Cash for Communities, Viridor Credits

An independent funding body, Viridor Credits distributes the landfill tax credits that Viridor makes available to support environmental, conservation and community projects through the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF).

Viridor Credits receives its entire income from Viridor, and works to ensure that almost 100 per cent of the LCF money that it receives is used to benefit and add value to the lives of the local people within 5-10 miles of Viridor's 25 landfill sites across the country.

The Brief

Viridor Credits wanted to increase enquiries from five identified areas where it was felt there was a lack of awareness about the scheme. The Viridor Credits name was not a dominant presence within these local communities and there was little call to action or information available on how to apply for funding. There was also little promotion of Viridor Credits' achievements to date and as such the positive, local community work Viridor is a part of.

The Solution

An integrated campaign was developed under the title, ‘Cash for Communities', to clearly identify Viridor Credits as a helpful and reliable source of funding for certain well-defined environmental, community and conservation projects.

The Cash for Communities campaign consisted of:

• The creation of a dedicated logo to stand alongside the Viridor Credits logo and which would appear on posters and leaflets highlighting the campaign
• The compilation of a database of key contacts within the target areas including for example, parish / town council clerks and community action groups
• A campaign pack sent out to these contacts, comprising a letter with a clear call to action and highlighting the funds available, a simple but powerful poster and leaflets for those key contacts to distribute / display
• Remarkable supported the marketing campaign by compiling a list of target media, drafting a press pack of background information about Viridor Credits and identifying existing projects to promote as successful recipients of Viridor Credits funding

In addition to the above a letter and copy of the Viridor Credits annual review, Creditable Achievements, was sent to all local MPs and councillors in the target areas to educate them about the funding available within their constituencies.

Results

• The Cash for Communities campaign had an instant affect with enquiries up in the target areas by approximately 30%
• Viridor Credits had previously struggled to make a funding assessment meeting worthwhile in the five identified areas, but since Cash for Communities there are at least four projects underway in each area
• The Cash for Communities campaign has continued with ongoing media relations to promote the work of Viridor Credits resulting in press coverage worth over £60,000 since the campaign began