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Thank you for taking the time to read this simple guide. It is designed to help you maximise the success of your event and raise more money for a great cause.

We thank you for all your help.

Below are some straightforward steps to help you tell the media about your event.
It is important to promote your event and work with your local media so that you can:

• Invite more people along to your Big Green Lunch in your village or town
• Increase the amount of money raised for Lynn’s Bowel Cancer Campaign
• Increase awareness for Lynn’s Bowel Cancer Campaign by letting people know about the significance of joining in The Big Green Lunch and how it will help to improve survival rates for the second most common cancer which kills people in the UK.

 Before your Big Green Lunch

• Three weeks before your event, read the press release - The Big Green Lunch Raises Funds to Tackle Bowel Cancer and fill in the gaps/delete as appropriate. After ‘-ends-‘ there is another space for your details – this is for media use only so a journalist can contact you for more information.
• Make a list of all the local newspapers and radio stations you want to send the release to (including free papers).
• If possible, call up each of the newspapers and radio stations and ask for their address (if you need it), and the name of the News Editor (for newspapers) or Forward Planning Desk (for radio stations). If you don’t have time to call them or can’t get a contact name, just send a release marked for the News Editor or Forward Planning Desk.
• Make enough copies to send one to each contact. Don’t forget to keep a copy for yourself in case anyone phones with questions.
• To encourage the local media to attend, phone the media a few days beforehand and give them the details of your event again (this is optional - you don’t have to invite them along).

If you want help in publicising your event or have an unusual event planned, do call the Watercress Press Office on 020 8892 5665.

At your Big Green Lunch

• If you have a camera handy, take photos of your guests having fun to send to the media.

After your Big Green Lunch

• Read the press release entitled The Big Green Lunch Raises Funds to Tackle Bowel Cancer and fill in the gaps, deleting where appropriate. Send the release along with the photos to your local paper (follow the points 2-4 in the ‘Before your coffee morning’ section if you don’t already have a list of contacts to send it to).
• If you don’t get any photos, just send the release on its own – don’t forget to send it to your local radio stations too. This is a great way to thank people and let people know how much you raised.