage obtained:
24dash.com (view the story)
March 2008
Rare bat monitored in Devon
Community Newswire ran a story for The Bat Conservation Trust regarding their undertaking the first survey of one of the UK's rarest mammals - the Bechstein's bat. The Bechstein's bat will be surveyed and monitored across their range in southern England and parts of Wales under a new three-year project in a bid to find out more about the vulnerable species.
Media coverage obtained:
thisisdevon.co.uk
February 2008
Local media cover hospice funding crisis
Community Newswire covered the story of Fair Havens Hospice who warned it may have to cut vital services due to a financial crisis if it doesn't raise at least £250,000 before the end of March. Areas under threat include in-patient beds, home care, the services of Macmillan cancer nurses and bereavement and family support.
Press Officer for Havens Hospices Amy Dearing says, 'Community Newswire allows the charity to reach our local journalists quickly with accurate copy which maximises our coverage for minimal cost. It has proved an invaluable PR tool for our campaigns.'
Media coverage obtained:
The Echo, The Leigh Times, The Yellow Advertiser, The Essex Enquirer, BBC Essex, Essex FM.
February 2008
Local media join to help to identify mystery man
The Missing People charity appealed for information about a man going by the name of David Harrison who was found in Oldham city centre in May 2000. The elderly man who cannot remember his name had collapsed after suffering from hypothermia and was admitted to the Royal Oldham Hospital. As he recovered it became apparent he had total amnesia, the charity said, and has since been living in care.
Graham Sefton from Missing People said: ‘Community Newswire provides a valuable service to charities struggling to get much-needed news coverage and we are grateful for the continued support you have given us over the years.’
Media coverage obtained:
Local media and online, including The Manchester Evening News
February 2008
Local media celebrate butterfly explosion at Porton Down
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust gained media coverage through Community Newswire about butterflies thriving on land at Porton Down, (the Government's chemical research centre in Wiltshire) despite the floods last summer.
The number and variety of rare species such as The Heath butterfly, Dingy Skippers, Marsh Fritillaries and Grizzled Skippers have increased on the Ministry of Defence owned farmland. Populations shot up following a re-seeding programme of grasses and flowers by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL).
Media coverage obtained:
Various local media and online, including The Swindon Advertiser
February 2008
Local media raising awareness of local support group
Community Newswire ran the story of a mother from Greater Manchester who urged parents with disabled children to join a support group where they can swap experiences and help each other identify their rights and needs.
She is one of the first members of a new group 'Respite North West', based in Rawtenstall, which aims to bring together parents of disabled young people so they can share information and make new friends who understand what their lives are like.
Coverage obtained:
Various local media and online, including The Bolton News
January 2008
Hope for the helpline
A helpline for people in Devon who self-harm, feel isolated or stressed has scooped a £15,000 grant from Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales, to keep the service running.
Mental health charity WAND, based in Barnstaple, has received more than 1,500 calls in the past year and said the money would help ensure they were there for people who need them.
Sara Brown, Media & PR Manager for Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales said that WAND were delighted to receive the media coverage.
Media coverage obtained:
Western Morning News, The Cornishman, Lantern FM
January 2008
Online coverage for virtual volunteering
Community Newswire covered Volunteering England's search for hundreds of 16-25 year-olds to join a groundbreaking virtual
volunteering project to help
charities “youth proof” their websites as part of Student Volunteering Week .
Cat Dean, Volunteering England PR and Press officer said' Achieving national coverage was a real boost for our virtual volunteering campaign for Student Volunteering Week, and it was thanks to Community Newswire that the story was picked up. It’s a very useful resource in terms of reaching a wider audience and getting messages out beyond the “usual suspects" and I would recommend it to other charities seeking to raise their profile in the national and regional press.'
Media coverage obtained:
Telegraph online (www.telegraph.co.uk)