PR and comms agency wins major award for outstanding charity impact

An East Midlands-based PR and communications agency has won a prestigious award for a campaign that prompted a surge in charitable donations to help those in crisis.

MIH Group scooped the Charity/Not-for-profit gong at the PRCA Dare Awards 2025 for its creation of the 12-day ‘Christmas giving’ video campaign for YMCA Burton. It featured a series of short films that shone a light on the issue of homelessness and informed people about what they can do to help.

MIH Business Development and Marketing Manager Susie Ellison accepted the award alongside YMCA Burton’s Fundraising & Partnerships Manager Paula Senior during a glittering ceremony at Birmingham’s Hyatt Regency.

Susie said: “Paula and I waited nervously for the winner in our category to be announced – and then our table erupted with cheers. It was such a great feeling to have our work recognised, especially considering the incredible talent we were up against.”

Paul Laffey, Chief Executive of YMCA Burton, said of the campaign: “MIH’s storytelling expertise was absolutely first-class. They grabbed hold of the narrative and used it to create compelling video content, perfectly demonstrating the value of what we do at YMCA Burton.

“Were it not for the MIH campaign, we would not have raised the amount we did – it made a massive difference in encouraging people to donate.”

The YMCA pleaded for help when it found itself facing a £30,000 shortfall heading into the 2024 Christmas period. It needed a boost in donations to help fund accommodation for the homeless and a food bank for struggling families – services which cost £2 million to run each year in the Burton area alone.

With limited in-house PR resources and expertise, the charity urgently needed to engage potential supporters – and that’s where MIH came in.

As a values-driven company, MIH felt it couldn’t stand by as the YMCA struggled – and so contacted the charity offering to design and launch a campaign for the charity, pro bono.

The ‘12 Days of Christmas Giving’ social media-based campaign showcased 12 hard-hitting videos exploring the issue of homelessness in Burton-on-Trent and beyond, and depicted some stark realities in a bid to shift viewer mindsets.

Within the two-week campaign, £25,000 was donated – significantly exceeding the usual amount given at a time of year when families’ household finances are tight. The YMCA’s leadership team credited MIH’s campaign for its vital impact.

James Benstead, MIH Group Associate Director, said: “We see MIH as an opportunity to be a force for good and all colleagues here are committed to delivering exceptionally high-quality communications and PR which make a positive difference.

“MIH colleagues are beyond pleased to have won this award, especially because of the message behind the campaign.

“Our partnership with YMCA Burton means so much to us – not only because of the impact of the campaign, but because of the genuine friendship and mutual respect that has grown between our two organisations.”