Coalition of hospices launch £32k prime time tv ad campaign

12 Mar 2014 News

A group of 26 hospices across the North West have bought £32,000 of prime time television advertising space to launch a campaign raising awareness of the need for communities to support their local hospices.

A group of 26 hospices across the North West have bought £32,000 of prime time television advertising space to launch a campaign raising awareness of the need for communities to support their local hospices. 

The ‘Think Again’ campaign starts this week and will see adverts about hospices shown on peak-time Granada shows, including Coronation Street, for three weeks.

The TV commercial uses video clips filmed with real patients, families, staff and volunteers to spread the message that hospices are local charities which provide specialised support for everyone in a positive, welcoming environment.

It ends with a request to viewers to donate £5. The money raised will be split equally between the hospices taking part.

The project was the brainchild of Sue McGraw, chief executive of St John's Hospice in Lancaster.

"Each hospice in the North West is a very individual organisation, built by the local community, for local people. However, through our dealings together, it became clear we shared many common frustrations around the common misconceptions people can hold about us,” she said.

"With this campaign we're hoping to break down these myths and barriers by bringing the reality of what we are all about into people's homes and onto their TV screens."

Each hospice paid £1,242 for the ad space. The fundraising element of the campaign is supported by software and services firm Blackbaud, which is supplying its peer-to-peer online giving platform, Heroix.

A spokesman said the hospices did not have a specific fundraising target.

The full list of hospices involved is available here. Collectively the 26 hospices involved in the campaign care for around 29,400 patients each year.

 

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