March 2008
‘Media Trust Cymru study shows charities’ appetite for media and communication advice’
A new study, exploring opportunities for young people within media in Wales has been released today by Media Trust Cymru. The study has already been submitted to the Welsh Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) who they are working with in partnership.
The study found that the proposed initiative of developing and designing innovative and challenging volunteering opportunities for young people from the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) within media, communications and creative companies is welcomed in Wales. 96% of the young people who responded expressed a keen interest in getting involved.
Laura Rich, Youth Volunteer Worker with CAVO (Ceredigion Association Voluntary Organisation) Ceredigion said “An opportunity like this would keep charities up to date, bring a younger element into volunteering and break down prejudices opening up a two way experience for both volunteers and media.
Respondents to the questionnaires, focus groups and semi structured telephone interviews were very positive about the knowledge, skills and experience the young volunteers could acquire. They also recognised that the selection and assessment of the young people would be key to the success of the initiative. The development of the skills base of the young people who volunteer is likely to have a long term and broad impact in relation to their personal and professional development leading to an increase in their employability.
A further mutual benefit was the potential for increasing the understanding between the sectors and raising awareness of how both sectors operate including specific issues such as those facing people with disabilities.
Ruth Parry, who conducted the study says “The infrastructure put in place for progressing this initiative will be key to its future success and Media Trust Cymru is in a strong position to learn from other Media Trust initiatives which are based on tried and tested models”.
Media Trust aims to boost its representation in Wales in order to roll out more of its services into Welsh charities and build effective communications in the third sector.
Ruth Parry added: “This initiative would offer a real opportunity to provide a positive brokerage role between media, communications and the creative companies and young people within VCS in Wales”.
‘Media trust is actively seeking funding for a project that brings media and charities in Wales together’
To download a copy of the report, please visit: www.mediatrust.org/media-trust-cymru
February 2008
Media Trust Cymru and Golley Slater hold second speedmatching event
After the success of the first Speedmatching event held in October last year, Media Trust Cymru is holding a second Speedmatching evening in Cardiff; hosted by Golley Slater PR.
Matthew Appleby, Director of Golley Slater PR in Cardiff said, “As a corporate member of Media Trust Cymru, we are very pleased to host speed matching at Pica Pica. We are hoping that many Welsh charities can make it on the night. At Golley Slater, we have already seen the big benefits of working with Media Trust Cymru by bringing communications companies and charities together.”
Helen Beckett, Director of Communications Services, said, “We are delighted that Golley Slater is hosting this second Speedmatching event in Cardiff. Our first Speedmatching event had a very good response and this led to a high number of successful matches.”
If you would like to find out about future Speedmatching events in Wales please email the Media Matching team for further information.
September 2007
Media Trust Cymru and Precedent Communications Launch First Speedmatching Event in Wales
Media Trust is holding a Speedmatching evening 6pm to 8pm on the 10th October 2007 at Pica Pica in Cardiff; hosted by Precedent Communications.
Speedmatching is an exciting and effective way of bringing charities and media professionals together to improve a charity's communications. Similar to speed dating, each media professional has 5 minutes with each charity, and then chooses who they would like to match with to offer ongoing support.
Requests range from help with writing a press release, guidance on a whole comms plan, website content to advice on blogs.
If you are a media or communications professional with more than two years' experience or if you work for a charity and would like advice with your communications, we would love for you to join us at this event in Cardiff.
Precedent Communications are a communications consultancy with over 18 years experience. They specialise in delivering corporate communications, on and off line, using a combination of consultancy, design and technology.
Please contact the Media Matching team if you can help, or if you are charity and would like to attend. Please provide as many details as possible.
July 2007
Media Trust Cymru announces first corporate members
Precedent Communications and Golley Slater pledge their support
Leading media charity, Media Trust, has secured its first corporate
members in Wales. Precedent Communications and Golley Slater, as
founding corporate members will work with Media Trust Cymru to boosts
its presence in Wales over the coming months. Golley Slater and
Precedent have also agreed to sit on Media Trust Cymru’s advisory board.
Media
Trust is already established at the heart of the media community in the
UK, with its Chairman Andy Duncan, Chief Executive of Channel 4 and
Deputy Chairman Channel 4 News’ Jon Snow.
Media Trust Cymru
plans to open up its free online Media Matching to Welsh charities and
community organisations. Media Matching works to identify media
professionals with skills they can share to meet charities’
communications needs. It is envisaged that this service will launch
later this year if sufficient support can be found. In addition, the
charity offers welsh charities access to the Community Channel and
media training.
Helen Beckett, Head of Communications at Media
Trust, said, “We are delighted to welcome Precedent Communications and
Golley Slater on board. Having secured support from both of these well
established communications companies, we hope over the coming months
that more media companies will become members of Media Trust Cymru.”
Remeny
Armitage of Precedent Communications said, “Precedent has a strong
heritage working with charities and so we are extremely proud to be one
of the first corporate members of Media Trust Cymru. In addition to
this, we are really pleased to be invited to join Media Trust Cymru’s
advisory board alongside the likes of BBC Wales and S4C. We hope that
our presence, together with other members, will help Media Trust Cymru
support local charities in Wales with the same success as Media Trust
has seen in England.”
Matt Appleby Director of Golley Slater PR,
Cardiff, said: “We are delighted to become a corporate member of Media
Trust Cymru. Golley Slater has a strong tradition of supporting links
between charities and the communications profession in Wales and we are
delighted to support Media Trust Cymru’s plans for expanding the reach
of their services.”
July 2007
Media Trust Cymru to explore media opportunities for young volunteers
Media Trust Cymru appoints Ruth Parry to lead new study
Media Trust Cymru, is delighted to announce the appointment of
consultant Ruth Parry to undertake a feasibility study within Wales.
Media Trust Cymru is part of Media Trust, the charity that brings the
media and charities together.
The study which will be undertaken
by Ruth Parry, for Media Trust Cymru, will explore the feasibility of
placing young people, both volunteers and those who are working within
charities with experienced professional (young) mentors who are
employed in the media/communication and creative industry - they could
be camera people, sound recordists, reporters, lighting experts,
directors etc.
Ruth has worked in various capacities for
companies such as Drake av, Petersens, Grayling, Autism Cymru, BBC and
S4C. She worked as a producer/presenter with the BBC in Cardiff for
many years and opened the first Welsh speaking children’s day nursery
“Si-lwli” in the Welsh capital in the early 90’s.
During the
next 2 months Ruth will be active with many charities all over Wales -
holding focus groups and face to face structured interviews in both
Welsh and English. She will be sending out questionnaires to interested
charities and companies who may wish to join a scheme that will open up
a myriad of opportunities for young people in Wales. This Media Trust
Cymru project has been made possible thanks to the Active Community
Russell Commission enhanced fund and in partnership with the Welsh
Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA).
If you are a charity or
individual interested in any part of this venture please do not
hesitate to contact Ruth Parry. She says “Please come on board and help
make this happen for the young people of Wales”. You can email Ruth at:
ruthp@mediatrust.org
Media
Trust has already set up an Advisory Board within Wales, and provides
communication services to the charity sector here. Media Trust aims to
boost its representation in Wales in order to roll out more of its
services to Welsh charities and build effective communications in the
third sector.
Helen Beckett, Head of Communications at Media
Trust said “Young people are inspired and enthused by media and the
creative industries. They want to use it, work with it as well as
consume it. As someone who grew up in Cardiff and Barry I am very
optimistic about working with the vibrant and successful media industry
we have here in Wales.”