Redesigning B2B comms strategy for a 150-year-old charity

Charity Link provides essential items to people experiencing financial hardship across Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire.

Founded in 1876, it works with a network of more than 250 charities and community organisations to help people access beds, school uniforms, white goods and emergency support.

As it approached its 150th anniversary, the charity was adapting to increasing need in one of the most challenged fundraising environments in its history.

Priorities included modernising delivery, developing income through social enterprise, and bringing additional skills onto its Board.

Communications planning was needed to explain Charity Link's role as a leading regional delivery partner while maintaining dialogue with longstanding supporters.

1284 Communications founder George Oliver joined Charity Link as a trustee in 2019 and became Chair in 2024.

His involvement initially combined communication strategy expertise with an active governance role, working alongside the charity’s leadership and marketing team.

George used the final assignment of his MSc in Strategic Leadership to develop a digital optimisation strategy to drive leads to the charity's Trust Admin social enterprise. He went on to chair its Trust Admin sub-committee.

After becoming Chair, George helped plan communications around the leadership transition, sequencing internal briefings before a public announcement at a supporter event.

1284's work on innovation and change inspired the priorities of his first year as Charity Link gained Cyber Essentials Plus status, launched an AI Working Group and developed a new Associate Trustee role to encourage young professionals onto the Board.

Charity Link seamlessly managed a refresh of its Board, as the arrival of new trustees gave experienced colleagues the opportunity they had requested to step back from board duties.

Meanwhile, work began on communicating Charity Link's status as an expert delivery partner for Government-funded and philanthropic programmes, as Lauren Cropper used assignments for her post-graduate PR Diploma to develop a corporate comms plan promoting available support.