Carswell Gould's PR Campaign for Wetwheels Foundation's 10th Anniversary

Communicating to Millions: Making a Splash for Wetwheels Foundation

Help to spread the word of the 10th anniversary of the Wetwheels Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping those living with disabilities enjoy the thrill of a powerboat in a safe, stimulating and rewarding way.

In just ten years, Wetwheels has given more than 35,000 disabled people the exhilarating opportunity to spend time on the water onboard specially-built, fully accessible powerboats. The charity’s founder, Geoff Holt MBE DL, wanted to do more and so asked for our help to communicate his ambitious plans to give 100,000 disabled people this experience, throughout the UK by 2025.

Our Approach

Our approach was to find the perfect backdrop for the charity to unveil their plans. We chose the Southampton International Boat Show, an event that would resonate with the charity’s mission and attract the attention of specialist, national, and regional media outlets. To create a buzz around the announcement, we crafted a concise and compelling media invitation that would entice journalists to attend.

On the day of the event, we captured high-quality photos and visual assets that would help bring the charity’s message to life. These were used in the press release we issued on the same day, which was sent to media outlets across the country. Finally, we sold into media outlets post-event to maximise coverage and ensure that the charity’s message reached as many people as possible.

The Outcome

The Southampton International Boat Show was the perfect setting to unveil Wetwheels’ £1m fundraising campaign. The result of the PR campaign was outstanding, achieving a total print and online reach of 4.9 million. This resulted in great media coverage for Wetwheels, including interviews with the charity’s founder, Geoff Holt, on the BBC South and ITV Meridian evening news programmes.

Additionally, Wetwheels saw a significant increase in website traffic and social media engagement, which helped to raise awareness and support for the charity’s expansion plans. The charity received great feedback from supporters and donors, who praised the efforts of Carswell Gould for bringing the charity’s message to a wider audience.

Can I just say how pleased I am with how everything has gone to plan? Both the VR project and the Boat Show. Everyone at CG has been tremendously supportive and has really understood the Wetwheels ethos and what we are trying to achieve. Many thanks again to all of the team at CG, it’s been a pleasure working with you.
Geoff Holt MBE DL, Wetwheels Foundation

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