Welcome to Publicising your grant workshop

1. Welcome toPublicising your grant workshop

2. Communications Team East Midlands Regional Communications Manager Amanda Miller Tel: 0115 872 2961 Press Officer James Nicholls Tel: 020 7211 1706

3. What the regional teams do: Publicise projects that have received Lottery funding from Big Lottery Fund and Awards for All Organise events E-bulletins and web pages Support for projects – help with press releases, cheques, banners, merchandise Work with MPs Work with National Lottery Promotions Unit Work with media partners such as BBC & ITV

4. What the press office do: Write press releases Answer press enquiries/rebuttal Write letters to editors Devise media campaigns Features Write articles for magazines Set up television and radio interviews Organise photocalls

5. Signposting Press enquiries: BIG press team 020 7211 1888 or out of hours 07867 500 572 Branding & merchandise enquiries: BIG branding team marketing@biglotteryfund.org.uk For leaflets and publications contact our BIG advice line 0845 4 10 20 30 For information about getting a grant contact our BIG advice line, or your local funding advice worker For information about your grant, contact your grant officer

6. Generating publicity

7. Generating Local PublicityProactive Work BEFORE YOU START: Be clear on your aims: Why are you doing this? What do you want to achieve? Have you got the capacity? Who is your audience?

8. Generating Local PublicityProactive Work BEFORE YOU START: Know the news agenda Know how your organisation is viewed Know what other groups are doing in the field Viewed – by your community, by the press & media. By your stakeholders. Viewed – by your community, by the press & media. By your stakeholders.

9. Generating Local PublicityProactive Work BE PREPARED: Updated key facts and figures about your project Case studies with contact details Spokesperson available for interviews Contact details for key members of your organisation spokesperson doesn’t have to be the head of the organisation – just the best person for the job. Sometimes this can be a project user. spokesperson doesn’t have to be the head of the organisation – just the best person for the job. Sometimes this can be a project user.

10. Generating Local PublicityProactive Work KNOW YOUR LOCAL MEDIA Newspapers, magazines, radio, television, internet, including student or community-based stations Read the publication, watch or listen to programmes Identify key contacts Consider new media such as social networking sites Find out their deadlines for news stories (could be different for different sections of the paper) Find out their deadlines for news stories (could be different for different sections of the paper)

11. Generating Local PublicityProactive Work LOCAL JOURNALISTS Identify key interests for individual journalists Build relationships by supplying relevant stories on deadline Put information in context relevant to your contacts Explain issues clearly Return their calls

12. Generating Local PublicityProactive Work WHAT ARE JOURNALISTS LOOKING FOR? News - a fact or event that hasn’t been made public before News comment or feature – putting events into context, letters Features – in-depth coverage of events or trends Diary pieces – entertainment, possibly a charity event

13. Exercise Working groups discuss: What is the purpose of a press release? What should a press release include?

14. Generating Local PublicityProactive Work PLANNING A PRESS RELEASE: Identify your story Find a hook Have a clear message Have case studies and images ready Identify and brief your spokespeople Obtain quotes from key spokespeople to include Alert all relevant team members about your plans

15. Generating Local PublicityProactive Work WRITING A PRESS RELEASE: Grab attention with a headline and first paragraph – keep it simple Put your news in the first paragraph of the release, don’t bury it in the last paragraph! Subsequent paragraphs should be in order of priority Include what, when, where, why, who, how Be concise News release template on page 8 and 9 of the “get noticed” booklet. Keep sentences short Make it relevant and timely – use present/future tense Keep adjectives to the minimum (you can use more in quotes) Keep it to 1-2 pages maximum Don’t use unproven facts (be ready to back your statistics) News release template on page 8 and 9 of the “get noticed” booklet. Keep sentences short Make it relevant and timely – use present/future tense Keep adjectives to the minimum (you can use more in quotes) Keep it to 1-2 pages maximum Don’t use unproven facts (be ready to back your statistics)

16. Generating Local PublicityProactive Work WRITING A PRESS RELEASE: Use headed paper Clearly mark ‘News Release’ at the top of the page Add date and embargo date, or ‘For immediate release’ Include your name, telephone (including an out-of-hours number), email address at the bottom Include Notes To Editors at the end Don’t forget to credit Fair Share Trust/Big Lottery Fund if appropriate

17. Generating Local PublicityProactive Work SENDING OUT YOUR RELEASE: Check how journalist would like to receive it – fax, post, email Follow up your release with a phone call If you are holding an event, ask if they will send a photographer Be there to meet the press & make sure you give them the key messages about the project Monitor the results Photo calls – arrange them for no later than mid morning so that photographers have time to process pictures for the next day’s paper. Monitor the results –news clippings, radio interviews, TV. How well did you do against your objectives? Did you achieve the publicity you were hoping for?Photo calls – arrange them for no later than mid morning so that photographers have time to process pictures for the next day’s paper. Monitor the results –news clippings, radio interviews, TV. How well did you do against your objectives? Did you achieve the publicity you were hoping for?

