Passion Partnership CIC

Did you know that 1 in 10 people diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked? Each year in Europe there are over a 150,000 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed in men and women under the age of 70? Rates of lung cancer are dropping in Europe due to people smoking less, but it is still the deadliest cancer, and causes 1 in 5 cancer deaths in Europe. Lung cancer is a heavily stigmatised disease and often people believe it only affects smokers and older people, which means that too many non-smokers or younger people are not getting diagnosed early enough because they don’t believe it could happen to them. Lung Cancer Europe (LuCE) want to change these misconceptions so more lives can be saved from this deadly cancer.    LuCE are the European patient advocacy group for people affected by lung cancer, providing a region-wide platform for country-level lung cancer groups. Each year they run a brilliant grass roots campaign through their network of country members to raise awareness across Europe about lung cancer and this year they would love your help!    They have a campaign concept but they would like an agency partner to help them with strategic creative ideas and offers design and digital experience. The timings of the project would be from now until October when the campaign is launched.    What would you gain from working with LuCE pro-bono? Lung cancer remains a hot topic in oncology and many pharma are investing heavily in their pipelines, LuCE has connections with over 20 pharmaceutical companies to whom you would be showcasing your expertise and creativity. It also gives you an opportunity to gain more experience in an important disease area, plus it can give your team members a chance to try out new ideas or ways of working with a partner who is flexible and receptive.    If you would like to learn more please get in touch.

Pro bono takes centre stage with Claudia Last night was the first time that Excellence in Pro Bono was recognised at Communique. Congratulations to Stirred Health Limited and The Vavengers for taking the prize and also to the 8 agencies who entered some brilliant work. Thanks to Green Square Associates Limited for co-sponsoring the award and making great things happen. If you'd like to be on that stage next year then now is the time to consider your approach to pro bono working. We have some new healthcare briefs on the website Passion Partnership CIC in lung cancer and kidney transplant. We also take briefs from agencies, individuals and in-house teams.

DO YOU CARE ABOUT PURPOSE-DRIVEN RECRUITMENT? While UK businesses struggle to fill job vacancies, there remain many marginalised groups in society who are ‘frozen out’ of employment. Fair Chance Business Alliance (FCBA) is a not-for-profit employer-led membership body specifically tackling the under-employment of ex-offenders by affecting change in UK business. The Alliance is working with key industry leaders and is supported by a number of progressive companies from diverse industry sectors including Havas UK, Murphy Group, Toyota (GB) plc and Sodexo UK. As this business-led initiative gathers momentum, Agency support is needed to refine the narrative, launch the Employment Charter and map out a strategic communications framework for the next two years. If you are also committed to giving individuals with a criminal record a chance to participate in the UK economy and contribute to society, then get in touch. Employing people with criminal records is a challenging ‘sell’: many entrenched stereotypes persist in the workplace itself, particularly for people who have been directly impacted by offending behaviour. We are looking for an Agency who already work with leading UK businesses at senior levels and who can operate alongside FCBA’s founding corporate members to add scale and impact to this important work. As well as giving you a platform to demonstrate your commitment to ED&I, this is an opportunity to play a key role in defining what we mean by purpose-driven recruitment and why it is both a social and economic imperative for UK business. You can read more about FCBA on their website, https://lnkd.in/eZaVFFHi. And if you would like to have an initial conversation with Neil Wood, FCBA’s COO, then please send an email in the first instance to jennie@passionpartnership.uk.

Pro bono working - how was it for you?   Passion Partnership has had conversations with many agencies about pro bono working. It’s been encouraging to learn that the communications industry is catching up with the legal professional in recognising that we have a responsibility to share our skills with those who can’t afford to pay. Some agencies have company-wide schemes, some have ad hoc arrangements, but what is consistent is no-one ever regrets committing to pro bono.   Last week, some of our Champions met to plan our second year of being a social enterprise. As well as continuing our successful ‘match and mentor’ approach to partnerships, we plan to create more opportunities for individuals and agencies to share their pro bono experience and help persuade those who are still on the side lines.   Our vision is that by 2025 every communications agency in the UK will have considered the role of pro bono in their agency strategy. Get in touch if you’d like to map out the business case for pro bono with us, either one-to-one or in a facilitated workshop.   Our Champions’ meeting was hosted by Lexington. Pro bono working is embedded in Lexington and has been since inception. Recently, through Passion Partnership, they have supported Bookmark Reading Charity who provide one to one tutoring for primary school children.   Pictured here are (from left to right), Jane Eyes, Anna Saggerson, Rachel Hind Mike Craven, Fiona WL Fong, Nicole Yost, Kate Hawker, Emma Westcott and Jennie Talman.

