Dove House appoint PR agency in new fundraising strategy
November 07, 2007
Hull and East Riding charity, Dove House Hospice, which makes palliative care more accessible to patients, families and carers throughout the region, has appointed East Yorkshire marketing agency, bluestorm, to raise the company profile as part of a new fundraising strategy.
Originally a service provided by two community nurses in 1980, Dove House Hospice opened in 1983 and has quickly become a core part of health provision in the region, with the specified aim of helping patients and families live life to the full. To fulfil this, the vast majority of funds have to be raised through charity and Dove House has decided that its public image and profile is integral to its success in fundraising. Eileen Goffin, Chairman, explains:
“A lot of people are not aware of the extent to which we are self-funding. After 69 days of every year, we are on our own. We have an incredible story to tell, make an unbelievable impression on so many people’s lives and receive so much support. If letting people know how they can help, what it will mean and the ways it will be spent, provides us with even more support, then we will all be delighted.”
Andrew Cawley, Managing Director of bluestorm believes good PR can make a lot of difference to the way a charity performs:
“Most charities now realise that if they are to succeed they can ill afford to ignore the ever-growing importance of public relations. Charities need to persuade, convince and reassure the public that the money they donate is well spent and is going to a good cause. How the public perceives your charity and understands the issues it works with is so important. For example, the proceeds of the Dove House weekly lottery pays for 1 in every 6 patients that access the hospice services. That’s a staggering statistic that underlines the real impact of fundraising – and people should know it.”
Lorraine Pritchard, Director of Human Resources, is very pleased with the latest addition to the team:
“When we were looking for an agency, it became more apparent how much time, money and effort could be saved by having the entire range of services we required in one place. Equally important was finding people who understood us, had a genuine interest in what we were about and a strong desire to make a real difference. I’m confident that’s what has been achieved.”
Dove House Hospice is a palliative care facility based in Hull; it has been at the current Chamberlain Road location since 1989. It offers a range of care facilities that are designed to improve quality of life, from day care and in-patient care, through to symptom control for adults and terminal care. They also offer a wide range of complementary therapies. The hospice is a registered charity and is therefore largely responsible for its own funding.
To find out more about the Dove House Weekly Lottery, contact (01482) 785 785, or visit www.dovehouse.org.uk
