The two medals are among the Institute’s highest honours, recognising exceptional achievement in PR practice and contribution made to the profession’s wider development.

President’s Medal - Rupert Younger

The 2026 President's Medal is awarded to Rupert Younger, Director of the Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation and Senior Research Fellow and Tutor in Management at Worcester College, Oxford. By establishing the Centre, Rupert has played an important role in bringing the study of public relations into the University, with work spanning research, insight, and executive education including Oxford’s globally recognised Corporate Affairs Academy. In awarding the medal, Farzana cited the standard of that academic work and her belief in the value of intellectual rigour to the profession's development.

Sir Stephen Tallents’ Medal - Samantha Seewoosurrun

The 2026 Sir Stephen Tallents' Medal is awarded to Samantha Seewoosurrun Chart.PR, FCIPR, Founder and Managing Director of the PR and publishing agency Perpetual Motion. A Chartered Practitioner, CIPR Fellow and Council Member, Samantha founded the CIPR's International Network in Mauritius in 2019 and went on to chair the Institute's International Group from 2021 to 2024. She has served on the CIPR's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, been a judge for the CIPR Excellence Awards, and now sits on the Institute's Audit & Risk Committee while co-chairing the Council Working Group on Making the Case for Public Relations. She received the CIPR Volunteer Recognition Awards for Outstanding Long Service in 2024 and 2026. In awarding the medal, President Farzana Baduel recognised Samantha's sustained commitment to the Institute and her work to build and uphold its presence in Mauritius.

Miriam is joined by guests:

• Sarah Key, leader of the content team at NHS Blood and Transplant, and
• Tim Ridgway Chart.PR, the Strategic Stakeholder Engagement Manager at Surrey County Council.

Drawing on campaigns delivered across healthcare, local government, policing, and the charity sector, the panel discuss how practitioners can identify objectives, segment and map audiences to tailor messaging, and secure stakeholder buy-in. Listeners will hear about established planning approaches including the OASIS framework and PESO model, and the case for establishing strategies before reaching for tactics.

The panel concludes by examining how communicators can test novel approaches in their campaigns without chasing trends, what audiences reaction to influencer and AI-generated content reveals about the value of credible voices, and why evaluation and measurable indicators of performance belong in a campaign from its outset.

• Listen to the episode on Spotify
• Find out more about the CIPR Engage Podcast
• CIPR members can log 5 CPD points for listening to this episode

The report - Impact Beyond Borders: Expanding Global Access for Young African Communicators - was authored by Adedoyin Jaiyesimi Chart.PR, MCIPR and sponsored by the CIPR Research Fund. It draws on a survey of more than 200 respondents across 11 African countries, 10 focus group discussions with 40 young professionals in Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe, and one-on-one interviews with the presidents of four national PR associations and the chair of the CIPR International Group.

The study sets out to understand why young African professionals are excluded from global PR and communications training and how international associations could widen access. Reviewing how training is provided across the sector, it identifies where engagement is strongest and sets out practical steps to reach those still being missed.

The research identifies three main barriers that limit the access young African professionals have to global training and certification:

• Financial constraints and affordability
• Limited awareness and visibility of what associations offer
• A mismatch between global course content and African market realities

To address the barriers, the report proposes the ARC model, a framework built on three pillars: accessibility, relevance and collaboration. Accessibility addresses the cost, format and payment of training. Relevance concerns how well course content reflects African markets. Collaboration calls for partnerships between global bodies and African associations, academic institutions and PR communities.

• Read more CIPR Research Fund reports.
• Download the full report.

Two candidates are standing for election as the CIPR's 2027 President-Elect:

• David Hamilton Chart.PR, FCIPR - Executive Director of Engagement, Marketing and Communications at the British Film Institute (BFI)
• Anne-Marie Lacey Chart.PR, FCIPR - Degree Programme Director and Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University

The successful candidate will serve as President-Elect in 2027 before becoming CIPR President in 2028 and Past-President in 2029. Candidate statements are available to read on the CIPR's website, and a virtual hustings will take place on 15 September from 12:00-13:00 BST where members can pose questions to David and Anne-Marie.

Five candidates are standing for two seats on the Institute's Board of Directors, for a term running from January 2027 to December 2029:

• Hajira Amla Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Adam Barrett MCIPR
• Paul Compton Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Aimee Postle Chart.PR, Dip CIPR
• Naomi MG Smith Chart.PR, FCIPR

Voting in both contested elections opens on 16 September 2026 and closes on 28 September 2026, with results expected on 1 October. Eligible CIPR members will receive voting instructions by email from Mi-Voice, the Institute's electoral services provider.

Eleven candidates stood for election to the CIPR Council. With fewer candidates than available seats, all eleven have been elected unopposed and will serve a term running from January 2027 to December 2028:

• Bridget Aherne Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Peter Campbell Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Catherine Condie Chart.PR, FCIPR
• Shaun Gibbons Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Andrew Hesselden MCIPR
• Lisa James Chart.PR, MCIPR
• John Mayne Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Paula McNulty Chart.PR, FCIPR
• Lorna Muir MCIPR
• Samantha Seewoosurrun Chart.PR, FCIPR
• Samantha Wilding Chart.PR, MCIPR

• Register for the virtual hustings on September 15, 12:00-13:00BST.
• Read the candidate's statements.

Now in its sixth successive year, the PR Research Fund supports independent research into questions facing the public relations profession. The 2026 projects cover ethics in internal and science communications, hidden disabilities, and the effects of secondary trauma on practitioners.

Successful applicants will receive grants of up to £2,000 and access to CIPR training courses to strengthen their research methods.

The projects commissioned under the 2026 Research Fund are:

• Living the Values: embedding ethical values through internal communications, by Katherine Bradshaw Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Invisible but Impactful: creating a more inclusive PR profession for people with hidden disabilities and long-term health conditions, by Samantha Livingstone Chart.PR, FCIPR
• Ethical and practical considerations in research communications, and how STEM PR professionals can provide fair and inclusive opportunity to diverse groups, by David Schley Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Vicarious and secondary trauma in PR: when telling the story takes a toll, by Crispin Thorold Chart.PR, FCIPR, FRSA

• For more information about the Fund, please visit our website
• Read the CIPR's latest Research Fund reports online

• Steve Baker - former minister and Chief Provocation Officer, The Provocation People
• Professor Paul Dolan - Professor of Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics and Chief Provocation Officer, The Provocation People
• Dr Alison Edgar MBE - Motivational Business Speaker
• Dr Rebecca Harding - CEO, Centre for Economic Security
• Amil Khan - Co-founder and CEO, Valent
• Dwain Reid - Business Growth Specialist
• Louise Thompson Davies - Global Head of External Communications at Jaguar Land Rover

• Find out more and book your tickets for the CIPR's 2026 Annual Conference

Episode 22 - Ageism in PR - examines why and how experienced practitioners get pushed out of the profession, drawing on the findings from the CIPR-funded report ‘An age-old problem: What can we do to tackle ageism in PR?’ It is the first in a new series produced in partnership with the CIPR's Diversity and Inclusion Network and its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champions, who work across the Institute's sectoral and regional groups.

