Our Projects

Clever Communications was produced by VAMU in March 2008. 3,000 copies were made available to UK charities free of charge. The book aimed to inspire charities to be more confident and strategic in their media work. The book is packed with articles written by programme makers, journalists and charity insiders. Including articles from:

Polly Toynbee (The Guardian) on who makes a good charity contact
Shami Chakrabarti (Liberty) on the relationship between campaigners and journalists
Alastair Campbell on how to use the media to fundraise
Vikki Cook (Sky News) on who makes a media-friendly spokesperson
Betty McBride (British Heart Foundation) on working with regional media
Jamie Kantrowitz (MySpace.com) on how charities can benefit from online social networks
... and much, much more

Plus the book contains a directory featuring hundreds of media contacts and useful resources for charity communicators.

You can download a free copy of the book (PDF) here.

VolunteerGenie was launched in October 2007 to support any charity interested in using the power of the media to recruit volunteers. 6.4 million people in the UK would like to volunteer. 15% of them say they just haven't heard about how they can get involved. So how can charities reach these people and inspire them to get active? VolunteerGenie is full of practical advice, free resources and over 30 real volunteer recruitment campaign case studies from the likes of British Heart Foundation, Special Constables, CSV, Girlguiding UK, RNID and more.

Find out what motivates people to volunteer
Discover which media campaigns catch people's attention
Free guides to help you devise your own media strategy
Get top tips on working with journalists and reporters
Find out how to engage volunteers in the new media world
Prove that your volunteer recruitment campaign worked

VAMU launched the askCHARITY media contacts database in Autumn 2005 with the aim of helping the media navigate their way around the world of charities. We wanted to make it easier for the media to get in touch with the right people in charities across the country and encourage communication between the two sectors. The free case study finding service (called the Answer Service) gives the media a chance to send out their specific story requests to hundreds of charities. Take a look around askCHARITY.org.uk

Charities registered on askCHARITY can:

Access the free media directory
Network with other charity communicators on the the askCHARITY Messageboard
Receive story requests from journalists straight to their inbox

askCHARITY was handed over to CharityComms on 1st January 2008. It is now operated by CharityComms; contact: emma@askcharity.org.uk

Media Connections is an annual awards scheme which offers twenty people who work for charities a unique opportunity to get inside the mind of the media via a 1 - 2 week work placement. The placements give charity communicators the chance to:

Shadow and work with experienced journalists and producers
Discover why some stories are taken up and how editorial ideas are developed
Find out why charities and the media can misunderstand each other
Learn how to improve your charity's relationship with the media and gain more publicity for its activities

Media Connections 2008 is being run by the Media Trust (hyperlink); contact helenb@mediatrust.org

VAMU ran a series of seminars / networking events designed to encourage programme makers and journalists to listen to people from the voluntary sector. The aim was to introduce grass roots charity workers to reporters, writers and producers; to inspire the media to write and make programmes about the work charities do. VAMU ran the first event (Snapshots on Crime) with BBC Radio 4 in May 2006. We brought together 30 charities involved with crime and prisons to meet over 40 Radio 4 programme makers. Further events covering different issues were held at Sheffield Documentary Festival, Emap magazines, BBC Current Affairs and BBC News.

Future Snapshots events are being planned by CharityComms; contact Emma on 07876227767

Charity Communications Conference

The first Charity Communications Conference took place in March 2006. VAMU ran the opening panel session at the event “Reality Bites: Should charities feed the media’s hunger for human-interest stories?”. In 2007 at the second annual Charity Communications Conference, VAMU hosted the big interview of the day with Alastair Campbell. Find out more and see the footage from the events at www.charitycommunications.co.uk

Media coverage of the conference:
Guardian Society - How to give your cause star quality (29.03.2006)
Guardian - It's good to talk (23.03.2006)
Third Sector - We must be wise to the media's methods (05.04.2006)
Third Sector - Charities can exploit the media's desire for 'real life' (29.03.2006)
Third Sector - When the hacks and the flacks collide (22.02.2006)