St Mungo’s delighted at being shortlisted for Excellence Award

17 June 2010

St Mungo's is delighted at being shortlisted for the Chartered Institute for Public Relations (CIPR) Excellence Award in the not-for-profit organisation category.

The charity was recognised, alongside specialist agency Insight, for its 2009 campaign - Down and Out? Breaking the link between mental ill health and homelessness.

The campaign was three-fold: a national call for evidence about the links between mental ill health and homelessness, which led to more than 90 submissions and a final report called Down and Out?; a research project by 12 St Mungo's clients interviewing their peers about homelessness and mental ill health, resulting in a report Happiness Matters; which was part of St Mungo's own submission to the call for evidence; and an appeal to raise £1 million for the charity's mental health services.

The clients who helped gather the evidence all used St Mungo's services and had their own histories of homelessness. They helped decide the survey's questions and were trained in interview skills so that they felt confident interviewing other homeless people.

St Mungo's uses this peer research approach because it ensures that the research addresses the issues homeless people think are important to them, while developing clients' individual skills on their road to recovery.

The results of the CIPR awards were announced at a ceremony last night. Though the overall award in the category went to the Prostate Cancer Charity for its awareness month, St Mungo's was one of only eight finalists shortlisted in the category.

Tanya English, St Mungo's Executive Director of Fundraising and Communications, said: "We are thrilled that all the hard work put in by our client researchers and campaigners, and our communications and fundraising teams has been recognised. We wanted to ensure the voices of the most excluded people in Britain today were listened to in the heart of government and the NHS, and our campaign helped to make this happen.

"Being shortlisted for this award helps promote the work we do for homeless people and all the work homeless people do to help themselves."

This year, St Mungo's Action Week campaign, Just the Job, (20-27 June) is about supporting homeless people on their journey into work. Why not join our Action Week sponsored walk on Sunday 20 June starting and finishing at St John's Church, Waterloo.

ENDS

Notes to editor

  • For more information please contact Audrey Thompson, St Mungo's media officer, on 020 8762 5570 or email Audrey.Thompson@mungos.org
  • Read more about the CIPR Excellence Awards
  • St Mungo's opens doors for homeless people. Mainly based in London and the South, we provide emergency accommodation, support towards recovery and helping to prevent rough sleeping. We run over 100 projects and help thousdands of people make life changes every year.

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