Unsworth Sugden Group

Thanks again to David Wilson Homes graduate, Philippa Stewart who picked the December winner of the PR team’s monthly competition.

Bella Shaw (three) with Cheryl Peto, Chris Longmate and Martin Wright of Positive Outcomes at King’s Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-Ashfield

Lionel Heap was the photographer behind the shot which was taken at Sutton in Ashfield’s Kings Mill Hospital.  Client Positive Outcomes donated Christmas presents to all it’s sick children.

Philippa said, “I loved this picture as it illustrates the real meaning behind Christmas and the delight and happiness is evident in Bella’s face. It’s great to see the festive cheer in full force in this picture.”

Giving to charity is one of the easiest ways for companies to show their caring side and we have guided many clients through this process.

Donating to a worthy cause delivers a simple message although without a few pointers to bear in mind, being charitable can get a little complicated. This is why we’ve compiled a list of dos and don’ts to make sure your humbling donation leads you to the golden gates of PR heaven!

Don’t - Sponsor anyone or everyone! Charities work through a long list of companies and they understand that they’re not to everybody’s taste. However worthwhile the cause, sponsoring an extreme sport if you’re trying to project a responsible image isn’t the wisest of choices.

Don’t - Try to buy forgiveness! Nobody likes those with more money than sense! Learn to recognise the time when you need to say sorry instead. Admittedly this is an extreme example but you don’t want to infuriating people further by chucking money at a problem -http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1303527/Tony-Blair-announces-cash-book-Royal-British-Legion.html

Don’t - Be vague! Establish exactly how much you’re donating and when by. You don’t want charities to get the wrong end of the stick which could potentially result in a PR crisis!

Do - Pick a relevant charity. This could complement your own marketing, for example David Wilson Homes’ sponsoring Guide Dogs is especially apt due to the striking resemblance to their logo. Picking local charities will also make the story more important to local newspapers.

David Wilson Homes sponsors the Guide Dogs charity

Do - Combine your missions. Pick an organisation whose mission statements resemble your company’s values - you want to build a compatible relationship. A family orientated home builder might look to donate to primary schools, which is very fitting because they are the pillars of local communities.

Do - Give your charity a trial run. Sponsor a small project first and see if you like the way the charity works before embracing bigger campaigns.

Do - Give it the personal touch. A personal connection can make the story stronger. For example founder of Taylan’s Project, Figen Rawlinson, has a strong affiliation with David Wilson Homes as her son used to wave at the company’s diggers passing their house before he sadly passed away.

Taylan's Project, based in Calvert Green, receives a donation from David Wilson Homes

Do - Start from home! Find out if there is a need coming from within your own company. Choosing a cause that your employees care about will get everyone excited and yield better campaign participation.

Raynsway employees take part in 'Wear it pink' day

Happy giving!!

This month, teachers and pupils at Busill Jones Primary School in Bloxwich were snapped by Toby Savage looking excited to receive a generous donation from client, Barratt West Midlands. Barratt donated an iPad along with iTunes vouchers to the school, for them to purchase and use Makaton software, as the school has a number of children with special educational needs. The iPad and Makaton software aids children with learning difficulties in the classroom, enabling them to get involved with lessons and learn alongside the rest of their class.

March’s PR snap shot of the month shows members of Biggleswade Scouts, all smiles, as client David Wilson South Midlands, makes a donation of £500.

The 219 members, aged between eight and 18, will see the money spent on the two Beaver colonies for their ‘The Beds Giant Country Sleepover’, as well as some of it being allocted as the first prize for the grand draw, to help raise more funds for the scout group.

The remainder of the money will be used throughout the year to support other events and activities.

Jackie Day, Sales Director at David Wilson, which has a development of new homes in Biggleswade called The Maythorns, comments, “When we were approached by Biggleswade Scout Group to make a donation, we didn’t hesitate in saying yes. The scout group is an important part of the local community and we are delighted to be able to support in such a positive way.”

Client Westleigh Developments Ltd has donated £1,000 to the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust after it was selected by the winner of the property developer’s festive online game.

Rather than sending Christmas cards to its suppliers and customers, Westleigh once again chose the green option, in line with its GreenHouse environmental commitment, and made its season’s greetings via email. Recipients were then invited to log on to play “Christmas Demolition”, a simple game where participants win points and complete levels by demolishing targets.

The game, which attracted hundreds of entrants, saw top scorer Robert Lees at Ridge & Partners LLP select the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust to receive the £1,000 prize.

Chris Beighton, Managing Director at Westleigh, comments, “An increasing number of companies now send electronic greetings cards as an alternative to regular Christmas cards, which often leads to mountains of waste material after the festive period. The decision to run the online competition again was an easy one following the success of our previous charity games and we feel the £1,000 donation to a worthy cause truly reflects the real meaning of Christmas.”