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This is a fictional press release example, names are made up for demonstration purposes
Press Release
<Insert date of sending here>
<Insert headline here, remember to make it quite catchy. E.g:
Mackie pupils donate thousands of pounds to local charity>
In the first paragraph you want to let the reporter know very briefly what is happening / what
has happened without going into too much detail. You want to hook them so they read on.
Remember the ‘who/what/where/why/when’. This paragraph could read something like:
“Pupils at Mackie Academy held their Youth and Philanthropy Initiative final last night (insert
date) where £3,000 was granted to local charity Home-Start Kincardine.”
Not everyone knows what YPI is, so after the first paragraph it is good to give them an outline
of what it is before going on to speak about anything else. This could look something like:
The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) is a programme currently delivered in 143 secondary
schools in Scotland by the The Wood Foundation. Each school selects a year group to deliver
the programme (between S2-S6) which is then split into teams. Each team then researches a
local social service issue they feel passionate about and identify an appropriate local grassroots
charity. They then work together to create presentations and go through stages before the
finalists present in front of a panel of judges, where the group with the most discerning and
impassioned argument wins £3000 for their chosen charity. This year £429,000 will be donated
in total.
The next paragraph could go on to speak more specifically about your school & final. If anything
interesting happened, put it in here:
Mackie Academy has been taking part in the programme since it first began in Scotland in 2008
and it is delivered through the Guidance department. At the final last night, six teams took part
representing six local charities: Kincardine and Deeside Befriending, CLAN, RNLI, Milltown
Community, Home-Start Kincardine, and Penumbra. There was also musical entertainment
from ‘RockStamp’ band, a piper, and drama performances. On the judging panel there was;
John McJohnerson, Head of Parent Council, Henry McHenryson, local business owner, Cathy
McCatherson, representative from business partner, and Susan McSusanson, Head Teacher.
Trustees: Sir Ian Wood (Executive Chairman), Lady Helen Wood, Garreth Wood, Graham Good
The Wood Foundation, Scottish Registered Charity No. SC037957 is the Parent Charity of TWF Africa, registered in Scotland as a company limited by
guarantee and having charitable status. Company No. SC361033. Scottish Charity No. SC040580
You could put your school logo here
The winning team, Erin Black, Sarah White, Josh Brown and Greig Green impressed the judges
with their creative presentation about the work Home-Start Kincardine carry out and their
passion for the charity.
The next paragraph could then state something about the winning charity, for example:
Home-Start Kincardine is a voluntary organisation based in Stonehaven and is committed to
promoting the positive side to family life. They provide a free support service that is
confidential and the £3,000 will go towards training more volunteers in-order to continue
their work within the local community.
Perhaps then add a quote in here from either the charity, your teacher, someone from the
winning team. You will need someone to give you one of these. For example:
Name name, from Home-Start Kincardine said: “I’m incredibly happy that the pupils
representing Home-Start have won the £3,000 as it will help us so much in continuing the
work we do. All of the other teams were fantastic and I learnt so much about other charities
working in the area that I didn’t know about before. The presentation skills were great and
the judges must have had a tough job deciding the winner, but I am very grateful and proud
about who won.”
The total press release should be able to fit into one page. On the second page, include the
‘Notes for Editors’. These tell the reporter a bit more about the organisations spoken about in
the body of the press release. In this, you can include information about the charity, but if you
don’t know it / don’t feel comfortable writing it, it is best to leave it out rather than put
incorrect or misleading information. However information can usually be taken from their
website.
At the bottom of the press release it is good to have contact details of who has written the
press release and how a reporter can get in touch with them if they require further
information. For example:
For further information, please contact Neil Thompson, S5 pupil/teacher, Mackie Academy on:
Insert email address / phone number.
Trustees: Sir Ian Wood (Executive Chairman), Lady Helen Wood, Garreth Wood, Graham Good
The Wood Foundation, Scottish Registered Charity No. SC037957 is the Parent Charity of TWF Africa, registered in Scotland as a company limited by
guarantee and having charitable status. Company No. SC361033. Scottish Charity No. SC040580
You could put your school logo here
Notes for Editors
Youth and Philanthropy Initiative
The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) is an active citizenship programme that raises
awareness amongst young people about philanthropy. Scottish pupils taking part in YPI
work in small teams in their year groups, to consider the needs of their local community
and identify a grassroots social service charity they believe can make a positive
contribution. Having been guided on how to analyse the charity’s management and
strategy, they are encouraged to build relationships with the charity and then exercise
their skills in advocacy and public speaking to make a case as to why their proposed
charity should be awarded £3,000. During the 2014/15 academic year over 18,000
young people will participate in YPI Scotland, directing a total of £449,000 to local
charities.
The Wood Foundation: Principal Funder & Operational Manager of YPI Scotland
The Wood Foundation, Scottish Registered Charity No. SCO 37957 was established in
March 2007 by Sir Ian Wood and his family. The Wood Foundation is investing in two
portfolios of activity: Making Markets Work for the Poor – East Africa (75% of annual
investment) and Developing Young People in Scotland (25% of annual investment). The
Wood Foundation’s activities in East Africa are managed through WFT Africa, Company
No. SC361033 and Scottish Charity No. SC040580, which is a wholly owned subsidiary
of The Wood Foundation. The
Chairman of The Wood Foundation is Sir Ian Wood. The Trustees of the The Wood
Foundation and The Wood Foundation Africa are: Sir Ian Wood, Lady Helen Wood,
Garreth Wood and Graham Good.
Trustees: Sir Ian Wood (Executive Chairman), Lady Helen Wood, Garreth Wood, Graham Good
The Wood Foundation, Scottish Registered Charity No. SC037957 is the Parent Charity of TWF Africa, registered in Scotland as a company limited by
guarantee and having charitable status. Company No. SC361033. Scottish Charity No. SC040580