The episode covers how ageism appears in hiring, in access to training, and in a stereotype that casts older practitioners as a “safe pair of hands” rather than a creative one. It considers business models and cultural norms that treat senior experience as a cost, the practitioners who feel pushed into freelancing as a result, and the way ageism can compound other forms of discrimination, particularly for women and people from diverse backgrounds.

Host Abha Thakor Chart.PR, FCIPR, journalist and Chartered Manager, is joined by:

• Jenny Manchester MCIPR, author of the report ‘An age-old problem: What can we do to tackle ageism in PR?’
• Avril Lee Hon.FCIPR, independent communications consultant and Chair of the CIPR’s Diversity and Inclusion Network and the Taylor Bennett Foundation.

The episode closes with practical steps to build age-friendly workplaces, returning to the employers' checklist published alongside Jenny's report and setting out where the industry can begin: clearer criteria and scoring in recruitment, checking who actually takes up existing policies such as those on menopause or caring responsibilities, and training line managers to work across generations.

• Listen to the episode on Spotify or Apple Music
• Find out more about the CIPR Engage Podcast
• CIPR members can log 5 CPD points for listening to this episode
• Read the CIPR-funded report - An age-old problem: What can we do to tackle ageism in PR?
• Find out more about the CIPR's Diversity and Inclusion Network
• Explore the Centre for Ageing Better's Age-Friendly Culture Toolkit and Age-friendly Employer Pledge

• Read the CIPR's 2025 Annual Report
• Register for the CIPR's AGM online

• Sam Ellis, Senior Public Affairs Manager, Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL)
• Tony Langham, Executive Chair and Co-Founder, Lansons | Team Farner
• Jon McLeod, Partner, DRD Partnership
• Angharad Mountford, Senior Communications Manager, Schillings
• Charlotte Sansom, Associate Director, PR & Communications, EMEA, Dechert LLP

A volunteer with Scouts since 2012, Rhian became Chief Volunteer for Wales in 2019. During her time in post, she guided Scouting in Wales through the Covid-19 pandemic, supported the introduction of Squirrels, and marked 100 years of Scouting in Wales. She now serves as a Trustee of the Youth United Foundation, representing Scouts and other youth organisations on its UK board.

Rhian has volunteered with the Institute for more than 20 years, chairing its Cymru Group from 2018 to 2022 and more recently serving on its Council. She was awarded the CIPR’s Sir Stephen Tallents’ Medal in 2023. Rhian has held senior communications roles across the public and private sectors, and currently works as Head of Communications and Engagement at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

The new guide - The Responsible Use of AI in PR - is available to both CIPR members and non-members, and translates the Global Alliance's Venice Pledge into practical guidance, taking each of the Pledge's seven principles and exploring the issues and dilemmas practitioners may encounter when applying them in practice. 

It offers a practical checklist covering how to assess AI tools before use, what to consider when handling data, how to review outputs, the questions to ask before publishing AI-assisted or generated content, and the wider responsibilities involved in commissioning and deploying AI systems.

It is intended to be used as a reference when developing organisational AI policies, evaluating tools, or briefing teams and clients.

The guidance will be reviewed and updated periodically by the CIPR's Professional Practices Committee (PPC) to reflect new developments in AI capabilities, emerging case law, and evolving professional standards.

• Download the CIPR's best practice guide on The Responsible Use of AI in PR. [Member download | Non-member download]
• Visit the CIPR's AI in PR Hub for more resources, expert insight, and training courses on AI in PR and communications

The nomination period for all three bodies runs from Wednesday 29 April to Friday 22 May 2026, closing at 17:00 BST. Elections will take place in September 2026, with all terms beginning on 1 January 2027.

President-Elect 2027

The President-Elect serves as first deputy to the President, beginning a three-year term in January 2027: one year as President-Elect, one as President, and one as Vice President.

The President is the most visible leadership role in the Institute, representing the CIPR to government, media, and the wider industry.

Board of Directors

Board members serve a three-year term commencing January 2027 and hold legal responsibility for the governance of the Institute. The role offers substantial non-executive governance experience, with exposure to financial oversight, risk, and long-term strategy, and is a valuable route into wider trustee and director positions.

The Institute’s latest skills assessment identified a need for experience in governance, equity, diversity and inclusion, and digital or cyber security. To stand for election, candidates do not need to be CIPR members, or to have prior experience as a director or trustee.

Council

The Council advises the Board on the Institute's strategic direction. Those elected will serve a two-year term, from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2028.

Serving on Council gives members direct input into policy, professional standards, and strategy, alongside a peer network that spans sectors and career stages. Council meets four times per year for three-hour sessions, with a mix of in-person and online meetings.

• Learn more about CIPR elections
• Find out more about serving as President, a Board Director, or on Council

Susan takes over from Ruth Matthews who is retiring after more than 11 years in the role and is responsible for maintaining standards across the different CIPR qualifications delivered in the UK and overseas by CIPR Accredited Teaching Centres (ATCs). The Chair of Examiners has a strategic advisory role to ensure that CIPR Awarding Body assessment processes and course regulations are fit for purpose including responsibility for developing assessment processes, course regulation and policy to ensure alignment with best practice in the area of Awarding Body services.

Susan is Deputy Vice-Principal (Science, Engineering and Business) at the University of Dundee and a Chartered Practitioner and Fellow of the CIPR. Her recruitment is for an initial three-year term and her tenure will begin in June 2026.

The survey captures practitioner perspectives on the health of the profession including skills and training needs, salaries, the reputation of PR, and how practitioners are responding to developments in artificial intelligence and the global news agenda.

Now in its fourteenth year, the State of the Profession survey is the largest and longest-running survey of its kind. The insight gathered supports the Institute to benchmark standards, guide its policy agenda, and make effective representations on behalf of the profession to business, partners, and legislators.

The survey is open to all, takes approximately 10 minutes to complete, and all participants can enter a prize draw for a £100 gift card on completion.

• Take the survey. It is open to all, CIPR member or not, and can be completed on any device in less than 10 minutes. Respondents can enter a prize draw to win a £100 gift card on completion.

In a letter to the EIC chair, the prime minister confirmed the terms of reference for the review that include “whether the current arrangements for transparency around lobbying are sufficient, including the government's publication of monthly and quarterly integrity data; and the Register of Consultant Lobbying”. The review will also address the publication of financial interests for Ministers and senior government officials and the current Business Appointment Rules.

The review follows the government announcement last month that it would "look closely" at the legislation surrounding transparency around lobbying following revelations relating to the relationship between Peter Mandelson’s and Jeffrey Epstein.

