The Channel Islands Group hosted several webinars aimed at equipping their members and the wider PR community to adapt and respond to a crisis. Their annual forum welcomed a line-up of expert speakers on the topic of communicating in a cyber crisis. As 2021 concluded, the Channel Islands group hosted the Jersey government for an exclusive discussion on the role PR practitioners can play in implementing Jersey’s carbon neutral roadmap.
The East Anglia Group bolstered their numbers with 40 new members and increased their total to nearly 400 members. Building on the previous year they supported members with 11 Connect events, seven ‘Lunch and Learn’ skills workshops on a wide range of topics that covered web, video, personal brand for LinkedIn, planning and research, as well as wellbeing and top tips for job hunting.
Throughout spring, they dedicated their attention to launching their virtual Best PRactice Bitesize Conference. They welcomed a diverse range of speakers who provided pro bono support to lead stimulating and challenging sessions that included digital and social media strategy, change management, PR stunts, and a special press briefing on the challenges of reporting on a global health pandemic that they co-hosted with CIPR Health.
Watch the CIPR East Anglia Year in Review
Responding to the increased demand for awareness and expertise surrounding the climate crisis, the Midlands Group launched a five-month series of events to equip PR professionals with expertise in communicating sustainability and turning climate ambitions into a reality.
While pandemic restrictions prevented the Midlands PR Conference from taking place, the committee hosted a series of virtual events themed around the Sustainability of Communications Festival, while the OpenMIC forum for independent practitioners went from strength-to-strength. The second annual CIPR Midlands and University of Wolverhampton Lecture with Katrina Marshall focused on diversity and equality of opportunity within the PR profession, while social events included the CIPR Midlands PRide Awards celebration party and a pioneering virtual 'petworking' event with the PDSA.
Building on their efforts from 2020, the North East Group supported their members through a challenging year via an array of online events. The Strategic Communication Forum - ‘Comms Beyond Covid’ - placed strategy at the heart of their approach in 2021. As well as providing expert speakers, virtual events provided a platform for effective collaboration as group members and attendees debated topics such as the impact leaders can have in PR, how to deal with and manage tragic events, and the journey from Communications Officer to CEO.
The Northern Ireland Group provided another year of value for members by hosting 730 delegates at 20 events throughout 2021. The ‘Meet the Media’ events created opportunities for members to receive expert advice from leading media personalities including the BBC and Bauer Media. Throughout the year the group continued to engage members with events on the topic of public affairs and lobbying.
CIPR Scotland delivered a series of events, programmes and campaigns in 2021 to address issues and respond to challenges members faced. In response to COVID-19, they launched the ‘Here To Help’ campaign – a programme which engaged 950 PR practitioners via 28 online events and supported members with advice on post-pandemic business, political and media landscapes in Scotland.
They sought to address the boardroom skills gap in Scotland by introducing a leadership CPD events programme to support mid-level and senior practitioners. CIPR Scotland members met boardroom leaders and top academics alongside experts from AMEC and the Good Governance Institute.
Since 2018, CIPR Scotland has given young members a voice in the industry with its Future Leaders programme to build their networks, learn from industry leaders and hone leadership skills. With many Scottish internship and graduate programmes cut during the pandemic, the 2021 programme responded by supporting over 250 young people through 6 early-career CPD events and engagement with 6 colleges and universities across Scotland. They also supported the #NoWrongPath social media movement, to highlight diverse career paths to young people leaving school.
The group launched the Scottish PR industry’s first-ever D&I advisory group to bring together diverse voices to improve diversity and champion inclusion.
The Wessex Group strengthened relationships with local universities and paved the way for the future of our profession by hosting a ‘Meet the Professionals’ events in partnership with Bournemouth and Southampton Solent University. Building on 2020, they continued to thrive and provide member support through an active independent practitioners’ network and a series of webinars with leading professionals, including a BBC News reporter, a CEO who led comms during the Salisbury Poisonings and many more.
Back to Groups