16 April 2020

Newspapers Celebrate Readers And Charities During Coronavirus

National, regional and local newspapers are supporting charities and readers during the coronavirus outbreak highlighting the important role of trusted, quality journalism.

Whether raising awareness of aid and services available to vulnerable citizens, calling for charitable donations or celebrating local heroes for their hard work, newspapers provide an essential service to the public in times of emergency.

Launching yesterday, Pot of Gold run by Bullivant Media, calls for rainbow pictures from readers children to show support for the NHS. The campaign has  already received nearly 500 rainbow pictures from local children.  

The Daily Mirror has launched ‘Protect us’ campaign demanding PPE for all NHS staff on the frontline. To ensure that more people do not lose their lives to the virus, the news brand is calling on government to provide more PPE to NHS staff, carers, cleaners, porters, transport workers and anyone at risk.

Cambridge Live has increased it’s Cambridgeshire Coronavirus Community Fund target to £1 million, after surpasing it’s original £300,000 target. The campaign will see funds go to projects to help older and vulnerable people affected by the coronavirus crisis.

Essex Live has celebrated 50 community heroes across 10 pages of its edition shining a light on those who are helping to make life more bearable during Coronavirus. The heroes range from a virtual choir, teachers providing online recorder lessons, volunteers at foodbanks, fundraisers and those behind rainbows appearing on walls and floors. 

Newsquest’s Southern Daily Echo has helped raise more than £100,000 for an NHS campaign to support the mental and physical wellbeing of the staff at University Hospital Southampton. 

The Times Charity Appeal is raising money for two charities working to help some of the people hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The first is the Big Issue Foundation works to help vendors by linking them to specialist support for their health, any addictions, managing their money, accommodation and their plans for the future. The second is Family Action, a 150-year old charity that provides practical, financial and emotional support to families experiencing poverty, disadvantage and social isolation. Last year it helped 60,000 families.

UK publishers have donated advertising space to support the NHS Charities Together appeal. A new campaign #onemillionclaps has been launched to raise money for NHS staff and volunteers who are working hard to save lives during the COVID-19 crisis. Thirty six #onemillionclaps adverts (as of today) ran in the Evening Standard, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Daily Star, Daily Express, Observer, Metro and all the participating regional newspapers and will continue to run in the coming days. The advertising space was donated by the news brands.

Comedian and author Tony Hawks has recorded a new song, called Lockdown, and is using it to raise awareness of the Telegraph’s Coronavirus Appeal. All proceeds from the appeal go to the national poverty charity Turn2us, which is providing emergency grants for people in the UK who have been hardest hit financially by the Covid-19 crisis. In just under two weeks, the Telegraph appeal has raised over £700,000 for Turn2us.

 

Last week, JPI Media ran the #healthheroes campaign which shone a light on not only on front line health workers but also other vital key roles from carers and shop workers to refuse collectors and bus drivers.

Jeremy Clifford, JPI Media editor-in-chief, said: “We have heard so many great stories of key workers who are continuing to work that we wanted to pay tribute to these in a big statement across our portfolio of products.”

LeicestershireLive has launched £250k Covid-19 hardship fund to support communities and vulnerable people suffering extreme hardship due to the coronavirus lockdown. 

The LeicestershireLive There With You Fund has been established by the Leicester Mercury, Charity Link and the Randal Charitable Foundation and will offer small grants, in the form of vouchers and household goods, to provide everyday items to vulnerable people.