The CIPR's Lobbying for Good Lobbying campaign is calling for:

• A register of all lobbying activity that includes in-house lobbying as well as consultant lobbying
• The lobbying of special advisers and senior civil servants to be included in the register
• The removal of the VAT exemption and the incidental lobbying exemption

Letter to standards committee 

Dear Chair, 

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is writing to you today to register our concerns regarding the Committee’s recent proposals as outlined in your ‘Register of Interests of Members’ Staff: transitional provisions’ publication. 

The CIPR represents over 11,000 members and since 2022 has been campaigning for greater transparency when it comes to those lobbying to influence our politics. Our research has demonstrated how Westminster’s lobbying laws are not fit for purpose and have consistently failed to provide the necessary safeguards to prevent scandals. Westminster’s lobbying regime is an outlier and provides significantly less information when compared to our international counterparts. As a result, public trust in policymakers and those that legitimately seek to lobby them remains damagingly low. 

It is against this backdrop that we read with some concern your proposals that “reduces transparency and accountability” with regard to replacing the individual names of parliamentary staff with job titles on the Register of Interests of Members’ Staff. We recognise that the Committee has given careful consideration to the safety and privacy of those working for Members of Parliament and we do not seek to minimise those concerns. However, we believe the proposals are disproportionate, create significant new risks for lobbying transparency, and place the House of Commons at odds with the standards upheld by comparable democratic legislatures. 

The Register of Interests of Members’ Staff serves as an important tool for public accountability. The identification of named individuals alongside the Members they serve and the interests they hold allows civil society, journalists, and the public to scrutinise potential conflicts of interest. 

Without named individuals on the register, it will no longer be possible to identify arrangements or trace broader networks of affiliation. These include staff employed through a secondment as well as details of hospitality offered to staff. The result is a significant and exploitable gap in the UK’s already limited lobbying transparency framework. 

The proposed change would place the House of Commons in conflict with the standards maintained by other legislatures. The UK already scores poorly in international rankings of lobbying transparency, and we are concerned that this proposal would further entrench that position at a time when public trust in political institutions is significantly low. 

We do not dispute that parliamentary staff have legitimate safety and privacy concerns. We would, however, urge the Committee to consider a more targeted approach that addresses those concerns without taking a significant step backwards to allow for less transparency at a time when it is so desperately needed. 

We would welcome the opportunity to discuss these concerns further and are happy to provide additional evidence or analysis in support of our position.

'Navigating Growing Political Pressures' - supported by Jericho Chambers, Ipsos, and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) - finds that the traditional boundaries between commerce and public life are blurring, creating immediate risks to a company’s reputation, operations, and licence to operate.

Based on interviews with leading corporate figures and real-life case studies, the report outlines six risks for business leaders if the relationship between business and democracy breaks down. These include rising populism, unstable markets, unpredictable regulation, rapid political change and higher reputational exposure. It concludes with a practical framework designed to help businesses navigate this socio-political environment and protect long-term resilience.

The Way Forward

To help businesses navigate these turbulent waters, the Commission’s final report offers strategic, actionable insights based on interviews with corporate leaders, with case studies to highlight examples of best practice. Core recommendations include:

• Alignment with core values – Identify what teams and key stakeholders really believe in and want. This demands open and honest internal soul searching.
• Focus on commercial authenticity – Don’t stray too far from what you do or your organisation’s core purpose. It must be authentic.
• Utilise internal wisdom – Leverage the huge wisdom of staff and stakeholders – who want you to succeed – and use them as sounding boards, feedback mechanisms and advocates.
• Narratives over numbers – have a strategic story about the when, why and how of your engagement in public and political issues.
• Foster citizenship, internally and externally – Use internal strategy groups to source valuable insights, and encourage workforce engagement in civic matters to strengthen democratic understanding.
• Proactive transparency – Embrace voluntary disclosures which align with your business values to build trust with stakeholders.
• Transparent lobbying practices – Ensure all lobbying activity is transparent and aligns with your values.
• Incorporate political risks in governance – Put these political risks at the heart of governance decisions and reviews, with oversight from the highest levels of leadership.

Chaired by Sir Ian Cheshire, the Commission brings together senior figures from business, academia, and civil society to explore how leaders can strengthen business resilience, navigate today’s volatile political and cultural landscape, and secure their licence to operate in the years ahead.

• Download ‘Navigating Growing Political Pressures’ 

The letter, published in full below, follows an investigation by Press Gazette earlier this month, which identified more than 50 fake experts appearing in over 1,000 articles across national and regional newspapers, magazines, and online publications.

In response, the two PR membership bodies - which collectively represent PR professionals, agencies, in-house teams, and freelance practitioners - have called on journalists to use their publicly available membership registers to verify the credentials of PR professionals and expert sources where concerns arise.

• The CIPR Public Relations Register
• The CIPR Corporate Affiliate Directory
• PRCA Membership Directory

The letter highlights the fact that both organisations require members to adhere to their respective codes of conduct that promote accuracy, transparency, and ethical engagement, including with the media. These standards provide journalists with an additional safeguard when assessing the legitimacy of a PR professional, as well as access to a formal complaints process should there be concerns that standards have been breached. The use of fake experts would constitute a breach of these codes and could result in public expulsion.

• Find out more about the CIPR's Code of Conduct
• Learn more about the CIPR Complaints Process

CIPR and PRCA letter

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) note with concern recent reports highlighting instances where public relations professionals have pitched stories to the media featuring fake “experts”.

Promoting accurate, ethical, and transparent engagement - including with the press - is central to our respective missions. To support this, we each maintain publicly accessible directories of accredited and verified practitioners. We encourage journalists to use these resources to check whether a PR professional is a current member in good standing, should any concerns arise:

• The CIPR Public Relations Register
• PRCA Membership Directory

Membership of either body signals a commitment to high professional and ethical standards, including adherence to established codes of conduct. While membership is voluntary, our directories provide an additional safeguard for media professionals seeking to verify the legitimacy of a PR representative. They also offer access to a complaints process where issues warrant further scrutiny.

We welcome constructive dialogue with media organisations on how we can collectively strengthen transparency, accountability, and trust between the PR profession and the press.

Your sincerely,

Alastair McCapra, CIPR CEO

Sarah Waddington CBE, PRCA CEO

• CIPR members can download 'How to avoid PR disasters on Wikipedia' for more guidance and information.

The CIPR Research Fund is now in its sixth successive year and offers CIPR members at any stage of their careers funding and support to conduct independent research relevant to the advancement of PR and communications management. The research must be in line with the Institute’s Royal Charter and 2025-2029 strategy, and applications are decided by members of the CIPR’s Research Fund Panel.

