Background
Fresh first spoke to Gingerbread in November 2017. The single parent charity needed additional PR and comms support for its centenary activity in Feb 2018 but was undecided whether to recruit a new member of staff to fulfil this role or to use an agency. Following a recommendation from another Fresh client, Gingerbread approached Fresh with the interim position.
The Activity
Fresh put in place a plan for Gingerbread’s centenary activity which focussed on the launch of a new in-depth ‘state of the nation’ report looking at single parenting, how this has changed over the years and the challenges faced by single parents in the UK.
The activity covered pro-active and reactive activity and included high profile national media and stakeholder engagement through to helping local Gingerbread ‘friendship groups’ to engage with their networks. We supported Gingerbread in making calls on the Government to better recognise the specific needs of single parents and to reduce their exposure to disadvantage and poverty.
The state of the nation report revealed the ‘work poverty’ situation affecting many single parent families. The resulting press release called on government to work with job centres, employers and childcare providers to ensure that work genuinely provides a route out of poverty for single parent families and to provide a welfare system which recognises the needs of single parents and provides an adequate safety net with specific recommendations.
The Outcome
The centenary report was launched on 20 February 2018 and resulted in widespread national print, online and broadcast coverage including interviews by the Gingerbread chief executive with Sky News, BBC 5 Live, BBC London TV & Radio, BBC Radio Wales, Channel 5 News and Talk Radio.
Following the success of the centenary activity, Fresh was asked to continue with Gingerbread on an ongoing basis.
Period of Fresh engagement: November 2017 – ongoing
“Gingerbread brought Fresh Communication on board when we needed temporary press office support in 2017 – more than five years later, we have chosen not to go back to having an in-house media role as the partnership with Fresh works so well for the charity. Nathalie and Lisa are an absolute pleasure to work with. They are supportive, knowledgeable and flexible, and care just as much about our projects as we do – always suggesting new ways in which we could expand our reach and influence in strategic ways. We have secured some amazing coverage through Fresh’s work, all through a cost-effective partnership that can flex up and down depending on what the charity needs. They come highly recommended!”
Victoria Benson, Gingerbread Chief Executive