PR Briefing Sheet – Need to Sleep campaign
This document will provide you with all the tools and information you need for your own press activity in
support of StepChange Debt Charity’s Need to Sleep campaign including:
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Campaign introduction
Quotes
National, regional and local debt stats
Supporting the campaign – call to action
Campaign tools including infographic
Campaign introduction
On 22nd September, StepChange Debt Charity will be launching its Need to Sleep campaign, which
will run until the end of the year.
The central purpose of the campaign is to help the millions of people struggling to sleep at night
because of money worries by letting them know that they are not alone, and encouraging them to take
positive action to deal with the causes of their financial problems.
Previous research by the charity found that 74 percent of clients said that worrying about debt
problems had affected their sleep and 64 percent said it led to mood swings. Yet 50 percent of our
clients stated they had waited a year before seeking debt advice.
The charity is partnering with other organisations such as Relate, Mental Health Foundation and
Shelter to highlight the wider problems that debt and sleep problems can cause, and to offer support
and solutions.
National, regional and local debt stats
National stats
To support the campaign, the charity has commissioned research from YouGov, the results of which
are embargoed until Monday 22nd September.
If you would like to receive a copy of the press release, please email press@stepchange.org
Regional and local stats
The charity will also be releasing regional data on debt and sleep problems, and its latest local debt
statistics. This information is embargoed until Monday 6th October.
If you would like a copy of the press release, please email press@stepchange.org, mentioning which
local area you would like to receive information for.
Quotes
We have provided a number of quotes that you can use in your press activity.
StepChange Debt Charity’s chief executive, Mike O’Connor
“Millions of people are being kept awake due to money problems. Money worries can impact on every
aspect of a person’s life, from mental health problems, to relationship difficulties and to being able to do a
good job at work. Reaching out for help to deal with financial problems can be a difficult thing to do, but
people do not need to struggle alone. Free, expert and independent advice is available
from StepChange Debt Charity.”
The following quotes were collected from StepChange Debt Charity clients in September 2014. We asked
our clients how their money worries affected their ability to sleep before seeking debt advice.
“I had restless nights, and the interest on my loan when I was younger meant I was stressed and getting
very angry with my own family.” – Ben, London
"I used to lay there at night worrying about my next bill, the food shopping or just whether I could afford to
live my life." – Leanne, Derbyshire
“I would be stressing all night and then the next day I’d be snappy with my daughter because I just
couldn’t find that balance.” – Vanessa, Yorkshire
“I had many sleepless or sleep disturbed nights worrying about my financial difficulties.” – Gary,
Hertfordshire
Supporting the campaign – call to
action
For the Need to Sleep campaign, we have designed
an interactive online platform to help people realise
how losing sleep over money could be affecting other
areas of their life, and what they can do about it.
For any activity, please ensure that the link to the
online tool is included:
As a standalone web address to be used in press
releases:
www.needtosleep.org
As a web address behind a text link:
http://www.stepchange.org/needtosleep
Campaign tools
Your PR toolkit contains the Are money
worries keeping you awake at night?’ logo to
use in all your activity – this will have been
downloaded alongside this briefing sheet.
From Monday, 22nd September a series of
mini infographics will be made available. To
receive these please email
press@stepchange.org
Any questions?
If you would like to speak to a member of
the StepChange Debt Charity team about
your PR work for this campaign, feel free to
contact our press office on:
press@stepchange.org
0207 391 4598