Community Engagement

Community engagement programmes throughout the Group are so widespread and embedded that we sometimes find it hard to keep track ourselves of what we are doing. The main reason for this is that it is simply 'what we do'. Our newspapers are integral to the lives of their readers and, particularly for our local and regional titles, are simply part of the fabric of their local communities.

Activities range from large scale national events, such as the Pride of Britain Awards, to small, but nonetheless important, local projects. This report provides a snapshot of some of the numerous activities undertaken in 2009 across the Group and provides an insight into the ability of communities to pull together, which is all the more impressive given these economically challenging times.

Local and regional titles

A scheme launched by Adrian Sudbury, the late Huddersfield Daily Examiner journalist, aimed at educating young people about the importance of bone marrow donation was hailed an 'outstanding success' by an independent assessor. The 'Register and Be a Lifesaver' campaign, run by the Anthony Nolan Trust and NHS Blood and Transplant, was established after Adrian secured £80,000 funding for a pilot project following a meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Adrian rose to public prominence as the 'Baldy Blogger' charting experience of his illness. He spent the last few months of his life campaigning for better education and information for young people on the importance of bone marrow donation. His legacy project has so far trained 65 volunteers to deliver seminars in sixth forms and colleges. It has so far run educational talks for 3,250 students across South Yorkshire and Bristol. The campaign hopes to become a national educational project.

In the North West, The Liverpool Echo and Daily Post have built on the success of their official charity 'Liverpool Unites'. Inspired by the way the city came together in support of murdered schoolboy Rhys Jones' family, Liverpool Unites continues to support local charities and community groups across Merseyside that help young people to break the cycle of crime and poverty. Embodied by the purple ribbon symbol, a mix of the red and blue of the city's two famous football clubs, the charity has raised more than £250,000 in its first two years. Everton Football Club named Liverpool Unites as its official charity of the 2009/10 season and launched a purple away kit that has helped to raise over £100,000 for the charity.

In the Midlands, the Birmingham Mail Charity Trust continued to raise funds from local readers and businesses to give out in grants to community groups. Fund-raising events in 2009 included the Birmingham Mail Fun Run which saw nearly 3,000 people raise £70,000 and the Santa Dash in December. All proceeds were given out in grants ranging from £500 to £2,000, with recipients ranging from inner city playgrounds to deprived pensioners' club day-trips.

The Coventry Telegraph Charity Snowball Appeal makes donations to disadvantaged and severely handicapped children in the Coventry and Warwickshire area. It raises funds from local readers, organisations and businesses through a variety of activities. Applications for financial aid have to be supported by medical professionals and in 2009 grants have helped to purchase essential items of equipment including specially-adapted wheelchairs, tricycles and home computers.

In the North East, the Journal launched 'Think North East First' in January which was aimed at encouraging readers to play their part in helping the North East through the recession by buying local goods and services where possible.

The Evening Chronicle Sunshine Fund has raised funds and awarded grants to individuals and local organisations, making a difference to not only the lives of disabled children but the people who look after them. In October, the Sunflower Ball raised over £40,000 with the help of patrons, Ant and Dec, who personally attended the Ball. Ant and Dec were interviewed at the Sunflower Ball by ITV Tyne Tees and the interview was shown on the local news the following day. More than 200 community groups benefited from donations through the Evening Gazette's 'Wish' campaign. They were all not-for-profit organisations that serve the Tees Valley community and ranged from schools and sports clubs to charities and groups for the elderly.

A number of Trinity Mirror Southern titles (Surrey Herald Series, Ealing Gazette Series, Harrow Observer Series and Hounslow Chronicle Series) partnered with Barclays Bank for a fourth year to run the 'Let's Do It' Awards across their titles. Barclays put up a prize fund of £15,000 across the titles to be awarded to local groups and charities to help them with community projects and events.

The Ealing Gazette ran their 'Pride in Our People' Community Awards to honour the unsung heroes across the boroughs of Ealing and Fulham and Hammersmith. The Uxbridge Gazette again ran their popular 'Local Heroes' awards.

National titles

Now in its eleventh year, the Daily Mirror's prestigious Pride of Britain Awards 2009 returned bigger and better than ever in October. Staged at a larger venue than before, the Grosvenor House in London's Park Lane, the glittering event became the most popular and highest-rated awards show of the year on British television, ahead of the Brits and the Baftas, with an audience of more than six million viewers on ITV. It also received extensive coverage on national and regional TV and radio and in newspapers and glossy magazines. Prince Charles called Pride of Britain a "unique way to celebrate some truly remarkable people" and Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the occasion has become "a British institution" and a "highlight of our national calendar."

Hosted by Carol Vorderman, high profile public figures, from the Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister to Sir Michael Caine, Joanna Lumley, Girls Aloud and Simon Cowell, paid tribute to the nation's most remarkable unsung heroes. These ranged from children and adults who had performed acts of breathtaking courage to exemplary community champions, charity fund-raisers, teachers and careworkers. Special recognition was given to members of the emergency services and armed forces who had gone beyond the call of duty. England cricketer Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff and Gary Lineker even flew to Afghanistan to present a Mirror award to the medics risking their lives to save troops on the front line.

Readers of the Daily Mirror were invited to nominate unsung heroes for the awards either by post, online or at Pride of Britain postboxes at 5,000 branches of The Co-operative all over the UK. 25,000 entries were received which were shortlisted by a team of researchers and a distinguished panel of judges selected the winners. This year, Pride of Britain supported charities including the Prince's Trust, ChildLine, CLIC Sargent, Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital and the Meningitis Trust.

The Daily Mirror launched its 'Caring for Carers' Campaign in October calling for a review of benefits, respite breaks and health checks for carers and a right to discretionary leave to be enshrined in the law. The campaign, which highlighted the plight of six million people, or ten per cent of the population who look after the sick and the elderly, quickly gained the support of MPs across the political spectrum. Sixty members from the three main political parties signed a House of Commons motion demanding extra help for carers.

The Daily Mirror was proud to see its 'Stop Knives, Save Lives' campaign sponsor a high-profile charity dinner. The parents of murdered schoolboys Jimmy Mizen and Damilola Taylor joined the family of Harry Potter actor Rob Knox for the event. They saw a charity auction raise £25,000 for the Rob Knox Memorial Fund, which campaigns against street violence and knife and gun crime. The campaign also secured another success with the Government pledging a further £5 million to support the 'Tackling Knives Action Programme'.

The Daily Mirror's 'Hope Not Hate' campaign continued to spread its message of tolerance and the campaign bus made its third trip across the UK celebrating modern, diverse Britain.

The Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail supported Glasgow's third annual Santa 5k Dash in December. More than 3,300 helped raise £32,000 in aid of two charities, The Marina Dalglish Appeal and The Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice.

The Group continued its active support as co-sponsors of Catch 22, an initiative helping youngsters held back by a lack of qualifications or work experience obtain the opportunities they deserve. In 2009 we gave 12 students work experience in our regional business in our Southern region offices and on the Daily Mirror.

The Group's titles believe they are nothing if they are not part of the community, in the community and for the community in which they are published.