We may all know someone who is experiencing a drug or alcohol problem.  Imagine what it is like for the families and the non-using partner? In the UK there are 5 million families making difficult decisions and facing situations that many of us take for granted: leaving children alone with a partner; keeping peace at mealtimes; explaining absences at important events and celebrations and many more… And then imagine having no-one to share your problems with. Adfam is there for those non-using partners and overlooked families. The leading national charity for families affected by substance misuse, Adfam gives a voice to the 5 million families who would otherwise be neglected and forgotten. Adfam focuses on the family members providing vital support for the ‘ghosts’ who live in the shadow of each addict, every single day, with no voice and no help. It provides vital support through frontline services for those forgotten people to improve their own physical and mental wellbeing, alongside the recovery process for the drinker or user. Do you want to help give a voice to those forgotten families? If your agency is passionate about this cause, get in touch with Passion Partnership. We help to match and mentor pro bono partnerships, and we are building a vibrant community of agencies and charities who share the need to #chatprobono.

Interested in giving a voice to children on conflict through creative arts? Inevitably, so much of what we see and hear about war and conflict is shaped by the media and therefore portrayed through the lens of adults. We learn about the impact of conflict on children through shocking news footage, alarming statistics, and emotional family stories, but rarely do we hear from the children themselves. Passion Partnership has an opportunity for a communications agency to support the charity, Never Such Innocence (https://lnkd.in/gNf_vpPC). Among other activities in their centenary year, they are sharing an exhibition of art representing the views of children on conflict from around the world. Their powerful artworks span the last ten years. The Royal Society of Arts (RSA) is hosting the exhibition in July. Never Such Innocence are looking for an agency to plan and implement a communications campaign to make the most of this partnership, to raise awareness of the important work that they do and to draw in as many visitors as possible. This project runs from March to the end of July. Please get in touch if you’d like to know more. Artwork: The Story of Srebrenica by Denis (11-14yrs)

Is your pro bono work worthy of recognition? Most agency leaders who I speak to consider pro bono working to be “a good thing”. Having the intention to get involved is admirable for a while but at some point, you need to make it happen. Many agencies say their teams are too busy with client work or that they have an ambitious growth target to deliver. As an agency leader for 25 years, I get that. But as an agency leader it’s also your job to create an inspiring workplace. And that doesn’t just mean doing purposeful work that clients pay you a decent fee to deliver. If you really do believe in pro bono, then have those difficult conversations to make it happen. You may need to explain to a client that you can’t keep over-servicing their account or that last minute requests cannot be prioritised.   You may need to challenge your CFO about the need to keep improving your margins year on year. And you may need to make the case for the value of skills-based volunteering to supplement corporate donations and “charity days”. Put pro bono on the agenda at your next leadership meeting, build it into your business plan and factor in the modest resource it requires. Most of our Agency Supporters are committing £50,000 or less to pro bono partnerships. None of them have reported a negative impact on their financial situation and all of them talk about their engaged and motivated teams. So, make it happen and feel the benefits, unleash your agency’s creativity, be brave and do award-winning work. For those working in the healthcare sector, Excellence in Pro Bono Working is a new category at this year’s at Communique Awards, sponsored by Green Square Associates Limited and Passion Partnership. For more information visit https://lnkd.in/ekhR8Pkc. If you are already on the pro bono journey, then get writing! The deadline for entries is 15th March. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “don’t worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.”

Would you like a Jelly Baby?   In his incarnation as Dr Who, Tom Baker was known for using the offer of a Jelly Baby as a prompt for a conversation. Usually, he did this to avoid conflict in dangerous situations. We turned this around at last week’s Passion Partnership Winter Together, where Jelly Babies featured prominently to get us all #chattingprobono.   Attended by over 30 people and generously hosted in the Havas building in King’s Cross (thanks mark whelan, Elizabeth Egan and Rachael Sansom), we revealed our next cohort of not-for-profit organisations looking for pro bono support. If you are thinking about doing some unpaid purposeful work, take a look at the briefs at https://lnkd.in/eNMS94TX. These are organisations led by people who are driven every day to make a difference.   Thank you for attending and for your powerful words Katie Salari from Never Such Innocence, vivienne evans from Adfam, Alex Nurse from Porchlight (charity), Neil Wood from Fair Chance Business Alliance and Jo Jerrome from Thrombosis UK   So, join in the pro bono fun and you’ll be invited to the next event! We need more agencies to enter partnerships and more Champions to become volunteer members of the Passion Partnership team.   Our Poet in Residence Tia Miles, captured the essence of the evening perfectly! As we make our way to HKX, We anticipate the gathering, We have snacks this time, what a treat! And everyone is chattering. But let’s not get distracted, From the reason that we’re here, A gathering of passion, Our first since the new year. Overwhelmed with the support, From our partners and our peers, So much to celebrate, So early in the year! To hear all of their causes, And to feel all of their pain, It’s truly a special occasion, To help them lift some strain. Now take a jelly baby and say hello! We’re here to make new friends, Were here to form a partnership, Filled with passion ‘til the end.

Starting 2024 with new goals?

Starting 2024 with new goals?