Finalists for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) PRide Awards 2007 have been announced and South Yorkshire consultancy Connexions PR & Marketing based in Tickhill have been short listed for a top prestigious award in the newly created ‘Corporate Responsibility’ category for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
The agency’s submission caught the national judges imagination based on client side work with community Shopping Centre Crystal Peaks and the Centres’ nominated annual charity, Sheffield Cathedrals’ Archer Project.
The Archer Project is a City base and food supplier for the homeless, ‘roofless’ and some of society’s highly vulnerable adults in which individuals can access health provision, hygiene facilities, free and subsidised food, basic education, and advice (counselling) on alcohol and drug abuse, housing, benefits and street worker aid (i.e. selling ‘The Big Issue’) to get themselves back on their feet. The project costs approximately £225,000 per annum to run.
Darryl Dawson, Connexions PR & Marketing’s Managing Director said, “Being short-listed is a tremendous achievement. Our work has been judged to be of the highest standards by leading PR experts and amongst the best in our area. It’s the first time there has ever been a ‘Corporate Responsibility’ category and the first time we’ve ever entered, but perhaps what’s even more surprising, there’s only one entry short listed as a finalist, and that’s ours! I’d like to think this also puts Sheffield firmly on the map as far as top quality integrated campaigns using creative media and marketing are concerned, and yes, we’re absolutely thrilled and delighted.”
“Our recognition for the c.r. category is a credit to the teamwork that inspires and connects all South Sheffield. From the generosity of people who sponsor us, donate, share or give time, it makes the philanthropic process easy with their munificence and kind hearts. From the outset our objectives were to financially assist The Archer Project by doing what we are renowned for, challenges, but not just long distance walks, for example we had a 53 people doing a ‘night on the tiles sleep in’ inside Crystal Peaks from 7 p.m. until 6.30 a.m. and a recent ‘sleep out’ under the porch of the Cathedral too – complete with speeding police cars, trams and chiming bells on the quarter, so little real sleep, but it was a resounding success moreover in monetary terms for the homeless!”
He added, “We constantly encourage this positive impact with the local community and also gained the interaction of Crystal Peaks’ tenants via continuous gift aid such as a ‘drop zone’ collection facility for goods, there by reducing the Archer Projects overheads and helping to obtain specific items, materials and non-perishable foodstuffs for the cold winter nights. So it’s a true win-win scenario and one that has now been officially recognised as a outright winner.”
Colin Farrington, CIPR Director General and Chairman of the Judges, said: “To reach the PRide Awards short list is a remarkable achievement as year on year the quantity and quality of entries increases and competition gets stronger. The finalists are testament to the good PR work going on outside of London and across sectors. They should feel proud of their and their chosen profession’s invaluable contribution to business and society.”
• The CIPR Pride award winners will be announced this Wednesday 7th November 2007 at a Black Tie ceremony held at the Queens Hotel, Leeds.
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Photo Information:
Darryl Dawson, Connexions PR & Marketing’s Managing Director outside Sheffield Cathedral on Church Street, Sheffield.
Editors Notes:
CIPR New Pride Awards 2007
The CIPR PRide Awards have grown in strength and stature, recognising public relations success and achievement in the nation and regions.
• There were 1456 entries this year.
• The PRide Awards is the only awards scheme showcasing the best PR work being carried out across the UK regions and nations.
• There are 23 award categories – for a full list visit www.cipr.co.uk/prideawards
• The judging process is rigorous with a national panel of industry experts assessing the short listed entries and choosing the medallists. The panel, chaired by Colin Farrington, CIPR Director General, met in August.
• PRWeek is the media partner for the 2007 New PRide Awards and media-monitoring specialists Clipability is the headline sponsor.
Cathedral Archer Project
The Project gives practical support to help homeless people change their lives.
It offers:
• free breakfast (from 600–700 breakfasts per month)
• lunch at reduced rate of 50p (around 500 lunches per month)
• education: numeracy, literacy and life-skills
• a lounge area where people can sit and chat with friends
• showers
• a laundry
• a nurse (1 day a week)
• a dentist (1 day a week)
• food parcels for asylum seekers
• needle exchange
• a postal address for giros.
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