Association of Police Authorities
Connect was appointed by the Association of Police Authorities (APA) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to help secure a favourable funding settlement from the government in 2005/06. Connect devised and implemented a media and public affairs strategy underpinned with strong messages on the threat to local policing and "bobbies on the beat"...
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This strategy generated extensive national, regional and local media coverage by organising a major lobby of parliament as a media hook to maximise public, parliamentary and media interest.
Through briefing key journalists, providing different angles to the story as 'exclusives', advance coverage was gained in the Sunday papers. Connect Media then built momentum by negotiating interview opportunities with key 'agenda setting' media sources that are known to have most impact on political decision makers.
Interviews took place on the parliamentary lobby day with The Today Programme on BBC Radio 4, the Nicky Campbell Breakfast Show on Radio 5 Live, the BBC 1 Breakfast Show, Sky News and BBC News 24. We also worked with the BBC 1 lunchtime news team for an extended news feature. There was further coverage in both tabloids and broadsheets following the lobby.
Connect provided briefings and materials for local police authorities and constabularies. Extensive media coverage was gained in regional and local media.
The campaign mobilised parliamentarians, giving the issue a consistently high political profile and forcing the Home Office to delay its announcement by several weeks in order to reassess the position and negotiate for additional funding from the Treasury and across government. It was generally acknowledged that the lobbying campaign had strengthened the hand of Home Office Ministers in these discussions.
In the settlement, funding increased by 750 million, a 6.7% increase when 3% was predicted. Then Home Secretary David Blunkett said: "we have listened to the Association of Police Authorities and the Association of Chief Police Officers and are putting substantial extra cash directly into police forces."
British Association for Adoption and Fostering
Communicating through the media was a key component of Connect's award-winning public affairs campaign with the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF). It won the Institute for Public Relations' prestigious 'Best Public Affairs Campaign' award in 2003...
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The award recognises a campaign that promotes relationships between national and local government, government agencies, opinion formers and the public.
The campaign successfully secured an amendment to the Adoption and Children's Bill, allowing unmarried couples to adopt children.
Connect developed a communications strategy to position adoption by unmarried couples as an issue of children's rights and welfare and to distance it from any controversy surrounding gay rights and the relevance of the institution of marriage. Through building contacts with key journalists and communicating our messages effectively, we ensured favourable front-page media coverage, to turn the campaign in favour of our client.
Connect helped BAAF to focus attention on the central issue at stake in the Bill: increasing the number of potential adopters to the benefit of children in foster care. This sensitive media campaign, alongside the briefing of Ministers and officials, shored up support among MPs, identified and developed Parliamentary champions and, importantly, secured a cross-party amendment allowing a free vote on the issue.
The initial success in the Commons was overturned by the Lords. BAAF successfully won support from the Government to return the issue to the Upper House for a second vote. Close work with Peers and an eleventh-hour press conference contributed to a well-attended House of Lords vote and, on this occasion, the clause on adoption by unmarried couples was not thrown out.
Connect Public Affairs and Connect Media took the issue, which the Government was initially against, and secured its successful progress through both Houses of Parliament. The Bill now has royal assent and this new provision will benefit a large number of children and will have important implications for the legal rights of unmarried and gay couples.
Core Cities Group
Connect is retained by the Core Cities Group (comprising the cities of Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Nottingham, Birmingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds) to manage their party conference requirements...
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Connect worked with Leeds City Council on the Core Cities Summit 2005 - Cities Mean Business - which took place in July 2005. The 2005 Summit focused on the role that business can play in urban renaissance. Chaired by Adam Boulton, Sky's Political Editor the Summit heard speeches from Rt. Hon David Miliband MP, Minister for Communities and the Rt Hon. Hilary Benn MP, and included discussion and debate on issues concerning 'Creating City Renaissance'; Creating Skills - Creating Futures; Creating Innovation and New Ideas and Connectivity - Getting Cities to Work. The conference featured an extensive exhibition and attracted a significant amount of revenue in sponsorship and was attended by 450 delegates. As always the Summit was preceded by the Core Cities Annual VIP Dinner and delegate reception.
Connect also worked with Newcastle City Council to organise the 2003 Core Cities Summit in Newcastle- Cities taking the lead. The Summit celebrated the leading role our cities play in driving the forward the urban renaissance. Cities taking the lead built on the success of the Urban Summit and highlighted each Core City's commitment to the goal of developing a distinctive European identity as a means to deliver strong regional economies and national competitiveness. It detailed the significant work undertaken by the Joint Working Group with Government, and culminated in the launch of the Core Cities substantive report. The Summit showcased the huge potential our cities have in harnessing and opening-up greater opportunities for all individuals, communities and regions.