Applications for 2026 are now open and are encouraged from both individuals and teams before the deadline on April 15. As part of the Institute’s commitment to inclusion, applicants are not required to have prior research experience and will be offered a free CIPR training course to help develop or refresh their research skills.

• To learn more about the Fund and how to apply, please visit our dedicated webpage.

The CIPR is pleased to confirm that former CIPR Presidents who remain active members of the Institute have been awarded Honorary Fellowships. In addition, Dan Slee has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship, while Andy West has been awarded a Fellowship of the Institute.

Honorary Fellowships are granted by the CIPR Board of Directors in recognition of exceptionally outstanding service to the Institute and the development of the public relations profession. Fellowships are awarded to members who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement, notable service to the CIPR, and significant contributions to the profession. CIPR Fellows and Honorary Fellows play an important role in promoting professionalism, championing best practice, and raising awareness of the value of CIPR membership.

Honorary Fellowships – former CIPR Presidents

(ordered by most recent)

Advita Patel
Rachael Clamp
Steve Shepperson-Smith
Rachel Roberts
Mandy Pearse
Jenni Field
Emma Leech
Sarah Waddington CBE
Jason MacKenzie
Rob Brown
Sarah Pinch
Sally Sykes
Lionel Zetter
Chris Genasi
Ian Wright
Alison Clarke
Philip Dewhurst
Tony Spalding

Honorary Fellowships have been awarded to former Presidents who are current and active CIPR members. Previous Presidents who already hold Honorary Fellowship status include Stephen Waddington, Paul Mylrea, Kevin Taylor, Tony Bradley, Anne Gregory, John Aspery, Peter Walker, Simon Lewis OBE, Douglas Smith, Reginald Watts, Peter M Smith, Neville E Wade, Norah L Owen, Wilfred P Howard, Denis J E Inchbald, Herbert Lloyd, F C Gillman MVO OBE, R A Paget-Cooke MBE, and Alan Campbell-Johnson OBE.

Dan Slee Hon.FCIPR

Dan Slee has made an exceptional contribution to the public sector PR and communications profession. He served on the CIPR’s Local Public Services Group and founded Public Sector Headspace, a peer-to-peer community of more than 8,000 members providing daily support, practical advice and professional development. He also created Commscamp, a free unconference for public sector communicators, authored influential papers on digital communications, and delivers affordable training on social media, video, media relations and data-led practice. Widely respected for his leadership and generosity, Dan is known for mentoring and supporting communications professionals across the sector, helping to build capability and confidence.

Andy West Chart.PR, FCIPR

Andy West is a Chartered PR Practitioner and long-standing member of the CIPR, with more than three decades of active service to the profession. He served as Chair of the CIPR Greater London Group and continues to support the Institute and the profession through committee work, judging industry awards, and championing professional standards, ethics, and evaluation best practice. A former senior agency leader, Andy is now an independent advisor, board member and mentor. He is a recognised industry voice through his consultancy, public speaking and writing, and is committed to building a more inclusive profession through his support for underrepresented talent.

For over four decades, the Excellence Awards have set the benchmark for creativity, innovation, and strategic thinking in public relations. Now in its 42nd year, the industry’s flagship awards will celebrate the profession’s most impactful campaigns, teams, and individuals. This year’s ceremony features 33 award categories including three new awards for the best Change Communication Campaign, In-House Campaign, and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative.

The dates to enter the Excellence Awards 2026 are:

• Early Bird Entry Deadline - 5 March 2026
• Standard Entry Deadline - 12 March 2026
• Final Entry Deadline - 19 March 2026

• Visit the Excellence Awards page for more information on the ceremony and to view details of the award categories.
• The winners will be announced at the prestigious awards ceremony at The Royal Lancaster, London in July.

The PR Population Report: UK-wide edition was produced in partnership with Chalkstream and represents the first dataset to combine Census 2021 and 2022 occupational data for PR practitioners across all four nations. It provides the most comprehensive picture to date of the size and makeup of the UK's population of PR professionals, identifying 69,470 practitioners across the country.

Among the report's headline findings, Scotland's PR sector stands out on gender equity at senior levels. It is the only UK nation where women hold the majority of director-level roles, with 51% of Scottish PR directors being female compared to 46–47% elsewhere. Across the rest of the UK, the analysis confirms a continued gender imbalance, with women making up the majority of the profession while remaining underrepresented at senior levels.

More key findings from the report include:

• The number of PR practitioners in the UK grew by 53% since 2011, rising from 45,359 to 69,470.
• Women make up 60% of PR practitioners UK-wide but only 47% of directors.
• 17% of Scotland's PR practitioners report a disability that limits daily activities, compared with 8% in England and Wales.
• 14% of Scotland's practitioners report fair, bad or very bad health, compared with 6% in England and Wales.
• 44% of UK practitioners are aged 16–34, though Scotland has a higher proportion of practitioners aged 50–74 than anywhere else in the UK.

• Download the PR Population Report: UK-wide edition
• Note: The ONS notes that the ‘Census 2021 was during a unique period of rapid change’ because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and care should be taken when using this data for planning purposes.

The new Chartered Practitioners demonstrated their expertise across strategic communications, ethical practice, and leadership capabilities during their assessments and have been awarded public relations' highest badge of professionalism. With more than 175 practitioners achieving Chartered status in 2025, this year represents one of the strongest on record for professional accreditation.

The latest practitioners to become Chartered are:

1. Elizabeth Anderson
2. Katie Ashton
3. Helen Bidwell
4. Claire Boxall
5. Bridget Brady
6. Elscent Chatsanga
7. Laura Clark
8. Alex Cobb
9. Ruth Dalton
10. Lizzie D'Angelo
11. Mark Dorey
12. Shon Douglas
13. Hannah Farthing
14. Jo Fearn
15. Nick Foley
16. Milko Hadzhigenov
17. Claire Halliwell
18. Rosie Hamilton
19. Phil Harrison
20. Lauren Howard
21. Alastair Jackson
22. Caroline Kennedy-Jones
23. Kerry Knight
24. Alison Martin
25. Jonathan Martin
26. Prudence Muganiwah
27. Tsitsi Munyaradzi
28. Chiedzwa Mutizwa
29. Tarisai Muzorori
30. Linda Evalyn Nabirye
31. Alison Parmar
32. Neal Patel
33. Sowmya Pulle
34. Sheona Roberts
35. Krystyna Rudzk
36. Will Searle
37. Samantha Seewoosurrun
38. Vicky Shepherd
39. Ben Steele
40. Anastasios Theofilou
41. Edward Thomas
42. Alison Watkins
43. Rachel Westray
44. Isobel Wilson-Cleary
45. Chris Young
46. Hazel Zisanhi 

• The CIPR have announced a Chartership package that enables members to save nearly £200 on the Chartership assessment fee by adding it to their membership subscription at a discounted rate and committing to becoming chartered within two years.
• Find out more about Chartership and email our membership team with any questions.

Everyday Ethics in PR Volume II features seven anonymised case studies drawn from enquiries to the CIPR's Ethics Hotline. Written by the CIPR’s Professional Practice and Ethics Consultant, Chris Lines Chart.PR, each case study presents a real ethical dilemma faced by practitioners and provides considerations and advice for each. It is designed to help readers reflect on how they would respond in similar situations and strengthen their ability to recognise and address ethical challenges in their work.

The guide is available free to download for members, worth 5 CIPR CPD points, and also fulfils the requirement to log 5 ethics points.

• Download the CIPR’s Everyday Ethics in PR Guide - Volume II
• Find out more about our free and confidential Ethics Hotline
• Log the 5 CPD points on MyCPD

• Join the CIPR's Neuroinclusion in PR LinkedIn Group
• Learn more about the CIPR Neuroinclusion for Managers training

Sponsored by Agility PR Solutions, PA mediapoint, Cision, and Specialist Speakers, the ‘Leadership and Impact’ conference featured insights from business leaders and experts on a range of subjects.

James Peach (Business leader in tech, retail and FMCG) explored the essence of modern leadership, detailing the four key challenges modern leaders must overcome to lead in a world that “will change more in the next 10, than in the previous 100”. Priya Lakhani OBE (Founder and CEO of Century Tech) took to stage to lift the hood on AI and explain why businesses must develop a better understanding of this rapidly evolving technology.

Josephine Hansom (Gen Z insight and strategy, MRS Board Member & Fellow) discussed the intergenerational workplace challenges leaders face and asked “how we work together when the rules keep changing?”, concluding learning on the job no longer an option, but “the most valuable skill you’ll have today”. Naomi Goodman (Head of Change and Employee Engagement at the MHP Group) explored the three faces of the game of change, defining change as “no longer an occasional challenge [but] the constant backdrop of modern business” despite most employees doubting change initiatives when they are introduced.

Kira Matthews (Mindset and Confidence coach) confronted what confidence means in a world that’s moving faster and demanding more than ever before with a bold, fresh take on self-assurance that was packed with insights to help professionals tackle their inner critic and embrace failure. Dr Jack Lewis (Neuroscientist, TV Presenter, Author) brought cutting edge neuroscience to life, revealing how understanding the power of surprise and the brain’s decision-making processes can change how you build your brain. The event concluded with Karen Blackett CBE (Former WPP UK President) sharing her reflections on the recipe for successful leadership and the importance of authenticity, empathy, and the ability to motivate diverse teams as essential ingredients that make leadership both effective and human.

The report – Choosing Public Relations: Factors impacting career choice for the next generation of potential PR practitioners – was authored by Caroline Spence MCIPR, Senior Lecturer in Marketing at De Montfort University, and funded by the CIPR’s Research Fund. It surveyed 118 students and recent graduates across 12 UK universities studying marketing, business, and communications-related degrees, asking about their awareness of PR as a career option, the factors shaping their career decisions, and the barriers they faced in accessing work experience, internships, and entry-level roles.

Key findings from the research include:

• 79% of respondents reported experiencing barriers to entering the PR sector
• 41% said that closer ties with industry – through paid internships, work experience, networking opportunities or guest lecturers – would have helped them secure employment more easily
• The top barriers to entry cited were lack of connections in the industry (21%), lack of practical work experience (18%), and difficulty securing paid employment (16%)
• Over one third of those who had work experience in PR chose it as a career, and just under a third of those who had access to industry professionals cited that as the deciding factor

The report concludes with actionable recommendations for educators, employers, and sector bodies to strengthen collaboration, embed PR careers content within teaching, expand access to paid work experience, and provide targeted support for under-represented groups.

• Careers in PR working group - Led by Catherine Condie Chart.PR, FCIPR, a dedicated team of volunteers from across our Groups and Networks is collaborating to create clearer, more accessible routes into PR and communications. By sharing insight and championing inclusion, they’re building practical pathways for students and early-career professionals. Their work demonstrates the power of CIPR volunteers joining forces to make lasting change across the industry.
• Read more CIPR Research Fund reports.

Episode 20 - Causing the right kind of trouble – overcoming bias in decision-making - examines the advisory role PR practitioners play in challenging flawed decision-making processes. Hosted by Ben Verinder, managing director of Chalkstream, the episode features Dr Jon White Chart.PR, Hon FCIPR, a consultant in public relations and organisational development, and Shayoni Lynn, CEO and founder of behavioural science communications consultancy Lynn Group.

The conversation covers the nature of cognitive bias, from heuristics and system one thinking to the limitations of rational decision-making. The guests examine real-world examples including Apple's decade-long Project Titan initiative, groupthink in the lead-up to the 2008 financial crisis, and how confirmation bias and optimism bias affected the UK's COVID-19 response.

Their discussion addresses many contemporary and evolving challenges facing PR, including bias in artificial intelligence systems, the ethical application of behavioural science in communications, and growing issues around ageism.

• Listen to the Engage Podcast on Apple or Spotify
• Find out more about the CIPR's Engage Podcast
• CIPR members can log 5 CPD points for listening to this episode
• Find out more about the CIPR's Behavioural Science training

The report – The Inside Story: Investigating Internal Communication in Organisations with Fewer than 500 Employees – was funded by the CIPR Research Fund and conducted by John Clegg Chart.PR, FCIPR. Drawing on a survey of 74 respondents and 10 in-depth interviews, it offers new insight into how smaller organisations manage communication, culture, and connection as they grow.

The findings reveal that as organisations expand beyond around 150 employees, informal communication networks break down. Yet few businesses of this size invest in the structure, strategy, or leadership alignment needed to sustain clarity and trust. While 92% of organisations say they prioritise building trust in leadership, only 62% believe they do it well.

The study highlighted several recurring challenges:

• Under-resourced internal communication functions, often thin, fractional or managed part-time at mid-level
• A weak link between communication and senior leadership
• Email, intranet, and virtual town halls now forming the back bone of internal communication
• Limited focus on measurement, governance, and strategic planning

A companion Skills Guide – Internal Communication Beyond Big Corporates – provides practical advice for smaller organisations on establishing effective communication structures, delivering them strategically, and measuring their impact.

• Download the full report - The Inside Story: Investigating Internal Communication in Organisations with Fewer than 500 Employees
• Download the companion Skills Guide - Internal Communication Beyond Big Corporates

Dan is Associate Director at Liz Male Consulting and brings more than a decade of experience working with the CIPR, including four years on its Board of Directors and two years on Council. His career spans both agency and in-house roles, including his position as former Head of Communications, Asia Pacific, for global architecture practice Broadway Malyan, where he led regional communication strategies across diverse markets. 

Dan will serve another three-year term on the Board of Directors, beginning 1 January 2026 and ending 31 December 2028, assuming the role of President-Elect in 2026, President in 2027, and Past-President in 2028. 

Statement from the returning officer

At the close of voting, 17:00 on Friday 17 October 2025, 434 votes had been cast of 8,049 ballots issued, a turnout of 5.4%. The count was conducted by the Single Transferable Vote system. Dan Gerrella was elected at Stage 2. There were no appeals or complaints within the statutory 48 hours from the close of voting. I therefore declare Dan Gerrella duly elected as CIPR President-Elect 2026. 

These new members join a growing community of nearly 300 Corporate Affiliates, each demonstrating their commitment to professional excellence and the ongoing development of their PR and communications teams.

The latest corporate members to join the CIPR are:

• Tendo Consulting Ltd
• South Wales Fire and Rescue Service
• Park Street Partners
• Maximus
• The YIMBY Initiative Ltd
• YPO
• Fusion Media
• We Do Stories

• For further information on becoming a CIPR Corporate Affiliate, to view the full list of CIPR corporate members, or to download our Corporate Affiliate brochure, please visit our website.
• Call +44 (0)7741 659 754 or email our team to discuss the benefits of corporate membership.

Honorary Fellowships are granted by the Board of Directors in recognition of exceptionally outstanding services to the Institute and/or the development of the public relations profession. Fellowships are bestowed upon members in recognition of distinction in the public relations profession.

Dr Kevin Ruck Hon FCIPR 

Kevin began his career at BT where he developed his special interest in internal comms and employee engagement. Recognising a need for a qualification in this topic he set up the PR Academy and initiated and developed both the internal comms certificate and diploma courses for the CIPR.

He is the editor and co-author of the textbook, Exploring Internal Communication, leads the European Affiliate Group of the Internal Communication Research Hub (formed in 2024 as part of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications), and is a former Chair of the CIPR Inside Group (2012-2013). He additionally serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Communication Management.

Candidates from Botswana, Zimbabwe, Canada, and the UK undertook rigorous one-day assessments, demonstrating their expertise and knowledge of public relations practice across strategy, ethics, and leadership. Those who successfully met the assessment criteria have been awarded PR’s highest badge of professionalism.

The latest practitioners to become chartered are:

1. Emily Abagis Chart.PR, MCIPR
2. Helen Bower Chart.PR, MCIPR
3. Gareth Brown Chart.PR, MCIPR
4. Hannah Burton Chart.PR, MCIPR
5. Pedro Caiado Chart.PR, MCIPR
6. Rhyne Chikuni Chart.PR, MCIPR
7. Helen Crumley Chart.PR, MCIPR
8. Sophie Everett Chart.PR, MCIPR, Dip CIPR
9. Graham Goodkind Chart.PR, MCIPR
10. Annie Lam Chart.PR, MCIPR
11. Lesego Lloyd Masole Chart.PR, MCIPR
12. Michaela Maunders Chart.PR, MCIPR, Dip CIPR
13. Christiana Melam Chart.PR, MCIPR
14. Jennifer Morgan Chart.PR, MCIPR, Dip CIPR
15. Benhildah Musakwa Chart.PR, MCIPR
16. Doug Nairn Chart.PR, MCIPR
17. Sara Naylor Chart.PR, MCIPR
18. Jane Peverley Chart.PR, MCIPR
19. Thomas Roden Chart.PR, MCIPR
20. Julio Romo Chart.PR, MCIPR
21. Oscar Saraoga Chart.PR, MCIPR
22. Ephraim Mubayi Tariro Chart.PR, MCIPR
23. Merita Taylor Chart.PR, MCIPR
24. Chelesani Tsarwe Chart.PR, MCIPR
25. Laura Varney Chart.PR, MCIPR
26. Ronee Walsh Chart.PR, MCIPR
27. Justine Wrightson Chart.PR, MCIPR 
     

• The CIPR have announced a Chartership package that enables members to save nearly £200 on the Chartership assessment fee by adding it to their membership subscription at a discounted rate and committing to becoming chartered within two years.
• Find out more about Chartership and email our membership team with any questions.

Three candidates are standing for election as the CIPR's 2026 President-Elect:

• Dan Gerrella
• Graham Goodkind
• Aileen Thompson

The successful candidate will serve as President-Elect in 2026 before taking on the role of CIPR President in 2027. Voting opens today, Friday 3 October and closes on Friday 17 October at 17:00. All eligible CIPR members will receive voting instructions via email from Mi-Voice, the Institute’s electoral services provider.

Elections for the CIPR Board’s 2026-2028 term have also concluded, where 14 candidates stood for three vacancies. The 25 members of the CIPR Council were eligible to vote, with the count conducted using the Single Transferable Vote, as stipulated in the regulations.

The following were duly elected and will serve as Board Members from 2026-2028:

• Noha Al Afifi
• Alex Malouf
• Jennifer Robson

• Hustings took place on Thursday 2nd October via Zoom. Log in to watch the recording.
• Read the candidate statements.

The awards were announced in person at the Institute’s annual Fellows’ lunch held at the Gherkin in London.

Sir Stephen Tallents’ Medal

The 2025 Sir Stephen Tallents' Medal was awarded to Anne-Marie Lacey, Founder of Filament PR. Anne-Marie is a CIPR Fellow, sits on the Institute's Board of Directors, and serves as a Senior Lecturer in Public Relations at Newcastle University. Her distinguished career includes winning the Outstanding Young Communicator Award at the 2014 CIPR North East PRide Awards, before winning the accolade nationally at CIPR's Excellence Award in 2017. She has since gone on to judge both schemes at a regional and national level. In awarding the Sir Stephen Tallents’ Medal, President Advita Patel noted Anne-Marie's "commitment and dedication to the CIPR and advocacy for professionalism, Chartership, and qualifications", in addition to praising her recent work on the CIPR's syllabus review.

CIPR President’s Medal

Sheeraz Gulsher, Co-founder of People Like Us, was awarded the 2025 CIPR President's Medal in recognition of his work championing diversity and inclusion within the public relations industry. People Like Us is an award-winning not-for-profit dedicated to celebrating and supporting UK professionals from Black, Asian, Mixed Race, and minoritised ethnic backgrounds. Through innovative campaigns and advocacy work, Sheeraz has established a reputation for supporting and amplifying under-represented voices within and beyond the industry. CIPR President Advita Patel highlighted Sheeraz’s "incredible work with People Like Us", noting that his continuous work and campaigns have made "significant contributions both politically and within the industry itself".

The collaboration between the professional body for public relations practitioners and the specialist apprenticeship provider aims to foster a new generation of skilled professionals and provide employers with a pipeline of talent in the PR and communications industry.

The partnership underscores a shared commitment to structured professional development and diversity within the sector, offering inclusive routes into and within the industry for individuals and significant benefits for employers.

