Light Blues Presentation
How can we help you?
The Provincial Communications Team is here to help both the Province and individual Lodges get a variety of messages across to our members as well as the wider world. It has three key goals: first to promote the beneficial effects of Freemasonry to the general public; second, to help promote the Province of Berkshire in general and all its constituent Lodges; and third, to help promote specific events for the good of us all.
So how do we do this? The team has a wide range of skills that encompass the traditional print mediums through to digital and social media; but not forgetting good old-fashioned word of mouth. We are also looking to expand our digital and social media side to help with recruitment for Lodges and the Province.
The purpose of this page is to let you know who we are, how we can help and to give you some advice and guidelines if you want to do things within your own lodge.
Who are we?
The team and their contact details are:
- Provincial Communications Officer: Pat Whelan pco@berkspgl.org.uk
- Provincial Marketing Officer: Stephen Snaith pmarketingo@berkspgl.org.uk
- Provincial Webmaster: Neill Rhodes webmaster@berkspgl.org.uk
- Provincial Social Media Officer: Mark Davis social@berkspgl.org.uk
- Provincial Press Officer: Liam Kenny press@berkspgl.org.uk
In addition to the above, we have a number of other members who can help you develop short videos, promote social media campaigns and pod casts. We also have professional photographers who can take stunning pictures; for these, and other help, please contact the PCO in the first instance. I will be able to direct to the most appropriate person.
What can we do?
Let people know what you’ve done
Freemasons and their Lodges do amazing things to help support their communities and we want to help you get that message across. We have good contacts with the local media within the province and, via UGLE, can access national media -both print and broadcast. However, to make this happen we need to know about the event.
To help get a story into the local press, let us know when it’s happening, and we can arrange to have the event photographed if you cannot. Then we will need a short story that gives the background to the event, why its happening and who’s involved. From that, we can draft the press release for you and once you’re happy with it, send it to the local media.
To help you get an idea the following documents can be used as a guide:
- UGLE Social media toolkit
- UGLE website guidelines for Provinces and Districts
- Draft press release guidance
- To create good content
- Photography dos and don’ts
As well as getting stories in to the local media, we want to get it well known amongst the brethren of the Province.
Use the guidelines above, and we will get everything into the correct format. Just submit the articles and the photographs to: webmaster@berkspgl.org.uk; pco@berkspgl.org.uk; or press@berkspgl.org.uk .
Promote your event.
We can help you promote special events through the website and social media, both have proved successful at encouraging support. However, please tell us about it and we will take it from there. If there is special significance about the event, we can also agree some form of campaign with you so that there is refreshed interest on a regular basis.
To make this happen just complete the events form and have a look at a short guide on how to promote an event.
All we ask in return is a story and some photographs and we will then help you get the news out about how the event went.
One off special events
By their very nature these are either large events or events running over considerable time frame. These do require careful planning and may need some specific IT advice as well. This can be illustrated by the Berkshire 2023 Festival where this a specific website and social media.
Let us know of your plans and we will work with you to ensure the event is well known and everyone can benefit from the publicity.
Enhance your presence on the Provincial Website
Within the website there is an area for all our Lodges. This shows lodges by the various Masonic Centres within the province as well as by the Lodge name and number. This is an opportunity for you to highlight your Lodge and attract both visitors and potential new candidates.
There is a form to complete so we can gather the information and present it in a content format. The words, however, are yours. They will not be edited (apart from correcting any spelling!) all that you need are three or four brief paragraphs. It would be useful for you to check this regularly to ensure it is up to date.
Helping a Lodge create its own website and social media presence
Whether your starting from scratch, or already have a website or social media presence we are here to help. We can offer advice and support and help point you in the right direction.
To help you along here are a few pointers and guideline:
In addition to these publications, we run courses on Social Media and, if demand is sufficient, we can call upon the digital team from UGLE to help you out.
In summary, the Provincial Communications is here to help and support you. Let us know what you’re planning, and we will do our best to help you get it publicised. In addition, if you spot stories that we have not seen let us know and we will get them into the most appropriate medium for publication. Above all thank you for your support an keep the stories coming.
