Helping Caritas alleviate homelessness in Guernsey

The result:  

Our work has helped to establish Caritas as a leading voice in the local fight against homelessness and has brought their ambition closer to reality. Since we started working with Caritas we have: 

• Refreshed their website 

• Built on their social media presence 

• Publicised their aim to build modular housing in Guernsey 

• Established the key people in the local media 

• Started the process of vital fundraising 

The launch of Caritas’ aims for our community was the key milestone we were working towards, but good communications begins long before you speak to the media. We started by auditing Caritas’ online presence to make sure they had a dynamic website and social media channels that would be the first stop for anyone looking to learn more. Average engagement on social posts is now 112. A social media plan meant that there was consistent content aligned to the agreed messaging so that followers were engaged on a regular basis. Content moved from launching the brand, to sharing information on homelessness, to publicising their aims clearly.

When it was time to start talking about what Caritas wanted to achieve, we provided media training to prepare Chairman Graham Merfield for interviews with the media. This simulated a real media interview experience for Graham, which we’ve found is the very best way to prepare.  A press release delivered all of Caritas’ key messages in a strategically newsworthy story. The release grabbed the media’s attention and appealed to local audiences. The phones quickly started ringing as journalists were keen to interview Graham, and we used our long-held media relationships to leverage the best opportunities to maximise the story’s impact.  

The result was 23 pieces of coverage in the months following, encompassing TV, radio, digital, and print. All local media outlets covered the story, some several times, including The Guernsey Press, Bailiwick Express, Island FM, BBC Guernsey, Channel Eye, and ITV.   

Most vitally, within a week, Caritas received three offers of land from generous members of the community, demonstrating how effective comms can lead to real impact. We look forward to supporting Caritas on the next phase of its fundraising.  

We extended our support for Caritas by facilitating a partnership with Skipton International for ‘The Big Skipton Sleep Out’, taking place in January 2025. Keep an eye out for a future case study on how this community event goes. 

_{Orchard’s support has been transformative for Caritas. Their work in revitalising our image and expanding our social media presence has significantly increased community awareness. The media coverage and offers of help have been overwhelming. We’re deeply grateful for their dedication and expertise.}

_{Caritas Chairman, Graham Merfield}