Case Study - Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, the campaign to retain life-saving heart unit at Leeds General Infirmary.
Introduction
The Children's Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF), is a registered charity based at the Leeds General Infirmary which is currently campaigning to save the children’s heart unit which is at risk of closure due to a national review of NHS services. If the unit in Leeds were to close, patients would be forced to travel across the country to centres in Newcastle,Liverpool or Birmingham for treatment.
What Acceleris was asked to do...
In August 2011 Acceleris was appointed by CHSF to develop and deliver a PR and communications strategy to help the charity fight to retain the life saving unit in Leeds. Acceleris was tasked with running an integrated communications campaign working alongside the Public Affairs Company and spanning public affairs, media relations, events, social media and website support. The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness of the campaign and NHS review and its potential impact on Yorkshire families with the ultimate goal of keeping the heart unit at the LGI open.
What we did...
Acceleris organised a photo stunt to reinvigorate the campaign and let supporters know that there is everything still to fight for in Leeds. Held at the Leeds Museum in Millennium Square, the event was attended by patients, supporters, MPs and doctors. Supporters wore red t-shirts and caps and formed the shape of a broken heart to illustrate the impact closing the unit in Leeds could have on Yorkshire families. Acceleris produced a video news release, incorporating a short stop motion animation showing the heart breaking.
On 11th October, members of the Acceleris team organised for CHSF and Skipton based choir, the Cononley Singers, to meet at the Chairworks Studios in Castleford to record a specially written version of the Elton John and Kiki Dee classic, Don't Go Breaking My Heart. The song was used to support the campaign. Acceleris produced a video news release and managed media on the day.Working alongside the Public Affairs Company, Acceleris has also managed press involvement around meetings with ministers and MPs to bring the campaign to the attention of decision makers in parliament.
Acceleris Marketing Communications is currently working on an initiative to engage Yorkshire businesses to support the ongoing campaign in 2012.
The results...
Acceleris secured widespread print and broadcast coverage of the broken heart and choir events including BBC Look North and ITV Calendar broadcasts (watch the clip below). The events were attended by BBC Radio Leeds and Real Radio. Print coverage included Yorkshire Evening Post, BBC News and Yorkshire Post. Almost 100 supporters attended the broken heart event along with Leeds MPs from the three main parties.
Children’s Heart Surgery Fund director, Sharon Cheng, said: “The work that Acceleris has done in such a short time has been extremely successful in re-invigorating the campaign and raising awareness of our fight. The team has secured widespread coverage for the broken heart and choir events which were run very professionally and to a very tight deadline. We are looking forward to more exciting activity over the coming months and hope to achieve a positive result for the families of Yorkshire in 2012.”
A decision on the future of the unit is expected no later than Spring 2012. For more information or to support the campaign visit the Children's Heart Surgery Fund website.
Watch ITV Calendar coverage of the 'Don't Go Breaking Our Hearts', by the Cononley Singers and CHSF: