Only Connect GFN Brief
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Only Connect is a charity in London that works with prisoners, ex-offenders, and at-risk youth to reduce crime through five key programs that provide support throughout the criminal justice process. Research shows their programs cut reoffending rates in half. They support over 130 ex-offender members with training, education, and community to help develop skills to find work and new interests to build confidence and relationships. The challenge is to better communicate their broad mission of providing belonging, opportunities, and community support beyond just arts programs to attract more partners and funding.
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Only Connect GFN Brief
- 1. Only Connect Brief Only Connect is a crime prevention charity working in London with prisoners, ex- offenders and at-risk youth. Their five key programmes offer support at every point in the crime cycle in order to reduce offending. Most of all they offer a community that is positive, stable and supportive. http://www.onlyconnectuk.org/ BACKGROUND In the UK 47% of ex-offenders re-offend within a year of getting out of prison. This is a rate which increases each time an offender returns to prison. This makes the role of Only Connect and particularly their preventive youth programmes, vitally important. Independent research from New Philanthropy Capital found that Only Connect halves the re-offending rate (Unlocking Value, NPC, 2011). Only Connect provides a support structure with a family ethos in the form of a members club, which helps to support and train ex-offenders as they leave prison. They currently support 132 members with training, education, advocacy, creative opportunities and therapy. Members benefit from developing new skills that can help them into employment and also develop interests that on a personal level increase confidence, communication skills and encourage new forms of expression. In many cases, it is the development of these soft skills that improves members personal relationships, encourages more positive engagement with their community and increases employability. ONLY CONNECT PROGRAMMES Only Connect offer five key programmes: 1. OC Central is the heart of the organisation; the family. OC Central provides social space, therapeutic services, sign-posting and assistance to access other social services, and access to opportunities in the arts and music. 2. OC Impact utilises the skills and experiences of OCs ex-offender members to deliver high-energy, high-impact, professionally directed productions and interactive and innovative workshops to students and at-risk-youth to address attitudes and behaviours that are holding them back. The latest project can be found at: http://www.oclondon.org/heroes 3. OC Inspire reaches offenders in custody in London prisons and Young Offender Institutions providing creative training, in line with accredited courses, which equips individuals with employment skills. 4. OC Create produces high-quality art for external audiences inspired, performed or produced by OC members, reflecting the lives, dreams and reality of Londoners at risk of involvement in crime. 5. My Generation is a youth intervention project working with high risk young people aiming to create a new generation of leaders and youth ambassadors in the community.
- 2. THE CHALLENGE Only Connect is often perceived as a youth theatre or arts organisation, and the current communications style is re-inforcing that. But they are so much more than that, providing a community of belonging, training and employment opportunities for at risk youth. The key challenge is to communicate their purpose & broad mission more effectively to members, potential corporate partners and the wider public. The striking black and white design has been well received, the challenge is to build on this to make the messages clearer rather than start again. 1. Reframe the OC brand purpose & communications to land its work and services more clearly Specifically: Explore and develop a clearer point of view about the OC purpose and mission Prioritise and refine the key messages to communicate Identify the key audiences and how to reach them more effectively Create a communications strategy and tactics to get their work more widely recognised. Evolve the visual communications style using more succinct messaging N.B the black and white visual approach is liked by the organisation but they are open to how this could be developed and expanded creatively to tell their story more effectively. Revisit and refresh the website with up to date messaging, copy and expression Develop a social web strategy to effectively communicate to their key audiences, eg. Funders and potential corporate partners Create social web tactics Create a guide and principles for OC users to use the social web on behalf of the organisation 2. Attract corporate partnerships and prototype other innovative fundraising streams/ideas Specifically: Prototype innovative ways that Corporate organisations could get involved with OC. Explore mentoring, skillshares, training, inspiration, internships and innovative funding models e.g co-production of products and services, sponsorship of OC productions, content etc Explore co-production possibilities with social enterprise etc Create a corporate pitch document/materials tools Develop up a fundraising page on the website Identify a hit list of companies Only Connect could approach with relevant pitch WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH Logo (fixed) Current marketing assets collateral Short introductory video with testimonials from members 4-5 members present at the Future Youth weekend