18. Exercise Working in groups: Read through the press release examples What do you like about them? What don’t you like? How quickly did you decide if you liked it or not?How quickly did you decide if you liked it or not?

19. Generating Local PublicityReactive Work When approached by the media consider the possible reasons for the enquiry: DON’T PANIC! IS IT A COLD CALL OR IS IT A FOLLOW UP TO YOUR PUBLICITY WORK? Now, the interesting stuff – reactive media: When approached by the media directly – caution is the word. Before opening your heart to them – ask their motives. More then likely it will be innocent. But you never know If you know you’ve just sent a press release out, then it’s more likely to be a follow up call. If it’s a cold call – think twice     Now, the interesting stuff – reactive media: When approached by the media directly – caution is the word. Before opening your heart to them – ask their motives. More then likely it will be innocent. But you never know If you know you’ve just sent a press release out, then it’s more likely to be a follow up call. If it’s a cold call – think twice    

20. Generating Local PublicityReactive Work WHEN APPROACHED FIND OUT: Context of the enquiry Nature of the enquiry Name of the publication Name and contact details for the journalist Deadline for information Nature of enquiry -– is the journalist contacting anyone else for comment? If so, what are they saying?Nature of enquiry -– is the journalist contacting anyone else for comment? If so, what are they saying?

21. Generating Local PublicityReactive Work ACTION PLAN: Exercise judgement – don’t open up too much Alert all relevant members of your organisation Agree and disseminate lines to take to all your spokespeople Offer to supply statement in writing – it’s harder to take words out of context Exercise your right of reply, if the information printed/broadcast by the journalist is factually incorrect

22. Generating Local PublicityReactive Work IF ENQUIRY RELATES TO BIG: MAKE SURE THAT YOU PASS THE DETAILS TO BIG LOTTERY FUND PRESS OFFICE ASAP on 020 7211 1888 or out of hours 07867 500 572 For example, if a journalist is criticising what we are doing. Our press office may be able to turn a negative story into a positive one. For example, if a journalist is criticising what we are doing. Our press office may be able to turn a negative story into a positive one.

24. Case studies - examples Food for Life New College Nottingham Learning Bus Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry

25. Some groups set up their own websites. Most websites these days are developed using content management systems, which mean they are easy to use for a non techie. If you don’t know how to do this, however, you might want to involve some young people who do – this is a good way of involving people in your project or recruiting volunteers. Make sure you acknowledge BIG and have a link to our website. Make sure you also include the web address and email contact for the group in your publicity literature and press releases. Make sure that Big Lottery Fund logo is on your home page, and that there is a link to our website. Some groups set up their own websites. Most websites these days are developed using content management systems, which mean they are easy to use for a non techie. If you don’t know how to do this, however, you might want to involve some young people who do – this is a good way of involving people in your project or recruiting volunteers. Make sure you acknowledge BIG and have a link to our website. Make sure you also include the web address and email contact for the group in your publicity literature and press releases. Make sure that Big Lottery Fund logo is on your home page, and that there is a link to our website.

26. New Media – social networking Facebook.com - has an older, professional user base MySpace.com - focuses on fashion, music and film Bebo.com - mainly a teenage following LinkedIn.com - network for professional people to build contacts and do deals YouTube.com - biggest video upload site. Twitter.com – a micro blogging and messaging site If you do not have the software or the technical knowledge but would still like to have some kind of web presence, you might want to think about using social networking sites such as facebook or myspace. Here you can set up a project profile and invite people to join. You can also use this to announce events and news. Obviously this will only be appropriate for some projects so take some time to think about who uses your project or who you want to attract to the project first. Benefits – it contacts you directly with your audience. It’s more informal. Downsides – needs constant monitoring. Has to be genuine. If you do not have the software or the technical knowledge but would still like to have some kind of web presence, you might want to think about using social networking sites such as facebook or myspace. Here you can set up a project profile and invite people to join. You can also use this to announce events and news. Obviously this will only be appropriate for some projects so take some time to think about who uses your project or who you want to attract to the project first. Benefits – it contacts you directly with your audience. It’s more informal. Downsides – needs constant monitoring. Has to be genuine.

27. New Media – social networking Amanda’s Facebook page Woodland Trust Breathing Places Ambergate Carnival

28. New Media – social networking Do Give your group time to develop and grow Make it interesting Think about how to promote the site Don’t Assume that people will join just because it’s there Bombard your group members with frequent messages Become impatient Put up photos, unless you are happy for them to be used across the internet

29. Any questions?