War Child UK

I joined as interim head of media after WC made a third of its UK staff redundant and many more left voluntarily, creating a turbulant uncertain environment. Replacing a team of ten communications professionals, I designed a strategy to help deliver its business objectives. I identified communications needs and priorities and provided a corporate level oversight that didn’t appear to have existed previously. I reviewed and amended their PR agency’s briefs and secured much needed national media coverage that supported the business and helped motivate the demotivated group of remaining employees. I rasied nearly £1m in funding through several different means, including a Christmas campaign with the much coveted Times Christmas appeal. I created a global network to improve communications between the country teams and helped design the new organisation-wide strategy and staff structure, recruiting to the comms roles. The result was that funds were unexpectedly increased, staff regained a sense of motivation and more families in need were helped as a result.

Part of my brief as communications lead was to respond to events and policy developments. As part of War Child’s campaign to urge the UK Government, the United Nations and other agencies worldwide to better protect children affected by armed conflict, I responded by reaching out to contacts and securing coverage.

Public affairs work was supported with media coverage including a national news interview with a former child soldier from Sudan. Elsewhere, I responded to fresh attacks on Iraq and Syria and the UN report on Children Associated with Armed Groups, securing newspaper coverage, which was then turned into social media content. The debate around supporting children with UK nationality detained in camps in Syria was particularly notable. War Child was one of a number of INGO’s to campaign on this issue, which forced a u-turn at the FCO.