The British Red Cross has appointed the Queen's former press
secretary Charles Anson as its interim head of PR.
The appointment comes as the charity launches a hunt to fill the
newly-created role of director of communications, which replaces the
title of head of PR and gives board-level status to a communications
professional at the charity for the first time.
The head of PR role was previously held by three-year incumbent Beryl
Evans, who has joined the National Garden Scheme as its chief
executive.
Anson heads a 19-strong team and reports to CEO Sir Nicholas Young, who
created the director of communications role as part of a charity-wide
senior management review.
One of Anson's priorities will be to co-ordinate PR for the aid
organisation's latest fundraising campaign, for Afghanistan.
The charity aims to raise £1m to buy essential supplies for those
affected by the conflict as well as ploughing extra funds into the
International Red Cross's ongoing work in the area.
In the wake of the fall of Kabul, the charity hopes to step up its media
relations for the campaign as journalists gain more access.
Since the campaign launched on 27 September £650,000 has been
raised.
Anson was previously director of corporate communications at the Hilton
Group, but was made redundant in August. He joined the charity this week
and is expected to be in post for the next three months.
From 1990 to 1997 Anson was the Queen's press secretary. He has also
worked as a press aide to prime ministers Lord Callaghan and Lady
Thatcher.
Corporate communications at the Hilton Group is now being managed by PR
manager Tricia Field and IR head James Mason. Both report to group CEO
David Michels.
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