CorpComms Magazine

The American comedian WC Fields once declared Never work with children or animals but it is not a sentiment Gregg Vines, director of communications at charity Action for Children, agrees with. Working for a charity that looks after more than 200,000 young people with an age range spanning from birth to 24 years, Vines hears some of the most harrowing stories of neglect and starts to life that are beyond tough.

It is impossible not to be moved nor to take those concerns home, and yet at the same time it is impossible not to draw strength from them which manifests itself in a determination to campaign better and more effectively for the rights of this group.

'Yesterday, my team was at Bayswater and we heard some of the problems that young people face every day,' says Vines, 39. 'I've been here five years and I thought I had heard it all, but I hadn't. The issues are the same but it is how they manifest themselves that is different. All the way home I thought about what I had heard.

'But we have brilliant staff and people in our system who help these young people and their parents as soon as we can, and for as long as it takes. Our staff are trained in managing their issues. Our skill as communicators is to be to appropriately tell that story to the right person.'

One of four

Action for Children is one of the four biggest children's charities in the country with a history dating back to 1869. Formerly known as NCH (The National Children's Homes), the charity rebranded as Action for Children in September 2008. At the time, just one per cent of the general public were aware of the charity's work.

'Brand and name recognition is hugely important to us,' says Vines. 'The rebranding was the biggest thing that ever happened to us and, from a communications point of view, it was brilliant because it allowed us to refocus on our business.'

The tagline As long as it takes also sums up the charity's ethos - it is about providing long-term support to young children. With 8,000 employees and 3,000 volunteers, the rebranding 'brought a large UK organisation together. It was a good motivator,' says Vines.

It also allowed him to draw on the skills learned during his time at Birmingham University, where he studied psychology and business. 'I went to university for a bit of fun,' admits Vines. 'But I have always thought of myself as a bit of an amateur psychologist. Communication is all about the audience and getting people to do something. That's why Action for Children is such a huge and rewarding challenge. Our staff do not come together as one. Lots of them don't even access the Internet. Bringing together a disparate group is fascinating and a strong challenge for any communications professional.

'But we also now have a clear brand - Action for Children. It is what we do. We can go out there and sell that.'

And selling the Action for Children brand is important because, as Vines himself concedes, it is probably the least well known of the big four children's charities (not to mention the raft of smaller charities) and 'has to run twice as hard as them' to get recognition - and the all-important donations.

'People underestimate how hard it is to get messages out there in the charitable sector. Most people say the NSPCC when they think of children's charities,' adds Vines. 'We want that sort of brand recognition. We want journalists to think of Action for Children first when there is an issue relating to children's rights. We want celebrities with difficult life stories to come to us so that we can share them. My job, and that of my team, is to get out there and tell our story. It is difficult but we are all committed.'

Save the Children is known for its campaigning stance, while Barnado's has shops on the high street, prompting donor awareness. 'What we are brilliant at and known for is the services that we provide for children,' says Vines. 'Our key audience is the service commissioners - one or two people in each local authority - that we work with and we have excellent brand recognition within that group.' In the current climate, the charity's major priority is to keep as many services as possible and that will depend on good partnerships with local councils.

Children are at the heart

Vines adds: 'The challenge is to show the value of our charity, and we have to demonstrate that in our work. Children are at the centre of everything that we do.' This is particularly important when communicating with major potential corporate donors. 'There is a perception that charities are not as well organised or as slick as corporate organisations,' says Vines. 'We have to spend a lot of time trying to communicate how unfair that is.'

Vines and his team must find a way to communicate the charity's value without abusing the confidences of young people within its organisations. There are sensitivities around telling personal stories that the media relations team respect. But, on occasion, a young person may be willing to share their experiences and that can be hugely powerful.

'We held a conference recently at which a young person told her story, from her parents who were drug addicts to her pride in getting her own flat,' says Vines. 'She talked about the importance of getting the basics right, like employment and education.' It is basic needs such as these that prompted Action for Children to launch On our own two feet, a campaign to convince the Treasury that children in care deserve financial support when they leave the system to live independently. Without family support, it is vital that they have funds to help towards a deposit on a flat or to pay for text books.

New tools

Action for Children is keen on using consumer media to tell its story. 'They have a bigger reach and can help tell difficult stories more simply,' says Vines. 'We need to spread the word wider than a white middle class audience. It is an extremely important audience but it does not always reflect the people we help.' But the charity is increasingly having success with digital media. 'Email is not for children, but if I am trying to attract a family that is isolated then digital communications goes right to that audience. It is the way to communicate now.' Vines has yet to tire of the challenge.

'There are young people who have lived in the care system all their life and lack continuity. I know I could go home tonight to stay with my mother; some children can't,' he says. But facilities like Bayswater make a difference. 'The overwhelming impression is warmth. I'm not Mr Touchy Feely but you're immediately drawn in and feel at home. Sheila who runs Bayswater is just fantastic. And we have nearly 500 Sheilas.'

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