Helly Hansen and its strategic partner, RNLI, were yesterday announced as the winner of the Charity Partnership Fashion & Retail Award at the Charity Business Awards 2022 for its Lifejacket Stories campaign which launched in Summer 2021.

Helly Hansen unveiled its “Lifejacket Stories” campaign to help RNLI deliver key safety messaging to its boating and sailing audiences, with the aim of increasing rates of wearing lifejackets. Helly Hansen devised a series of real-life stories from people that have been saved by the RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crews thanks to their lifejackets, supported with a PR survey of lifejacket habits.

To drive awareness, the organisations organised a stunt by dressing prominent statues around the coastlines of the UK and Ireland. In addition, further collaborated involved hosting lifejacket clinics at key sailing events throughout the 2021 sailing season, to carry out complimentary lifejacket safety checks before the start of each race.

Image: RNLI / Helly Hansen

Judges commended Helly Hansen and RNLI’s campaign for delivering exceptional results with clearly defined targets, as well as introducing progression and wider partnership working.

Piers Barnes, Helly Hansen UK & Ireland General Manager, said: “We are thrilled to have won the award for the Charity Partnership Retail & Fashion for our work with the RNLI. We have been strategic partners since 2018 and are committed to educating communities on the risks of drowning and water safety, whilst changing attitudes towards lifejacket usage and maintenance. This creative campaign was vital to the RNLI’s water safety strategy in 2021 and supported the charity at a time when it faced its busiest summer ever.”

Holly Young, Partnerships Manager at the RNLI, said: “By working closely with Helly Hansen, we were able to reach new audiences to discuss water safety and deliver an interesting and informative campaign to help save lives. This campaign helped to raise vital awareness and promote discussions about how to be better prepared on or near the water. We are grateful to everyone involved in making the campaign such a success.”

The Awards evening was held at London Marriott Grosvenor Square with guests coming together to celebrate and network together.

Helly Hansen and RNLI have been strategic partners since 2018. Helly Hansen supplies professional-grade gear for the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat volunteer crews and supports the charity’s mission to reduce drowning, educate on safety at sea and raise money for vital, lifesaving kit through fundraising activities and events.

To learn more about Helly Hansen, please visit www.hellyhansen.com/en_gb/.
To read more about the campaign, please visit www.adpr.co.uk/work/helly-hansen-5/

To learn more about the RNLI, please visit www.rnli.org/

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