The apprenticeship offerings include:

• PR & Communications Assistant (Level 4)
• Digital Community Manager (Level 4)
• Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (Level 4) (from January 2026)
• Communications Manager (Level 6) (From January 2026)

Benefits for individuals

JGA's apprenticeships - rated 'outstanding' by OFSTED - offer a unique model combining paid employment with formal training. Apprentices receive mentoring and coaching, and gain the key knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) essential for success in public relations, with 74% of their PR & Comms apprentices achieving a distinction. Apprenticeships are open to both new recruits and those looking to progress to managerial roles.

JGA apprentices coming via the CIPR will benefit from two years of free CIPR student membership.

Benefits for employers

JGA's communications apprenticeships are a valuable tool for developing talent and fostering the professionalisation of staff from diverse backgrounds. They broaden the recruitment opportunities for new employees, helping integrate new graduates into the workplace and providing relevant training directly related to workplace tasks.

Training costs can be paid via the Apprenticeship Levy while small companies receive a government subsidy of 95% of training costs.

A representative poll of 300 senior decision-makers in businesses with a public affairs, government affairs or related communications function found that lobbyist attendance at the Reform conference is set to nearly double compared to last year. The conference will be the third most attended by lobbyists this year, pushing the Liberal Democrats into fourth. In 2024, 12% of public affairs professionals attended the Party’s conference, up from just 4% in both 2022 and 2023. 

Other key findings include: 

• Labour’s conference remains the top destination for public affairs engagement in 2025, with 48% of public affairs professionals planning to attend 
• Reform continues to lag in delegate seniority, with 58% of attending organisations sending director-level or C-suite representatives – compared to 68% for Labour and 77% for the Conservatives 
• Labour also continues to stand out for drawing larger teams overall, with 52% of attending organisations also sending manager-level staff, compared to only 42% for Reform 

The survey also revealed that the average spend on Reform conference attendance is just under £18,000, compared to nearly £29,000 for both Labour and Conservative events. However, this could be affected by the shorter format of Reform’s conference.

• Learn more about the CIPR's Lobbying for Good Lobbying campaign
• Opinium surveyed 300 lobbyists and public affairs decision-makers within UK organisations with a public affairs function. Fieldwork was conducted between 21st and 26th August 2025.

The Plan - published late last week - announced a series of new reforms to support small businesses. It included measures to introduce new laws on late payments alongside a series of financial support packages and mentoring programmes for small businesses.

Under the new legislation, the Small Business Commissioner will receive enhanced powers to impose significant fines against large firms that repeatedly pay suppliers late.

The Government says its plan will introduce maximum payment terms of 60 days, reducing to 45 days, with mandatory interest charges for late payments and a 30-day invoice verification period to speed up dispute resolutions.

• Cultural Digital Inclusion: A PR Toolkit for Engaging Diverse Community Initiatives in Scotland, by Olushola Damilola Adetutu MCIPR 
• From screens to speech. Investigating Gen Z anxieties with direct interpersonal communication within the PR profession, by Anne Nicholls Chart.PR, Dip CIPR, MCIPR and Richard Bailey Hon FCIPR 
• Bridging the AI Gap: How Generative AI is Reshaping PR Education and Professional Practice, by Laura Richard FCIPR 
• Impact Beyond Borders: Expanding Global Access for Young African Communicators, by Adedoyin Jaiyesimi Chart.PR, MCIPR 

Successful candidates receive grants of up to £2,000 to conduct independent research that benefits the broader public relations profession. They will also gain access to CIPR training courses designed to strengthen their research skills and knowledge.

• For more information about the Fund, please visit our website
• Read the CIPR's latest Research Fund reports online

Following a government consultation, the HCPC will be given powers to bar NHS board-level leaders who commit serious misconduct or silence whistleblowers from practising in senior roles. Directors of Communications who sit on NHS boards or report directly to them will fall under the new regulatory regime, while other NHS communications managers will be regulated under separate standards.

CIPR members working for the health service anywhere in the UK are bound by the Institute's Code of Conduct, which establishes clear professional standards for ethical communications practice. The new regulatory framework will ensure NHS communications leaders are held to similar standards of accountability, with patient and public safety taking clear precedence over reputation management.

Sponsored by Cision One, PA Mediapoint, and Specialist Speakers, 'Leadership & Impact: The Future of Strategic Communications' will explore how PR practitioners can claim their seat at the top table and drive business outcomes in a world where trust, reputation, and influence are paramount. The conference will provide unmissable opportunities for attendees to sharpen their leadership edge, network with industry peers, and explore how the PR profession is redefining itself in the modern business landscape.

Early bird tickets are now available for a limited time, with live main stage streaming tickets also offered for those unable to attend in person on the day.

Speakers announced so far include:

• Karen Blackett CBE, Former WPP UK President, Non-Executive Director at BFC, Diageo, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Chancellor University of Portsmouth
• Naomi Goodman, Head of Change and Employee Engagement for MHP Group
• Lucy Holliday, Employee Communications Manager at the Financial Times
• Priya Lakhani OBE, Founder and CEO at CENTURY Tech
• Dr. Jack Lewis, a brain scientist, presenter, trainer, and broadcaster for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and more
• James Peach, a global marketing and business leader working in tech, retail and FMCG

• Find out more and book your tickets for the CIPR's 2025 Annual Conference

Practitioners from the Netherlands, Denmark, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and more demonstrated their expertise across strategic communications, ethical practice, and leadership capabilities. Those that passed were rewarded public relation’s highest badge of professionalism.

The latest practitioners to become Chartered are:

• Ruth Adetayo Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Esenam Agubretu Chart.PR, MCIPR
• James Anderson Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Fleur Binyon Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Prince Boamah Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Georgia Broome Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Claire Colburn Chart.PR, MCIPR, DipCIPR
• Siôn Davies Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Jack Dobson-Smith Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Natasha Dodds Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Elizabeth Eyarhono Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Mohammed Farooq Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Richard Faulkner Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Annie Goss Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Josephine Graham Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Martin Grey Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Gina Hollands Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Timothy Hoy Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Gaurika Kapoor Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Jessica Keynes Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Jeanette Lewis Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Natasha Moore Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Beauty Mutombe Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Julie Palmer Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Lisa Phillips Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Nina Preston-Smith Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Sharon Richardson Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Helen Rose Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Merit Rumema Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Ashley Shackleton Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Alex Shah Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Stephanie Snow Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Allan Kyobe Ssempebwa Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Roseanna Stoppard Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Thanyzl Thajudeen Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Paul Thomas Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Andrew Tromans Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Lauren Tunnicliffe Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Heidi Turner Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Gareth Watson Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Evie Whatling Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Taylor Williams Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Cheneen Williams Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Katy Willis Chart.PR, MCIPR

• The CIPR have announced a Chartership package that enables members to save nearly £200 on the Chartership assessment fee by adding it to their membership subscription at a discounted rate and committing to becoming chartered within two years.
• Find out more about Chartership and email our membership team with any questions.