Connect advised on the conference and conference format, programme and contents. We identified and sourced the speakers who included: the Rt Hon John Prescott MP, Deputy Prime-Minister; David Lunts, then ODPM, Matthew Taylor, then IPPR and Nick Clarke, BBC World at One. Five symposia were held on: Cities taking the lead in the English Regions; Knowledge Driven Economy; Transport; Europe and Sport and Culture. Speakers included Ivan Lewis MP, DFES; Loyd Grossman; Tony Grayling, IPPR; Stephen Clarke, SRA; Mike Fawcett, Department of Transport and Peter Hewitt, Arts Council. Five City Tours were held on the first day together with a reception at the Baltic and dinner at St James Park which were held in the evening. Connect secured sponsorship for the dinner from the Manchester Airport Group.
In 2002, Connect worked with Manchester City Council to organise the 2002 Core Cities Summit in Manchester. Cities at the Centrefocused on the critical role that Britain's major cities, outside London, play in boosting the competitiveness of their regions and, in turn, the competitiveness of the national economy as a whole. The Summit took place at a time when the Core Cities were beginning to consolidate their work to enrich the urban policy debate. The 2002 Core Cities Summit provided an important opportunity for all stakeholders to participate in and contribute to this debate.
Department for Communities and Local Government,
Neighbourhood Renewal Unit
Connect have been contracted by the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit (NRU), based within the Department for Communities and Local Government, to organise and manage their events based programme for a three year period...
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Our work with the NRU, focusing on building stronger and safer communities, involves managing a programme of circa. 12 events per annum ranging from national two-day conferences for over 500 people, to smaller conferences catering for 100-180 people and a series of regional tours and seminars ranging from 30 to 80 people. One of the larger event we organised in 2005 was the National Wardens' Conference which proved a huge success and provided the opportunity for the Warden practitioners and related stakeholders to come together to share best practice and learn from each others experiences. Over 500 delegates attended the two day event which included a combination of interactive plenary and workshop sessions. The conference also included the National Warden Achievement Awards which took place the evening before the main conference at a special pre-conference awards dinner.
Dolphin Square Trust Ltd
The controversial sale of Dolphin Square, London's best known housing estate, provoked strong media interest from the outset...
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Well known for its handful of politically influential and famous residents, combined with lower than market rents, the square was built to provide accommodation in Central London that was affordable to those who worked in the area. It has remained the home of MPs and Peers, as well as teachers, retailers and those in the entertainment industry.
Since 2004, Connect Media has provided strategic advice and day-to-day support for joint lease holder and vendor of the Square, the Dolphin Square Trust Ltd, throughout a complicated and sensitive sale process.
Connect ensured that by adopting a well-planned and intelligent approach to media contact, drawing upon the principles of crisis management media activity took careful account of the sensitivity of the issues for, and implications to, current tenants of the square. Behind the scenes, Connect managed complicated relationships with the key stakeholders involved in the sale process including joint vendor, Westminster City Council, the successful bidder, Westbrook, as well as each vendor's sales agent and solicitors. Connect ensured the trust's media messages remained at the forefront through press releases and the media contact pursued jointly between Westbrook, Westminster and the Trust that was stipulated in the conditions of the sale contract.
Connect provided the Trust with a 24/7 point of contact for journalists. Enquiries were dealt with from local, regional, national and trade media. Connect placed a high priority on full consultation with the trust and acted as a liaison with the other two stakeholders to ensure that enquiries were responded to promptly and that the responses effectively conveyed the views of the Trust.
Eurocities 2006 Conference and AGM
The 2006 EUROCITIES Conference and AGM, 'Knowledge Cities: Villes du Futur', provided a platform to discuss how cities can benefit from the opportunities presented by the knowledge economy, as well as finding solutions to the challenges it creates. It enabled the participants to examine what it means to be a knowledge city and explore some of the key issues we face around competitiveness, sustainability and social inclusion...
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The theme of the conference 'Knowledge Cities: Villes du Futur' was the knowledge economy and how cities contributed to the delivery of the Lisbon Strategy's objectives of making Europe the most competitive, knowledge based economy in the world with more and better jobs and increased social cohesion by 2010. The conference'took place against the background of an increasing recognition of the significant role that cities play in the delivery of European Union and Member State policy objectives and at a time when Member governments are beginning to implement their Lisbon National Reform Programmes.
