Bloggers unite in festive theatre campaign to boost children's cancer charity

Photo by Ell Brown on Flickr

UK parent bloggers are joining forces to laugh their socks off while raising cash for a children’s cancer charity.

Bloggers are signing up for The Great Panto Review 2009 which will benefit NACCPO – The National Alliance of Childhood Cancer Parents’ Organisations.

Leading theatres in England, Scotland and Wales have agreed to give bloggers access so their reviews can spread ‘word of mouth’ throughout the blogospshere.

Cardiff’s New Theatre where John Barrowman is appearing as Robin Hood and the Birmingham Hippodrome where Ray Quinn and Joe Pasquale will star in Sleeping Beauty were among the first to pledge to welcome the bloggers and back the charity effort.

Inspirational speaker to boost credit crunch beating business conference

INSPIRATIONAL charity boss Sheila Brown will share her top tips for success with an audience of entrepreneurs at a Cannock business exhibition to help firms overcome the credit crunch.

Mrs Brown OBE, chief executive at Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children, will be one of the key speakers at the Wings business network exhibition, being held at Chase Park (Cannock Cricket and Hockey Club), Church Lane, Hatherton, on Friday October 16 from 9am to 4pm.

And support of a different kind is hoped for at the event, as another charity is asking businesswomen attending to donate unwanted bras.

The Great Panto Review 2009 - Please support NACCPO and bloggers!

Photo by Sallycat101 on Flickr

HAVING been invited to sample what's on offer from the likes of Disney, Butlins and the Frankfurt Motor Show, we knew that marketeers are plugging into the  'word of mouth' buzz created by bloggers.

We wanted to harness that power to do something positive and today posted about a 'collaborative blogging project' which can hopefully have parent bloggers laughing their socks off, while also making a difference to children's charity, NACCPO.

Please read this to understand more.

If you'd like to support NACCPO, whether or not you'll be visiting a panto this year, please visit our Justgiving page. I have set a target for the time being which I hope is realistic. This may change, depending how we go.

Thank you!

How we've used Twitter for business - Birmingham Post feature

THINK social media is a waste of time?

Think again.

A number of West Midlands companies are featured in the Birmingham Post today, discussing how they have mastered Twitter as a brilliant business tool - and we're one of them.

Linda wrote more about how we've been able to use social media to diversify and survive here.

Given the choice wouldn't you rather find out how you can use such developments to boost your bottom line as opposed to sitting around moaning about it?

Do let us know if you'd like to find out more, we can work with your team on how you can maximise the use of social media for your business.

Don't forget you can follow Linda on Twitter here and Carol here.

Neil's 'Someone once told me': 'You are allowed to relax you know'

YOU'LL always find him in the kitchen at parties...

This is our new media director, Neil Aitchison, during our recent Someone once told me session.

And what an important message it is too!

Check out Carol's SOTM video here - dubbed one of creator Mario's favourites ever.

And then there was Linda, doing her best again to raise awareness about mental illness. She's not keen on the picture but the audio is powerful.

Various Passionate Media clients and contacts were also captured in pictures, video or sound. Watch this space for a fuller gallery as more are posted on the site.

Our new family travel blog - one to watch says Times Online

THERE'S a brilliant round-up of family travel resources available via Twitter in the Times Online here.

Oure new blog is included.

Heres' what Jennifer Howze says about us in her report of the best family travel tweeters:

KEEP WATCHING

twitter.com/Joner

This British feed, associated with the newly created www.havealovelytime.com, posts links to travel photo blogs, posts and lots of personal responses. The tweeter is plugged in to the UK mummy blogging world and already has a slew of followers.

So..watch this space for reports from globetrotting parents and reviews from closer to home.  Pieces lined up for imminent publication include reflections on Australia, Lancashire, EuroDisney, A Taste of Staffordshire and much, much more. Plus more travel news from Amanda Fazani and Tim Atkinson.

Don't forget to check out the other resources on Jennifer's list - there are some phenomenal resources included. Wow - how fantastic to be included!

Once again a massive thank you to everyone who has contributed, read us, commented or helped spread the word we are here. There's lots to do with the site and we are very excited at the potential it has. 

Carol stars in Someone Once Told Me video - bit of a tearjerker!

IT only seems like yesterday that Carol's tenacity and determination were recognised with a national award. (Okay it was three years ago, even if I still go on about it!) Now, here she is again - inspiring others, this time in the social media spotlight.

Thanks to Mario from Someone Once Told Me for all his time with us recently. Check out his wonderful website for lots more examples of the influential things people have heard. And watch this space for more images of the Passionate Media team with their own life-shaping messages.

Double the excitement as our twins blog is featured in The Times

By Linda Jones

I'VE been reading about how PRs are engaging with bloggers lately and some of the discussion has either been sparked by or led to mentions of a recent trip I shared with six other so-called UK 'mummybloggers' to Walt Disney World.

The trip was the subject of a feature in The Times by my fellow member of the so-called Disney Seven, Alice Castle.

You can also see this forward thinking post from travel journalist Jeremy Head and this interesting piece by Manchester's Sarah Hartley.

I'm included because of You've Got Your Hands Full, our blog for multiple birth parents, which has gained more than 11,000 returning readers since being launched in 2006.

Susanna, from A Modern Mother, recently shared guidance for PRs wanting to contact this group of bloggers and I have been meaning to add my thoughts on her excellent post for a while. The one point I disagreed on was that I write for other people, not for me.

The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World: Book, blog and training

THE Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World, by Passionate Media director Linda Jones, was published in November 2007 and can be bought in bookshops and from Amazon here.

See a selection of reviews, plus feedback from readers, here.

Listen to a podcast about The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World. A blog was set up to help publicise the book.

There's a round-up of around 20 posts with advice for writers here.

We also run training sessions for freelance journalists wanting to make more money. The following is feedback gained from a London session:

Great course. Up and at 'em now! Anne Marie Flanagan

British bloggers set for VIP Disney trip

A GROUP of British 'mummy bloggers' has been invited to sample the delights of Walt Disney World, Florida, and Passionate Media director Linda Jones is among them.

The trip, later this month, has been made possible by the Think Parents network, overseen by the award-winning Digital Outlook marketing agency.

Linda has been invited because of her work on the twins and multiple births blog, You've got your hands full. Most of Passionate Media's team have ventured to new (and sometimes faraway) places on press trips in days gone by, - with Helen already visiting Disney for a week with the Express & Star - so it'll be interesting to see how this one differs! Thank you to Kerry Power from Digital Outlook and Disney's PR team for making this opportunity possible.