The Sick Kids Friends Foundation gives back to legendary local fundraising hero, with a little help from Edinburgh PR agency
A LEGENDARY Edinburgh war veteran, who has single-handedly raised over £157K for the Sick Kids Friends Foundation, saw the thankful charity – with help from our Edinburgh PR experts – race to his aid after it learned he had a plight of his own.
Tom Gilzean, 96, is well known for braving all weathers in his trademark tartan trousers to fundraise seven days a week on Edinburgh’s streets, but repairs needed to his trusted electric scooter looked set to jeopardise his fundraising efforts.
Thanks to a call out by Holyrood PR on behalf of SKFF, kind-hearted medical equipment supplier Fast Aid Medical and Mobility came forward and gifted him with a top of the range new wheelchair.
Tom’s situation perfectly showcases that public relations is not simply about getting as many pieces of coverage as possible. As we at Holyrood PR know, it is a powerful tool which can yield a whole host of different outcomes depending on our clients’ needs. In this case, we used our expertise to successfully help out an elderly man in need.
This piece of work with SKFF also fully represents our vision as a PR firm to turn the everyday into something that makes us proud – and we are certainly proud of assisting Tom in his dilemma.
As an agency with a ‘multiple bites of the cherry’ mentality, we produced two attention-grabbing press releases for the media – the first to call out to local businesses that could provide practical help for Tom; the second, to announce he had received his new wheelchair, kindly donated by Fast Aid Medical and Mobility.
Coverage highlights of our twofold approach were:
- A total of 19 items of coverage across print and online
- In particular, print coverage in a spread of national titles including The Herald and The Scotsman
- Opportunities to see for a potential audience of 913,640
- 4 regional hits across the Edinburgh Evening News, print and online, and a significant piece of The Edinburgh Reporter. The Edinburgh Evening News is particularly important as it is Edinburgh’s most trusted news source, reaching a local readership of 20,235
- Significant hits in trade titles Third Forces News, U Can 2 Magazine, Posability Magazine and Care Industry News – key publications to reach businesses that specialise in products for those with disabilities
One particular success was targeting the Edinburgh Evening News, as Tom’s (and our) local paper then shared our call out as a post on its social media. This saw substantial results, with the post receiving a total of 1,049 likes and 1,143 shares.
Looking for a firm that understands charity PR?
This is just one of the many fantastic stories as part of Holyrood PR’s ongoing work with the Sick Kids Friends Foundation, and we can do the same top quality of work for your business.
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