The conference examined what it really meant to create a 'Knowledge' and how cities could work to convert intellectual activity and creativity into economic activity in a way that includes all citizens. It demonstrated how cities could lead the way in improving the economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability and social cohesion of Europe and would provide an opportunity for the leaders of Europe's major cities to share, in dialogue with EU decision-makers and other stakeholders, knowledge, experience and ideas on how to successfully develop the knowledge economy at the local level. Above all, the conference'aimed'to inspire delegates.
The conference took place between 22nd and 25th November 2006 in Manchester. For a full run down of the programme and all other information, please look at the Eurocities website www.eurocities2006.com. The keynote speaker at this conference was Rt Hon Ruth Kelly MP, Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government along with a host of other speakers including'Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council and President of EUROCITIES, Catherine Parmentier, Chief Executive Officer, EUROCITIES, Dr Cathy Garner, Chief Executive of Manchester: Knowledge Capital, Danuta H'bner, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Alexander Sakkers, Mayor of Eindhoven, Caroline Jenner, Chief Executive of Ja-Ye Europe, Michel Delebarre, President of the Committee of the Regions.
ICI Chlor
Objective: Connect was appointed to advise chemicals producer ICI Chlor on a strategy to reduce its exposure to the proposed new Climate Change Levy (CCL). The CCL was designed to encourage large energy users to reduce consumption. As an intensive user of electrical energy, ICI Chlor faced a potential annual levy of around 18 million...
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Method: Following examination of both the proposed CCL and our client's energy usage we developed the argument "energy is our raw material". The case was made that ICI Chlor would be unable to reduce the consumption of electricity used as a raw material in its manufacturing process; energy savings could be made only on electricity used to facilitate the process.
Connect advised ICI Chlor how to effectively communicate its case to Government Ministers and officials. However, it was the wider public affairs activity undertaken by Connect that was successful in highlighting the potential impact of the levy, demonstrating the strength of opposition and influencing the final Government decision.
Some of the key tools of successful communication that Connect utilised included:
Researching and communicating the local and regional impact of the possible ending of operations by our client in Runcorn as a consequence of the CCL
Developing links with MPs, locally and nationally, to improve recognition of ICI Chlor and its important contribution to the UK
Recruiting local users of our client's end products to reinforce our message and lobby their MPs for an exemption
Working closely with ICI Chlor's public relations advisers to plan and execute a media campaign, focused on national and trade press, explaining the need for an exemption
Working with the Chemical Industries Association to design a co-ordinated industry-wide response to the CCL
Result: As a consequence of this programme of activity, the Government accepted ICI Chlor's case for a raw material exemption. The company's estimated Climate Change Levy bill was reduced from €18 million to around €330,000 per year.
Migration Alliance
Demonstrating the positive impact migration has had on British life has never been so urgent. Bringing together like-minded organisations to play an active role in communicating the contribution made to our society and economy by migrants can only help to inform the public debate on migration...
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The Migration Alliance is a forum for employers, trade unions and other organisations who want to counter the misplaced negativity surrounding migration in the UK and promote the benefits migration has brought to our public services, culture and economy.
The Migration Alliance brings together a wide variety of organisations from across Government; the public sector; the private sector; the trade union movement; think tanks and other organisations to engage in an alliance to counter negative perceptions of, and demonstrate best practice in, migration policy. The Migration Alliance will actively contribute to the migration debate through recognising Britain's cultural diversity and mixed socio-economic basis.
On the 18th July 2006 Connect organised a successful debate for the Migration Alliance. In particular, this important policy conference highlighted the contribution migrant workers make to the UK economy and sought to dispel the myths about migration. The debate focused on the role that migrant workers play in the labour market and asked what more could be done to secure and protect migrant workers employment rights. It also looked at the role that migrants play in our communities and addressed how we can generate greater social cohesion and understanding whilst debating and discussing issues such as the impact of migration on public policies such as housing.
The keynote speaker was Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC, Minister of State, Constitutional Affairs and it was chaired by Peter Kellner, Chairman of YouGov, and Michael White, The Guardian. Other speakers included, Stephen Alambritis, Federation of Small Businesses, Steve Barnett, NHS Employers, Keith Best, Immigration Advisory Service, Dr Alessandra Buonfino, The Young Foundation, John Cruddas MP, Ram Gidoomal, The Employability Forum, Gloria Mills MBE, UNISON, Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, IPPR and Sukhvinder Stubbs, Barrow Cadbury Trust.
