Doing our bit for a good cause… Bowel Cancer UK

As part of The Nelson Bostock Group, us Fever lot are encouraged to do our bit for charitable causes and ‘give something back’, with a paid annual ‘Volunteering Day’. Staff members can take this one day in addition to their annual holiday, so whether it’s lending a helping hand to a community project, supporting a local fundraiser, or offering some PR wizardry to a charity of choice – anything goes, providing it’s for a worthwhile cause.

The latest to do their bit was Gemma who (while we all whinged about the snow and nursed our poorly festive party heads) spent a couple of days before Christmas volunteering with national charity, Bowel Cancer UK.  A small organisation, with a team of only seven on the payroll, Bowel Cancer UK relies heavily on volunteers to spread the word and support the charity, and were thrilled to have Gemma on hand for some PR support.

Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in the UK, yet one of the least publicised in the British media. Perhaps due to the symptoms and nature of the disease, it’s not one high on the editorial agenda, and hence why (especially in the lead up to Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in April) PR support is so valuable. As part of her time with the charity, Gemma was able to offer her PR skills and help out with all sorts of tasks over the two days spent with them. Gemma was involved in brainstorming PR ideas and initiatives for 2011, pitching case studies to media and ensuring the media lists were up to date, as well as doing an audit of core publications to identify editorial opportunities for the charity.

Gemma comments: “I found it really beneficial to spend time with the team at BCUK. With such a sensitive and typically difficult subject to generate widespread editorial for, it was a challenge and a real eye opener. It gave me a much better understanding and greater appreciation of the work small charities do, and I’d encourage anyone to take whatever time they can spare to support a good cause – they’ll be very grateful!”.

So, if you too want to offer your support or to find out more about Bowel Cancer UK visit http://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/home