Discovering our authentic tone and brand identity with Stronger Voices

Power2 is a charity for children and young people that believes in providing every child and young person with the opportunity to thrive, even in challenging circumstances. We aim to unlock their potential and empower them to lead happy and fulfilling lives.  

Since 2001, we’ve supported over 25,000 vulnerable children and young people through our programmes, improving their well-being, re-engaging them with education, building connections, and opening doors to opportunities. At Power2, we understand that investing in the younger generation not only improves individual lives but also reduces the impact on society that come from unfulfilled potential.

When I joined Power2 as the Communications Manager in April 2021, I realised that the organisation hadn’t had a Communications Manager for two years. We needed to define our tone of voice, develop a thorough marketing plan, and expand our brand guidelines. Just as we were considering applying for another Media Trust training programme, an old manager from my previous workplace shared a link to the Stronger Voices programme, which fitted our needs.

The Stronger Voices programme helped us expand our knowledge, build networks, and tell our stories more efficiently. We wanted to communicate more effectively with our audience, including the wider public; raise the profile of Power2; get non-communications staff sharing our key messages; and focus on storytelling.

The Media Trust team and dedicated volunteers gave us invaluable support through the programme. The media interview training, with Maya Goodfellow, stood out for me: Maya’s expertise and guidance boosted my confidence. Plus, the Equally Ours reframing workshops led by Cat Whitehouse helped us change our narrative to fit our charity’s goals.

The social media workshops showed us practical tools that we still use today. I’d particularly like to thank Rabia Mirza, Media Trust’s Senior Programme Manager, whose leadership and support really made the programme. 

Thanks to the Stronger Voices programme, Power2 made these changes:

• Agreed new organisational values that guide our work and reflect our mission.
• Published a new identity, talking about Power2 and our impact.
• Expanded our brand guidelines.
• Improved our approach to storytelling, helping us connect with our audience on a deeper level.
• Found new media contacts.

The support we received from Media Trust filtered down to non-communications staff, who now understand why we need effective messaging. In the future, we plan to train our Youth Leadership Network, from some of the young people we support, to become ambassadors for Power2. Maya’s media interview training will encourage them to share their lived experiences.

To any organisation thinking of applying for the Stronger Voices programme, I say you should grab the opportunity to increase your impact. Stronger Voices has helped us develop our organisation, and I’m sure it will help yours too.