Parkinson's Disease Society
Connect works with the Parkinson's Disease Society, providing tailored political and parliamentary monitoring. Connect's services ensure that PDS is kept fully up-to-date with all political and parliamentary developments affecting not only issues specific to Parkinson's Disease, but the wider issues of health and social care...
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Our services include a parliamentary diary, outlining the business of both Houses of Parliament for the day ahead along with any other upcoming announcements of particular interest, which is sent by 9.30 am every day. Every Thursday, in the weeks that Parliament is sitting, PDS also receives a Weekly Business document setting out the Parliamentary Business for the following week. Added to this, Connect produces a Weekly Bulletin on Mondays setting out important upcoming political events and reports, with which they plan their future strategy.
Connect also comprehensively monitors all relevant activity in Parliament including parliamentary questions, Hansard speeches, adjournment debates, ministerial statements and departmental press releases. Connect also monitors press releases from a wide range of organisations of interest to PDS.
In addition, a political report is produced every fortnight. The report is produced in an easy-to-read format comprising short summaries of all information sent during the period and categorised to allow PDS to pinpoint specific areas of interest easily. The report also contains hyperlinks so that further information can be accessed on any given issue.
The Connect monitoring team offers an invaluable service to PDS by supplementing the monitoring service with detailed briefings and research on specific areas of interest, tailored biographies of Parliamentarians, and event support.
The team is also on hand to answer queries about parliamentary and political procedure, along with alerts on more general political announcements such as Government reshuffles which may have an impact on their work.
Public Utility Reform Group
The Public Utility Reform Group (PURGe) is a good example of Connect's innovative approach to generating public affairs activity and political support. To promote debate on the regulation of gas, electricity and water utilities and to secure changes to the regulatory system Connect formed PURGe - a lobbying coalition...
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PURGe succeeded in bringing together key stakeholders concerned about the future of utilities including, customers, employees and shareholders. PURGe was successful in terms of placing utility reform on the agenda. Its 1997 conference held immediately after the General Election provided the platform for the new Government to announce its White Paper proposals.
PURGe proved to be a useful vehicle to influence the Utilities Act, building resonance with decision makers on the basis of its stakeholder approach. PURGe is currently concentrating on its long- term campaign to influence the Water Bill.
Throughout the year a strategic programme of events and contact is progressed, including one-to-one briefings at Ministerial level, Parliamentary dinners and briefings, fringe meetings and symposiums and seminars involving key influencers.
To feed into the policy debate PURGe also commissions research. For example PURGe's jointly commissioned work by the New Policy Institute 'Energy and Water: the Dangers Ahead' fed into the policy making process and led to an increased level of contact and discussion with regulators, special advisers and Ministers. PURGe exemplifies Connect's stakeholder and partnership approach.
Thames Gateway London Partnership
Connect have worked with the Thames Gateway London Partnership (TGLP) over the last eight years, to raise the profile of the area, lobby for funding and achieve priority in policy making. Our ongoing work has incorporated a strategic events programme, stakeholder and government relations and where appropriate supportive local, regional and national media work...
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Our work with TGLP has involved a wide range of campaigns and projects including:
Lobbying for Transport infrastructure investment - CTRL, Crossrail including commitment to both Eastern branches, the Thames Gateway Bridge, DLR Extensions, East London and Greenwich Waterfront Transit, East London Line extensions, Community infrastructure projects.
Building support and promoting the vision for the Thames Gateway across Government Departments; achieving a greater understanding of cross cutting issues, particularly around community safety, education and skills, enterprise and business development.
Campaigning for funds from UK Government and EU: including Objective 2 and assisted area status, and continuing to monitor discussions in Europe regarding the new financial settlement; working towards a good settlement in the CSR 2007.
Raising the profile of flooding, particularly relating to the need for improved flood risk management for new housing developments.
Working to improve all aspects of the public realm, particularly additional funding for green spaces, and a new London Park.
Olympics 2012 - campaigning for the London Bid and particularly promoting the role of the local authorities in developing a planning framework and establishing a joint planning team.
Promoting sustainability and quality in design and for all new development
Establishing and servicing the Thames Gateway Parliamentary Group, including regular discussions with Ministers and an annual Parliamentary Reception
Organisation of a full range of events; Ministerial/political visits to key sites and projects, lectures, launches, seminars and events at the party political conferences.
TGLP is a sub-regional alliance of thirteen local authorities, the Universities of East London and Greenwich and the London Development Agency working together with the private sector and local communities to deliver the economic, physical and social regeneration of the Thames Gateway in London. TGLP includes Thurrock in the East of England area, and Connect have worked with TGLP to support the establishment of the Thurrock UDC, and now the London UDC as well as a range of other delivery vehicles.
