Press Release from RIBI

February 2004

IPR PRide AWARD FOR ROTARY STROKE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland’s Stroke Awareness Campaign has won a prestigious Institute of Public Relations IPR PRide Award 2003/4 for Best Charity or Non-Profit Campaign. The award was presented, on February 12th at a gala awards dinner at the Runnymede Hotel, Egham, to Judith Diment of JD PR who managed the public relations programme on behalf of Rotary.

The twelve month Rotary Stroke Awareness Campaign ran from July 2002 – June 2003. High blood pressure is the largest single preventable cause of Stroke and the campaign was in support of The Stroke Association.

The focus of the campaign was a Blood Pressure Awareness Day in April 2003. More than 1000 Rotary Clubs organised a record number of 130,000 blood pressures checks on one day, gaining an entry in the Guinness Book of Records.

The media coverage for the project reached a potential audience in excess of 60 million and included 1000 media stories. £65,000 was raised in England and Wales and additional funds were raised in Scotland and Ireland. 500,000 promotional leaflets were distributed to the public by Rotary Clubs.
The project had the intangible benefit of identifying symptoms which could save lives. There were numerous requests from doctors, the public and Rotarians to make this an annual event. Rotary will be organising Blood Pressure Awareness days on April 2nd and 3rd this year.

Judith Diment comments ‘We are delighted that this campaign has been recognised by the IPR as it captured the imagination of the public and the media and clearly illustrates Rotary at its best, providing service to local communities.’

Contact: Judith Diment Telephone 01628 672965 or 07860 162313 judithdiment@aol.com

Notes to Editors:
1. Rotary International, a non-profit organization, has 1.2 million members in some 31,000 Rotary clubs in 166 countries. The main objective of the organization is service – in the community and throughout the world. As volunteers, members of Rotary implement projects that meet community needs, build goodwill and peace and encourage high ethical standards in all vocations. A Rotary Club is open to men and women who are business, professional or community leaders who want to use their experience for the benefit of others. In Great Britain and Ireland there are 59,000 members in 1835 clubs.

2. For general information on Rotary in your area, contact the local Rotary Club President, details from Robin Freeman, Secretary Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland: 01789 765411, www.rotary-ribi.org