Final Breathe Arts Health Research Publicity Evaluation

Media Coverage August 2014

A campaign by

Breathe Arts Health Research Publicity Campaign

tpr liaised with Breathe Arts Health Research to create a tailored PR strategy which aimed to achieve a national broadsheet feature, national broadcast coverage as well as additional news stories to highlight the London magic camp. tpr produced a bespoke and targeted media campaign which included creating a customised mailing list with key national health writers and editors, national features writers, trade press, as well as appropriate broadcast and radio journalists. tpr worked with Breathe to produce press materials including a release, pitches and case studies. These were tailored and distributed to the prepared media contacts.

Following an intensive ring-round to dozens of outlets, we received positive responses. tpr placed two national stories – an in depth feature in The Guardian, G2 and a health story in the Mail on Sunday (UK’s second most read Sunday paper). Breathe was also featured on two national broadcast shows – there was a three-minute feature on BBC Breakfast, the most-watched UK breakfast show with over 7 million viewers, and CBBC Newsround this focused on the children’s experience of the magic camp. BBC also covered Breathe online on their Health pages, which included magic camp footage. Additionally tpr placed a picture led news feature with the Chief Arts correspondents of the Evening Standard, Louise Jury. tpr issued a retrospective release following the show at the Magic Circle which was sent to Breathe partners and trade outlets. Ideastap requested an interview with Yvonne Farquharson for their ‘Job of the Week’ slot. The British Association of Occupation Therapy also distributed the release to their network, as did Hemihelp. Oxford Brookes issued a news story in response to tpr’s initial release and is keen to run the BBC Breakfast footage on their blog.

BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour and Inside Health expressed initial interest in Breathe though interviews did not run. Vivienne Parry, health correspondents for BBC Radio, is potentially interested in featuring Breathe on BBC Radio 4 in the future.

Print Coverage

Broadcast

BBC Breakfast, 11 August 2014 7 million viewers

CBBC Newsround, 11 August 2014

Online

Press Release

Magical therapy leads to new tricks for children with partial paralysis Dynamo backs the healing power of magic An award-winning programmes using ‘magical therapy’ to transform the lives of children with hemiplegia paralysis predominantly of one side of the body – kicked off this week in London (28 July – 8 August), backed by leading British magician, Dynamo.

Based on rigorous scientific research and clinical trials, Breathe Arts Health Research has created an innovative two-week ‘magic camp’ lead by Magic Circle magicians who work alongside occupational therapists and physiotherapists to teach specially selected and scaled magic tricks as well as theatrical skills in order to improve the motor skills and psychosocial wellbeing of young people with hemiplegia.

The camp culminates in a magic show where the children perform alongside professional magicians in the prestigious Magic Circle theatre, London. Leading British magician Dynamo, a keen supporter of Breathe, will help the young magicians prepare before their final performance: "I love the work that Breathe are doing to help build confidence and co-ordination in children with partial paralysis. I can't think of a better way to use magic than to improve the quality of young people’s lives!"

The scheme is recognised by and receives multi-year funding from NHS Lambeth and recently both NHS Wandsworth and NHS West Kent have also backed the scheme.

Jeremy Hunt, MP for South West Surrey and Secretary of State for Health said: “I was incredibly impressed by the miracles worked by this small social enterprise. They tap into the curiosity every child feels about magic to create extraordinary results for disabled children in terms of manual and physical dexterity.”

Yvonne Farquharson, Managing Director, Breathe Arts Health Research said: “Over the two week period children progress significantly in using their weaker hand to perform two-handed tasks independently. In practical terms this means that, for the first time, children are able to use both hands to dress themselves, cut up food or tie shoe laces. Improvements in independence corresponds in a reduction in the additional time parents were providing support to their children by up to 50% The acquisition of these practical skills as well as having a special talent to ‘wow’ their friends, in turn delivers significant benefits to the children’s emotional wellbeing.”

Leading Specialist Occupational Therapists, Dr Dido Green and Amarlie Moore, conduct clinical tests to examine hand function and self esteem of the children before and after the camp. They also use neuro imaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation to evaluate changes in the brain pre and post the therapy.

After the intensive two-week programme, progress is reinforced by a course of monthly magic clubs, over six months, these are designed to consolidate the new skills acquired and help to ensure the lasting impact of the physical and emotional gains made.

David Owen QC is one of the founding Board of Directors at Breathe and a magic trainer on the programme, he was voted Young Magician of the year by the Magic Circle in the mid-1970s. In his ‘other’ life David is also a leading commercial arbitrator, mediator and barrister.

Breathe Camp ‘graduates’ are invited back to the summer camps to act as mentors for children attending for the first time. George, 15, who attended the camp in its first year in 2010 and is now a mentor to other children, is quick to identify the practical benefits: “My shoelaces used to take me about 5 minutes, but now I can do them in around 40 seconds.”

According to one parent: “The great thing about the magic camp and performing the tricks that he learnt there, is that he is doing therapy and enjoying it.”

This short film provides an overview of the programme: http://breatheahr.org/breathe-magic-hemiplegia Breathe Magic has recently been applying its magical approach to therapy to other areas, such as adult stroke sufferers and adolescents with mental illness. www.breatheahr.org NOTES TO EDITORS Hemiplegia is a condition that affects children in a similar way to a stroke. It is caused by damage to the brain - most often before or around the time of birth - and it results in a varying degree of weakness and lack of control on one side of the body.

Breathe’s programmes have evolved from robust research in order to understand and support advancements in health care and delivery across clinical and community settings. Breathe’s research teams are formed by collaborations with top clinical and research scientists in academic and clinical settings including Kings College London, Oxford Brookes University, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Columbia University New York, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia Catholic University and Tel Aviv University.

Scientific evidence arising from the Breathe Magic Camps was recently awarded first poster prize at the European Academy of Childhood Disability Conference in Istanbul, Turkey. This intensive therapy model is based on the Hand-Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy (HABIT) task specific training recommended by NICE (2012).

Further information from Sophie Toumazis or Elizabeth Dunk at tpr media consultants sophie@tpr-media.com, elizabeth@tpr-media.com on +44(0)208 347 7020 Breathe Arts Health Research website - http://breatheahr.org