Our campaigning work with TGLP has built strong partnerships and support from a range of other partner and stakeholder organisations including local community groups, local employers, local partnerships, private sector partners, local Councillors, government and regional bodies as well as national influencers and decision makers.
The success of our work with TGLP can be measured by the following achievements; the area has been redefined as a national priority, the Government have given the Thames Gateway its own Minister, set up a cross departmental committee supported by a Thames Gateway Strategic Executive within the ODPM, given the Thames Gateway €446m to support regeneration and housing development. In the same period the Mayor of London, GLA and LDA have all recognised the importance of the Thames Gateway in their strategies and work programmes.
UNISON [1]
Connect has worked with UNISON, the public services union, for over 15 years to support the union across the UK...
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Connect provides a high level of political and media intelligence in the form of a fully tailored monitoring service to the union's officers, covering over thirty individuals, each with a different policy brief. Our monitoring team provides a bedrock information service ensuring that UNISON officers have the most up-to-date political and Parliamentary information at their fingertips. Hansard speeches, adjournment debates, ministerial statements, departmental press releases, and parliamentary questions are all carefully monitored and sent to the relevant individual.
Our consultancy team works with key officers to ensure that UNISON's messages are timely and relevant and that opportunities highlighted through the monitoring programme are effectively and strategically exploited. The team develops a core programme of activity with officers, but is also able to respond to changing political circumstances to provide campaigning advice and resources. The Connect team also advises UNISON on Bill work and legislative process. Connect has worked with UNISON on high profile campaigns such as foundation hospitals, local government pensions and civil partnerships.
Connect has been instrumental in broadening UNISON's campaigning base, bringing together key stakeholders and champions to debate issues and agree actions. The Positively Public Forum, Public Utility Reform Group (PURGe) and the Migration Alliance are three such forums, put together with Connect's help, which enable UNISON to bring other influencers and decision makers to the table to raise the profile of issues important to its membership base.
UNISON [2]
Connect has been instrumental in assisting UNISON with establishing the Positively Public Forum coalition which brought together various organisations to take forward the debate on the future of the public services in Britain and to look at the role of PPP and PFI in service delivery...
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As part of the coalition's activities, Connect organised a series of seminars 'Building a World Class Workforce'; with a keynote address from Rt. Hon Stephen Byers MP, Secretary of State, DTLR; Building World Class Education Services, with a keynote address from Rt. Hon Estelle Morris MP, Secretary of State for Education and Skills and Building a World Class Health Service, with a keynote speech from Rt. Hon Alan Milburn MP, Secretary of State for Health.
Other speakers at the seminars included Alan Rusbridger, Editor, The Guardian; Matthew Taylor, Director, IPPR; Michael Jacobs, Director, The Fabian Society; Dave Prentis, General Secretary, UNISON; Bharti Patel, former Director, Low Pay Unit; Prof. John Benington, Director, Warwick Institute of Governance & Public Management; Conor Ryan, former Government Adviser and Margaret Mythen, Chief Executive, The 'New Health Network. The World Class Public Services series became an important forum for policy makers in the UK. (2001-2003). Connect are currently working with UNSION on the re-launch of the Positively Public Campaign (November 2005 - present).
UNITE
As one of the country's largest pensioner organisations, representing over 100,000 members, the long-term aim for UNITE has been to position its General Secretary Roger Turner as a major national spokesperson on pensions and key issues facing its membership...
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The challenge for Connect was to ensure that UNITE - which started from a relatively low media profile - was positioned in the media's consciousness at each stage of the process.
Because UNITE represents occupational pensioners rather than current employees, Connect worked with the federation to present it as a unique voice on pensions issues. For example, research carried out by UNITE showed that members of occupational pension schemes needed to be saving 16% of their income (through a combination of employer and employee contributions) in order to enjoy a comfortable standard of living in retirement.
In the days leading up to the publication of the Turner Report, Connect Media assisted in developing this message, ensuring UNITE had something different to say on a day when anyone with an interest in pensions would be seeking media coverage. Armed with the key messages, Connect presented UNITE spokespersons to journalists from national, local, and specialist media. This resulted in coverage in a range of industry and trade publications as well as the Financial Times and a round of prime-time regional BBC radio interviews.
By working closely with UNITE, using the organisation's specialist knowledge to shape messages and to build relationships with journalists, Connect Media established UNITE's General Secretary as a spokesperson on pension and older people's issues.
