The ‘100 years on’ campaign, which will be launched in January, will emphasise the charity’s contemporary work and identity while attempting to highlight how Barnardo’s has kept its founder’s vision alive.
‘While we no longer run the orphanages of Victorian times, we do continue to nurture and provide opportunities for children through more than 350 specialised projects in local communities across the UK,’ said Barnardo’s media manager Elly Button.
The charity plans to use issues such as sexual exploitation of children to link its work today with problems that were present during Dr Barnardo’s lifetime. It hopes this link will provide a news hook for its fundraising drive to help child victims of sexual abuse and will raise awareness about the vulnerability of children to mobile phone and internet abuse. ‘The growth of technologies creates even more opportunities for the exploitation of children [than] were around 100 years ago,’ said Button.
The campaign will target national and regional media, as well as external and internal stakeholders and potential donors.
Local Barnardo’s groups will use ‘Centenary 2005’ logos, stickers, T-shirts and balloons to publicise their centenary events throughout the year. These include kids’ concerts as well as ‘100 themed fundraisers’ that call on the public to complete 100 metres of a chosen sport, do 100 things or become Barnardo’s 100th customer or supporter.
