First time aid sector has united to raise profile
Aid charities have formed a coalition to raise the profile of UK aid work.
Ten organisations including Save the Children, Oxfam, ActionAid, Unicef UK, the British Red Cross and WaterAid, launched We The Helpers campaign, which is designed to highlight the positive impact UK aid has in lower-income countries.
The campaign aims to tackle growing misperceptions about aid effectiveness and to rebuild trust in the sector by showcasing the positive impact international aid has within countries most in need.
It is thought to be the first time the international development sector has come together to speak to the public in this way.
Kirsty McNeill, Save the Children’s executive director of policy, advocacy and campaigns, said: “We don’t want to show off about all the ways we’re helping, but we do want to make a difference and the really good news is that we are.
“We are making progress, together, every single day thanks to the helpers. Whether you’ve responded to an appeal, sponsored a friend to do an event, dropped something off at a charity shop, taken a campaign action or just pay your taxes, know that you’re one of the helpers who is saving and changing lives through aid.”
The campaign will run nationwide across digital media and PR and will be supported by all partner aid channels.
The government last year announced it would cut the UK’s overseas aid budget from 0.7% of gross national income to 0.5%, slicing more than £4bn off the annual spend, to widespread criticism from aid charities.
The alliance has also published research carried out in December asking 2,000 adults about their giving habits.
Professor Adrian Sargeant, co-founder and co-director at the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy, said: “It is clear that the UK public have played a vital role in supporting international aid, with one in five people donating to international charities in the last year.
“It is also interesting to see that 75% of people prefer to donate privately, suggesting that recognition doesn’t matter for many of us when it comes to donating.
“We may assume that giving is always a selfless act, but actually it can contribute a lot to the way we self-identify as individuals and the role we play in society.”
