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HOME · CHARITIES
Helping charities amplify their voice and increase their impact.
Charities operate in an increasingly challenging environment. Competition for attention, funding and public trust has never been greater, while increased scrutiny means every communication matters.
Media First helps charities communicate with clarity, confidence and credibility. Whether you're raising awareness, engaging stakeholders, managing reputational risks, preparing spokespeople for media interviews or developing communication capability across your organisation, we provide practical support tailored to your mission and objectives.
COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES
Making your voice heard.
Charities exist to make a difference. But achieving impact requires more than a worthy cause. It requires people to understand, support and engage with your mission.
From fundraising campaigns and public awareness initiatives to leadership communication, media engagement and crisis preparedness, effective communication plays a vital role in helping charities achieve their goals.
We help charities create communication strategies, develop confident spokespeople, prepare for scrutiny and build lasting communication capability across their organisations.
Trusted by charities across the world
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Media First has provided excellent training for our spokespeople at Cancer Research UK. The trainers are experienced journalists and broadcasters who explain how TV, radio and newspapers work and demonstrate the best ways of getting our messages successfully across in a wide range of media outlets."
Sally Staples, Senior Press Office Manager, Cancer Research UK
As CEO, I’ve done a lot of training in my time. But this media and crisis course was the best I’ve ever done, and the most I’ve ever got out of a training session. I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
As I had to leave my training early, Media First quickly arranged a follow up session. In between, I did a radio interview which I was then able to review with the tutor during the 2nd session. The training gave me great self-awareness on camera and it’s been a huge boost to my confidence when engaging with the media. We’re now booking some social media training with Media First to help raise our profile and reach a wider audience."
Richard Whitby, Chief Executive Officer
Thank you so much for organising the media training for our group. We were delighted with it, and agree it is one of the most valuable experiences we have had in terms of training for our job. The whole group was enthused and you could see them 'growing' in front of your eyes on the day. I personally was delighted to find the trainers were journalists who are truly at the top of their game and that really impressed me. Once we stopped being 'star-struck' we were able to settle down, thanks to their down- to- earth style. They are real pros and between them, the atmosphere, location, friendly welcome and lunch it made for a truly unforgettable day."
Krystyna McGrath, Press Officer, The Dogs Trust
A valuable media training workshop which enabled senior leaders to learn, build confidence and gain experience in a safe space. Media first were incredibly supportive from the design and delivery of our workshop through to the individualised feedback they gave, and provided us with a variety of resources to help our leaders embed their learning.
A pleasure to work with Media First."
Leah Goodwin. Director of People and Organisation Development, L&Q
FAQS
Frequently asked questions.
Do you work with charities of all sizes?
Yes. We support a wide range of organisations, from local and regional charities to some of the UK's best-known charitable brands.
Whether you're looking to strengthen communications within a small team or develop organisation-wide communication capability, we can tailor our support to your needs, objectives and resources.
Have you worked with charities like ours before?
We have worked with charities across a wide range of causes, including healthcare, disability, housing, education, international development, animal welfare and community support.
While every charity is different, our experience means we quickly understand the challenges, stakeholders and communication pressures facing your organisation.
How can you help our charity?
Our support typically falls into four areas: create, test, develop and embed communication capability.
We help charities create effective communication strategies and frameworks, test plans and preparedness through realistic exercises and simulations, develop confident communicators through training and coaching, and embed lasting capability through consultancy, ongoing support and continuous development.
Whether your challenge relates to fundraising, reputation, campaigns, media engagement, leadership communication or crisis preparedness, we can help.
Can you help us communicate more effectively with supporters, donors and stakeholders?
Absolutely.
Effective communication is critical to building trust, maintaining supporter engagement and increasing impact.
We help charities develop clear messaging, stronger storytelling, confident spokespeople and communication approaches that resonate with donors, stakeholders, decision-makers and the communities they support.
Can you help us prepare for a crisis or reputational issue?
Yes.
Trust is one of a charity's most valuable assets.
We help organisations strengthen crisis communication plans, test assumptions through realistic exercises, prepare leaders and spokespeople for scrutiny and ensure teams are ready to communicate effectively during challenging situations.
Whether you're dealing with safeguarding concerns, governance issues, operational incidents or external criticism, effective communication can play a vital role in protecting your reputation and maintaining stakeholder confidence.
Do you only provide training?
No.
While training remains an important part of what we do, many charities work with us on consultancy projects, communication reviews, crisis preparedness exercises, leadership communication programmes, coaching and longer-term capability-building initiatives.
We often combine several of these services to help organisations create lasting communication capability and stronger communication performance.
How do you help charities embed learning and create lasting change?
We believe communication capability should be created, tested, developed and embedded.
That's why we provide follow-up coaching, refresher sessions, simulations, consultancy support and continuous learning through Thirty Seven. This helps individuals and teams strengthen new behaviours, maintain confidence and continue developing long after the initial programme has ended.
Our goal isn't simply to deliver a successful project or training course. It's to help charities build lasting communication capability.
Will your team understand the charity sector?
Yes.
Our team has extensive experience working with charities and understands the realities of fundraising, campaigning, public scrutiny, stakeholder engagement and operating with finite resources.
We combine that sector insight with expertise gained from working across more than 40 sectors, allowing us to bring both specialist knowledge and fresh perspectives.
Where can your support be delivered?
That's entirely up to you.
We work with charities across the UK and internationally, delivering consultancy, training, coaching and exercises both in person and online.
Many clients choose to use our dedicated TV, radio and podcast studios in Berkshire for media training and simulation exercises, while others prefer delivery at their own offices or virtually via Microsoft Teams or Zoom.
We'll recommend the approach that best supports your objectives, people and budget.
How quickly can you understand our organisation and challenges?
Usually much faster than clients expect.
Our experience across the charity sector means we quickly become familiar with organisational structures, stakeholder groups and communication challenges. We'll ask the right questions, review the right materials and work closely with your team to ensure our support is relevant, practical and tailored to your objectives.
We'll do the heavy lifting, allowing your team to focus on what matters most while ensuring our support reflects your charity's mission, audiences and ambitions.