Gold Key Media continues community efforts in both UK and Ukraine
UK based distribution and engagement agency, Gold Key Media (GKM) – who at the start of the pandemic teamed-up with Project Wingman to deliver free newspapers and magazines to NHS staff – this week announced a raft of new social impact activities in both the UK and Ukraine.
The i newspaper has donated £5,000 to Project Wingman, after the two together took home the team award at parent-company DMGT’s Community Champion Awards at the end of last year. The publication worked closely with Gold Key to supply complimentary daily newspapers to 80+ NHS hospitals per day throughout the pandemic, with NHS staff being able to access free copies set-up in special wellness centres.
Following the success, the publication wanted to give a further boost to the charity:
“When Gold Key Media alerted us to the work being done by themselves and Project Wingman we were very happy to help out and show our thanks to the NHS staff,” said Paul Bacon, Key Account Manager for The i. “Prior to the pandemic we had supplied airlines with our newspapers so it seemed appropriate that, as airline crews volunteered their time away from the skies to help out with Project Wingman, we supported this wonderful initiative, so it could instead be enjoyed by thousands of NHS workers in their brief moments of relaxation.”
Captain Emma Henderson MBE, Founder & CEO of Project Wingman, added: “The supply of complimentary newspapers and magazines into our lounges became an essential and very welcome part of the Project Wingman offering. Giving the battle weary NHS workers a cup of tea, a newspaper and some friendly faces was often all that was needed to turn a frown upon arrival into a smile upon departure”.
From the UK to Ukraine
Gold Key Media has also dedicated significant time this year to helping Ukrainians, with Managing Director Chris Horn working both locally and globally on a number of initiatives.
“What I’m doing locally is acting as the job finder and organising a ‘Welcome to Marlow’ event,” he told us, as many Ukrainians travel to the UK to escape the war.
“Separately, I helped to set up the amazing Lunch4Ukraine event last week at the Marriott Grosvenor House, Park Lane. It was an incredible sell-out, with many publishers booking tables including the FT, Hearst, Bauer, APL Media, Haymarket, Emap, and so on. We estimate the combined funds from the event should take us to over £200,000 raised in total.”
The company has also been working hard behind the scenes since the war broke out, to send shipments of essential items to refugee centres in Poland, which have been donated by the UK hotel industry. Within just three weeks of launching the programme, over 100 tonnes of essential items such as toiletries, medical kits, towels, dry foods and more had been delivered to the country.
You can find out more about Gold Key and its projects here.
