News

Lostwithiel based public relations firm Skyfield Communications has been shortlisted for a prestigious industry award for its work with rural high-speed broadband projects in the UK.

The company has been nominated in the Best Use of Media Relations category for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) PRide Awards 2010 for a campaign that reached 7 million adults in the UK for broadband provider Rutland Telecom.

Skyfield worked with regional and national media to highlight the ‘digital divide’ between rural and urban areas as well as Rutland Telecom’s community financed broadband solution for isolated towns and villages.

Rupert Warwick, managing director of Skyfield Communications said: “We worked hard to highlight the genuine issue surrouding the ‘digital divide’ and Rutland Telecom’s unique solution to this problem.

“By gaining the support of very different individuals and groups such as Stephen Fry and the Country Land Owners Association but who both shared concerns about broadband provision, we were able to appeal to greater range of media and communicate these important messages.”

National coverage including the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, BBC Radio 2, outside broadcasts for BBC Breakfast and articles in the Daily Telegraph and The Times prompted over 250 new business enquiries for Rutland Telecom with the company’s next generation broadband solution being debated in the UK and regional parliaments.

The PRide Awards is the only awards scheme, which showcases the best PR work being carried out across the UK regions and nations. The judging process is rigorous with a national panel of industry experts assessing the shortlisted entries and choosing the winners.

Jay O’Connor, CIPR President said: “The CIPR PRide Awards are a celebration of PR achievement and a showcase of campaigns implemented by the best of the best from across the UK. I offer my congratulations to all those who have reached this stage of the competition. Now more than ever, demonstrating the value of what we do, and the positive impact we have, is tremendously important. Thank you to all involved – the entrants, judges and teams.”

The winners will be announced at a presentation evening dinner on 29th October 2010 in Bristol.