Calling all clubs to get publicity for your events and Community Activity
Avid are up and running and a number of new press reports have been seen across the country over the last few months. Avid really want to hear from clubs who want assistance with publicity or have an event coming up they want to get some good coverage for. All you need to do is to send the brief details of the event to them at avidpr@41club.org and they will send you a draft press release for you to confirm before they submit to local media.

Membership Initiatives

There are now three press release templates for you to use in your local area available as downloads. These relate to the membership initiatives “Get One In”, “Bring ‘em Back” and “Phoenix” noted on the membership page. These will give you ideas but again all you need to do is to take the basic template, personalise it for your club and then send it to Avid who will check it and then submit on your behalf to local media.

The first press release, a 14 inch column with photograph of President Malcolm, has already appeared in the local Berwick newspapers and subsequent releases linking Malcolm with Ocean Youth Trust are now with media around the country and two articles have just been published in the Worcester News and Evesham Journal relating to the President’s walk http://www.eveshamjournal.co.uk/news/8239263.Club_president_to_pass_through_Pershore/

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/8240472.Marathon_man_hopes_for_good_reception/

National Council were advised at their recent Council meeting in Durham of other activity so far undertaken by Avid during their first month.

• Initial Press release agreed which is now being promoted
• New Blog for Malcolm www.thebigpresidentialwalk.blogspot.com to follow him on his forthcoming walk and to create a diary for his year
• Link established with Ocean Youth Trust
• Co-ordinating the publicity throughout the President’ Millenium Way Walk
• Facebook page created to link with younger members of 41 club and Table. The first 100 people linked on the site show 72% in the age bracket up to 54 which gives initial evidence that this is a worthwhile media (see link on front page of web site).
• Wikipedia page created and linked to Round Table and Round Table family pages. This will be extended with further information in due course.

During July a template for clubs to use both with membership related advertorial and community activity will be made available to all clubs and a letter sent to all clubs with ideas on PR activity.

National Executive is mindful of it's responsibility to always get the best deal for the Association that it can in all that we do. It is also mindful of the need to carefully manage and monitor projects of this kind. A PR management team is in place and KPI's have been identified so that evaluation of performance can be undertaken throughout the year and a comprehensive report on this key initiative can be made to the AGM in Ipswich. The National Executive reported on progress at the recent Council meeting in Durham* and is confident that for the sum of less than £10,000 for the year it has agreed a ‘value for money' contract with this young and enthusiastic PR team.

Any club wanting assistance or ideas for PR in their local community should contact Avid on avidpr@41club.org.

* National Council meetings are open meetings and Observers are always welcome. The next meeting is in Gormanston, Co. Meath, Ireland on 2nd October 2010