Organ Donation Week takes place in the first week of September each year, and this year’s awareness drive was a busy one for Hatch’s Be A Hero team with a plethora of activity throughout the week, all with a hugely important message! In Spring 2020, a new opt-out system will be put in place, meaning that all UK adults (with a few exceptions) will be automatically registered to become an organ donor after they pass away.
The Be A Hero campaign is Yorkshire’s dedicated organ donation campaign, working with Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust to spread awareness and encourage sign-ups to the organ donor register in the region. Hatch launched the campaign in 2015 and since then it has gone from strength to strength!
We kicked off on 2nd September with a Silent Box Stunt on Briggate in Leeds City Centre. Our stunt aimed to capture the public’s attention by placing an actor in a transparent box, who was desperate for people to listen to her.
“Why was she in a box?!” we hear you cry. Well, even if you’re on the organ donor register, it may surprise you to learn that in the event of your passing, your family have the power to block any transplant, whether you have consented to donate or not. This will remain the case even when the opt-out system has been implemented, making this year’s Organ Donation Week and our #DonationConversation campaign message all the more important.
Trapped inside a 6ft Perspex box, our actor represented all the voices that go unheard after death.
Members of the public were intrigued, with many stopping to ask what was going on. Our organ donation team were on hand to answer any questions and educate people about the new opt-out scheme and its implications.
The stunt generated lots of media attention with two live interviews on BBC Radio Leeds, a front page spread in the Yorkshire Evening Post and further coverage on ITV Calendar and LeedsLive, who streamed the event on Facebook!
For more information about the organ donation and the opt-out system, please visit: http://bit.ly/2Oi1WF0
If you represent a charity or cause and think Hatch could support your PR needs, why not give us a call on 0113 361 3600 – we’d love to hear from you!
