Driven to the wall
Howard Lake | 27 July 1999 | News
Celebrity involvement with charities can bring many rewards, not least media coverage. This coverage can, of course, continue through both the good times and the bad times of a charity. Many charities close down or reach the end of their natural life, but few receive national newspaper coverage for doing so. Unless of course a celebrity is involved.
Celebrity involvement with charities can bring many rewards, not least media coverage. This coverage can, of course, continue through both the good times and the bad times of a charity. Many charities close down or reach the end of their natural life, but few receive national newspaper coverage for doing so. Unless of course a celebrity is involved.
Drive for Youth, the charity for the young and disadvantaged, has been featured in the national press because it has gone into voluntary liquidation. The reason for this coverage? The charity was founded and chaired by former BBC TV newsreader Martyn Lewis.
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Fortunately, the coverage was balanced and informed. “In the end the board simply could not offer the guarantees to ensure that salaries and overheads would continue to be paid,” said Lewis.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.