Client Case Study: The Proud Trust
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
In summer 2026, we worked with The Proud Trust, one of the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ youth charities, to create and deliver #DeserveBetter, a new national campaign focused on the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people and the simple principle that they deserve safety, acceptance, opportunity and support every day of the year.
Our involvement began with the initial idea. We conceived #DeserveBetter from the ground up, developing the campaign concept, name, positioning, messaging, narrative and visual direction before building a wider communications strategy around it. The aim was to create a platform capable of bringing together The Proud Trust’s frontline expertise, evidence, lived experience and campaigning priorities while giving the organisation a distinctive identity it could continue to use beyond the initial campaign.
From there, we supported communications across multiple channels and audiences. Our work spanned campaign and content strategy, audience and message development, lived-experience storytelling, thought leadership, stakeholder communications, public affairs and influencing, celebrity engagement, social and digital content, media relations, creative direction, design and professional video production.
We developed a substantial body of original content around the campaign, including website and social content, blogs, newsletters, stakeholder communications, press materials, case studies and expert commentary. We also worked closely with CEO Rachel Williams to develop thought leadership around the issues affecting LGBTQ+ young people and created open letters that enabled The Proud Trust to contribute directly to political and policy conversations.
Lived experience was central throughout. We developed individual stories involving people connected to The Proud Trust, including Liam Swanston and Jasper Crawley, alongside award-winning spoken-word artist myndstate. These personal perspectives sat alongside The Proud Trust’s frontline evidence, including a 171% increase in referrals following the Supreme Court ruling, helping connect individual experiences with wider conversations around mental health, education, healthcare, bullying, safety and access to support.
We also developed Rachel Williams’ profile as an expert voice, creating commentary specifically for professional and decision-making audiences. This resulted in opportunities with Health Service Journal, GPonline, The Headteacher and Healthcare Leader, helping position The Proud Trust not only as an organisation delivering vital frontline services, but as an authoritative contributor to national conversations around healthcare, education, mental health and public policy.
A major strand of #DeserveBetter was a professionally produced campaign film bringing together 30 LGBTQ+ celebrities and high-profile allies. We developed the concept and script, secured and coordinated those taking part and oversaw the production through to completion. Participants included Dannii Minogue, Sir Stephen Fry, Dame Kelly Holmes, Tom Allen, Denise Welch, Adele Roberts, Kizzy Edgell, Danny Beard and Courtney Act, with many also amplifying the campaign through their own platforms to audiences collectively running into the millions.
The campaign went on to generate extensive national, regional and specialist visibility across television, radio, print, digital and trade media. Highlights included ITV News, BBC Radio England, PinkNews, Attitude, Health Service Journal, GPonline, The Canary, Daily Record, Heart, Capital and Hits Radio, alongside widespread coverage across LGBTQ+, charity, healthcare, education and regional media.
Most importantly, #DeserveBetter was built as more than just a campaign. The Proud Trust was left with a complete campaign platform, a stronger bank of stories and spokespeople, original written and visual content, expert thought leadership, political campaigning materials, high-profile supporters and a creative identity that can continue to support campaigning, influencing, partnerships, fundraising and wider organisational communications.
If your organisation needs strategic communications support to turn an idea, issue or ambition into a campaign that reaches and engages the right audiences, please get in touch to discuss how we can work together.
