Photographer Carl Sukonik and PR team Down at the Social have today launched their response to the ongoing tragedy caused for the local business community by COVID-19.
The team at Down at the Social have commissioned artist Harrison Edwards to create a t-shirt to capture the spirit of the city and raise funds for a pot to help freelancers and small businesses around Greater Manchester at a time when marketing could be an essential life line to them.
The agency is selling the t-shirt and putting all profit from sales into a pot to help connect freelancers who have lost work with small businesses who are without marketing budgets to help them all keep trading. The agency will match the two together and pay the freelancers from the t-shirt pot.
All freelancers will be paid a fixed rate of £50 for a half day or £100 for a whole day – whilst this is probably much less than their regular day rate, it will keep the cogs turning.
At the same time Carl has launched http://www.goodnewsmcr.co.uk/ a website committed to positive publishing. The site will only share good news about the people and businesses of Greater Manchester and Carl is inviting anyone who has seen something that made them smile to contribute.
There are an initial 100 t-shirts available at £14.99 plus postage (£3.50) from http://www.goodnewsmcr.co.uk/
Down at the social is asking for freelancers to get in touch and offer their services along with companies in need of help – be it design/ social/ PR or photography etc. They should email Harriet on StillbuzzingMCR@
Daisy Whitehouse, MD of Down at the Social who created the Still Buzzing initiative, said; “Wow – what a week. It’s been heartbreaking to see our community taking such a hit. Small businesses, big businesses, events and freelancers in particular have been knocked hard quickly by the country grinding to a halt thanks to COVID-19.
“As a team we have lost clients and have also seen people we work with suffer. From event managers to photographers, as events and projects have been cancelled, those that work for themselves and don’t have ongoing contracts and job security have lost thousands.
“As our clients face challenges, we inevitably will too so I don’t have all the answers. But as a team we got together and talked about how we wanted to do something positive to combat the very depressing flow of bad news. So we’re launching this scheme to help companies and freelancers get through this and we hope that everyone who can, will help.”
Carl Sukonik, creator of GoodNewsMCR, said; “In 20 years as a freelancer this is the biggest business struggle I have had to deal with but it is even harder to see fellow creatives, clients and everyone around me having to deal with a global issue nobody could have been prepared for.
“Sadly we are constantly faced with negativity about the situation day to day and I found my own personal mental health was being affected as I read and listened to the news. There isn’t enough positive news pushed out in the mainstream media and definitely the community spirit is lost.
“I decided to start Good News MCR to champion a positive message and primarily focus around the communities and people around us. More than ever we need each other and if we can see the good around us it may help us appreciate each other a little more.”
