Free Media Advice
Filed under: Information, Communication & Research
Media Trust is a charity, founded in 1994, that helps other charities and not-for-profit organisations with their communications. We do this by encouraging media professionals to volunteer their time and skills. We work across a range of communications disciplines from PR and design to video and we have our own dedicated television channel, the Community Channel.
Media Trust has three areas of work. Communications Advice runs seminars and workshops across the country covering all communications subjects. The team also oversees the online matching service. Production makes videos and broadcast programmes for and about the voluntary sector.
Community Channel broadcasts themed weeks on community and social action featuring programmes from broadcasters, charities and community groups on Sky digital 684, Freeview 46, Telewest 233 and at http://www.communitychannel.org/.
Organisations of all sizes are supported. The larger ones pay their way, the smaller ones are supported through grants from funders. In 2002, 3,500 organisations were helped, rising to over 5,000 in 2003.
Online matching service
Online matching service is run entirely through the website http://www.mediatrust.org/. The service provides not-for-profit organisations with an opportunity to receive one-to-one communications support and expertise from media and communications professionals free of charge.
Any not-for-profit organisation can log on, fill out a request form and professionals can then look at the list of requests and choose a charity. Although a match is not guaranteed, in 2002 the online service enabled over 300 matches between charities and professionals.
Case studies of Charities helped through online matching
Jonathan Eastwood, a designer who matched himself with Dementia Relief Trust....
"A success story! Early in 2002 we were introduced to the Dementia Relief Trust and after a year of intense education and development we are about to launch the new name and brand for the charity."
Phyllis Oberman, a PR consultant who matched herself with SKILL....
"It is now some years since I was matched up with SKILL, the charity for students with disabilities. I think they find my advice helpful and a few times a year I attend their external relations meetings. I continue to liase with their PR person and respond by email to her queries and advise on PR generally."
For more information about Media Trust online matching, events, video production and Community Channel you can contact Julia Whitehead on 020 7874 7610 or email to juliaw@mediatrust.org.