Mmd offers pro-bono PR to raise awareness of disadvantaged Russian children

Partners in Hope, a charity helping disadvantaged children in Russia, has announced that Mmd Consulting Company Eurasia LLC, a subsidiary of the international PR firm, Mmd Group (a Huntsworth Plc company) has become the charity's pro bono public relations provider in Russia.

Working exclusively in Russia since 1985 Partners in Hope has been providing financial and capacity building support to a diverse range of NGO's who are committed to providing alternatives to institutional care. Since 2005 they have run the Big and the Small Campaign which focused on building sustainable partnerships with local business. From February 2008, Mmd's Moscow-based PR team are providing pro-bono consultancy aimed at raising awareness of Partners in Hope key activities among media and local, and international, companies operating in Moscow and the Russian regions.

Mmd's Regional Director, Stephen Lock has joined the advisory board of Partners in Hope and will steer the strategy of the charity's PR campaign. 15 Mmd employees in Moscow have volunteered to conduct media relations, and other PR activities, on behalf of Partners in Hope and act as the charity's Russian press office.

Commenting on the new relationship, Martha Wansbrough, Director of Partners in Hope said: "This is an extraordinary opportunity for Partners in Hope to benefit from the experience and expertise of a PR firm, of the caliber of Mm in helping us raise awareness on the importance of integrating children with disability into mainstream life. The impact that our work can have with their guidance will be significantly enriched. "

Stephen Lock, Mmd Regional Director commented: "Partners in Hope offers children with physical and mental disabilities and the people who care for them real and accessible support and does this through engaging influencers to lead the debate and build partnerships between business and carefully selected projects. ;As such activities reflect in many ways aspects of our own work in the PR sector, we consider ourselves to be in an excellent position to help raise the profile of the charity and increase public awareness of its cause."

Now is a great time to be working in Russia and participating in Russia's economic renaissance and, like many international companies, we feel it appropriate to give some back to the country from which we derive so much success.
 
One of the main objectives Partners in Hope's PR initiative is to attract additional socially-responsible corporates and investors to its new programme of work. Following a research study which asked parents of disabled children, teenagers with disabilities and projects providing services for this group, a clear gap in provision of care is apparent. It was found that there are not enough teachers with special needs skills to reach the numbers of children and young people requiring support.  To address this Partners in Hope with its Russian partners, Centre for Curative Pedagogics, Big Change and Dobro will be launching a national programme of training to increase capacity and provision for this group. Companies supporting the initiative so far include Ernst & Young, Clifford Chance and Renaissance Group,

Other businesses with whom Partners in Hope works in Russia include law firms, Linklaters, White & Case and DLA, accounting firm, PWC, HSBC, SHELL, Chevron ,Shatura and Sistema.