The PM Society – Giving Back
The PM Society is a not-for-profit organisation with 40 years of Giving Back. Often, we have not shouted about the initiatives, donations and workstreams that have been all about helping others. Here are just some of the highlights of the great work that has taken place.
1. Charity programme
Over the past ten years alone, the PM Society has given over £150,000 to the different charities we have supported. Some of this has come from fund-raising at the PM Society Awards and the PM Society Digital Awards each year. The PM Society has topped up donations each year where we have profit. Many thanks if you have contributed to this pot. These smaller charities have been transformed by these contributions.
2. “Creativity for Good”
‘Creativity for Good’ is a fantastic initiative where creative agencies take part in a “pitch” to develop a pro bono creative campaign for a specific charity. We help small charities find the right agency partner to support them. The process is run by Dom Marchant (Chair of the PM Society, & Chief Creative Officer, OPEN Health) and the chosen agency is recognised at the PM Society Awards.
Now in its fourth year, this initiative has grown from strength to strength with over 20 agencies involved in the last challenge for the CATS foundation, the only charity in the UK providing dedicated support to families affected by Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff disease. This is a truly exceptional way for the creative agencies to affect change for much-needed charity causes by either raising awareness of a condition or raising funds to further their activities.
3. Careers Event
Now in its fifth year, our Careers event, held at the Royal Society of Medicine, is a FREE annual event to encourage students (post- and under-grad) and early career changers, to learn about the variety of careers in the pharmaceutical and healthcare communications industry and network with potential employers. Superbly run by Simon Walker (Partnerships Director, Scientific Education Support) and Alex Merckx (Director of Marketing & Partnerships, Cognitant), the event has supported people to learn about the industry and to form a picture of the career options available to them.
With a focus on diversity and inclusion, the event includes the opportunity for people to have one on one discussions with individuals representing the many varied roles within healthcare communications, as well as to meet some of the major companies in this field. Attendee feedback is always incredibly strong. The PM Society is considering whether to extend the event to other areas of the UK.
4. Careers Engagement Officer
In 2023, we co-funded a Careers Engagement Manager, along with the Healthcare Communications Association. In this role, Emma Lockley is helping to raise awareness of the career opportunities within healthcare communications, while also attracting new talent into the sector. This initiative is only six months old, but already has made an impact with the development of online resources and some strong relationships with partners – you can see more here.
5. Interest Group activities
Each Interest Group also runs various activities that help people with their individual learning and career development. For example, our Learning & Development Interest Group started a LinkedIn Live series called ‘PM Talk’. The aim is to discuss important and current topics to provide free information and share thoughts from relevant industry specialists. These live streams have then been turned into on-demand recordings on the website and podcasts available on Spotify, Amazon music, Apple podcasts and many more.
The Digital Interest Group runs an article series providing information on pressing challenges in the industry’s digital space. Designed to inform and share good practice, as well as generate discussions and action on these areas.
You can find more information on the Interest Group activities on the PM Society website Interest Group pages.
If are you interested in hearing more about any of these initiatives or would like to get involved, do not hesitate to get in touch.
The PM Society
The PM Society is a not-for-profit organisation, founded over 40 years ago. Today it has over 4000 active members from over 250 companies and has three aims – to support organisations and people in health care, recognise excellence and promote best practice, as well as provide education and training. For more information, visit our website at www.pmsociety.org.uk.