Tin Man, Mischief, Stripe Communications, and Virgin Media 02 were tied for the most prolific organisations on the evening, each claiming two awards as over 400 PR and comms professionals joined magician and presenter, Ben Hanlin, at the Royal Lancaster London to celebrate the best in work in PR over the last 12 months.

The PR Consultancy of the Year award was awarded to Cowshed while Viva took home the title of Small PR Consultancy of the Year. Honest Communications and Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity earned the titles of Specialist PR Consultancy of the Year and In-House PR Team of the Year respectively.

Elsewhere, individual talent was recognised as Shivani Lodhia of Parisi Consulting was made the Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year and Rod Cartwright MCIPR took home the award for Independent PR practitioner of the Year.

This year’s awards – sponsored by Specialist Speakers and Awards Writers – featured 30 categories, comprising of six individual and team awards and 24 campaign categories.

• See the full list of winners online or below.
• All the photos from the evening can be viewed and downloaded online.

Winners list:

Corporate and Business Communications Campaign

WINNER: Red Consultancy with Currys 'Save Black Friday' Campaign

Mark of Excellence: Skipton Group with Skipton Group Home Affordability Index: Redefining housing affordability

Internal Communications or Employee Engagement Campaign

WINNER: Financial Times with Building AI confidence and engagement at the FT

Consumer Relations Campaign

WINNER: Mischief with LEGO: Message to Space

Mark of Excellence: PrettyGreen & Hasbro with Mummy Pig's Pregnancy Announcement Breaks The Internet

Public Sector Campaign

WINNER: Stripe Communications and Scottish Government with 'Have the Chat' about Organ and Tissue Donation

Social Purpose Campaign

WINNER: Tin Man and Cadbury Fingers with Trick or Treat BSL Edition 

Mark of Excellence: Specsavers and The Big Issue with Improving Access to Care For People Experiencing Homelessness

Public Affairs Campaign

WINNER: 56° North with Helping Nationwide to reform Buildings Societies Law

Not-for-Profit Campaign

WINNER: Earnies with Killed Here for Killed Women

Mark of Excellence: Tin Man and Guide Dogs with The Mutt-ley Crew

Healthcare and/or Wellbeing Campaign

WINNER: Third City with What Are You Smoking?

Mark of Excellence: North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board with Trusted Voices - Vaccines in Pregnancy

Integrated Campaign

WINNER: Virgin Media O2 with VCCP faith and Broadcast Revolution with Daisy vs The Scammers

Mark of Excellence: Ready10 with Ready10 & McDonald’s: The Meal

Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle Campaign

WINNER: Umpf x Clarks Village with Making Clarks Village Top Dog for Outlet Shopping

Mark of Excellence: Umpf x Clarks Village with Umpf+Clarks Village: The World’s Biggest Santa Skate

Environmental Campaign

WINNER: SHOOK & Material Focus with Britain's Biggest Fraudster ‘Cashes In’

Low Budget Campaign

WINNER: Tin Man and Guide Dogs with The Mutt-ley Crew

Mark of Excellence: Good Relations & Zoopla with Buy With My Little Eye

STEM Campaign

WINNER: British Geological Survey with BGS: Quake it off

Mark of Excellence: British Antarctic Survey with The unforgettable voyage: taking the public to Antarctica

Sport or Entertainment Campaign

WINNER: 'Cause x phs Group x Prostate Cancer UK with Back in the Game

Mark of Excellence: The Romans with Roddick Returns (Betway)

Travel, Transport or Tourism Campaign

WINNER: Stripe Communications with The London Dungeon with The London Dungeon: Wonka Worker

Mark of Excellence: Cubaka x Avanti West Coast with Safety Thirst: How beer made rail travel safer

Education Campaign

WINNER: Fanclub & smol with Clean Up Child Hygiene Poverty

Mark of Excellence: 23Red with The Open University: Getting Students Workplace Ready

Best Use of Media Relations

WINNER: PrettyGreen & Hasbro with Mummy Pig's Pregnancy Announcement Breaks The Internet

Mark of Excellence: Barclays with Swiftonomics

Best Channel Delivery

WINNER: Mischief with Experian: The Cost of Loving

Best Long-term Campaign

WINNER: Evergreen PR with Getting Veterans the Care They Deserve

Best Use of Content

WINNER: Virgin Media O2 with VCCP faith and Broadcast Revolution with Daisy vs The Scammers

Mark of Excellence: 'Cause with Back in the Game

Best Event

WINNER: The Marketing Pod, Xoserve and Fuel Bank Foundation with The price of warmth

Mark of Excellence: LeedsBID (in collaboration with Chapter 81 & Rabbithole) with MONOPOLY Leeds Takeover

Best long-term Client Care

WINNER: Launch with Launch: Owning Long Term Client Care

Issues, Crisis or Reputation Management

WINNER: Words + Pixels with Lime: Changing Spaces

Best Publication

WINNER: Warwick Business School with Core magazine, Edition 14

Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year

WINNER: Shivani Lodhia, Parisi Consulting

Mark of Excellence: Ollie Manser, The MTM Agency

Independent PR Practitioner of the Year

WINNER: Rod Cartwright Consulting

In-House PR Team of the Year

WINNER: Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity

Specialist PR Consultancy of the Year

WINNER: Honest Communications

Mark of Excellence: Hard Numbers

Small PR Consultancy of the Year

WINNER: Viva

Mark of Excellence: Klaxonn

PR Consultancy of the Year

WINNER: Cowshed

Mark of Excellence: Ready10

The report showcases the Institute's first governance review in a decade, resulting in the appointment of The Rt Hon Dame Maria Miller as the CIPR's first Independent Chair of the Board. It details the intensified Lobbying for Good Lobbying campaign, expanded international partnerships, and new and innovative research including the PR Population Report, the State of the Profession industry analysis, and a diverse range of Research Fund reports.

Published in an accessible and interactive online format, the report also celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Excellence Awards and highlights new services including the Agency & Client Finder and Careers in PR Hub, alongside continued professional development initiatives and diversity programmes.

Members will have the opportunity to hear from and ask questions of the current, past, and future CIPR Presidents as well as the Institute's Chair of the Board and CEO at the CIPR's Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday 9 July. Register online to attend.

• Read the CIPR's 2024 Annual Report
• Register for the CIPR's AGM online

The strategy, which aims to create 1.1 million new jobs and unlock billions in investment, places Professional and Business Services (PBS) among its eight priority sectors. It recognises the vital role that strategic advisers, including public relations professionals, play in supporting both UK businesses and wider national prosperity, while positioning Britain as home to the world's most trusted advisers to global industry.

The Industrial Strategy's focus on regional growth, with targeted investment in city regions and clusters across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, creates significant opportunities for communication professionals to support local business transformation. As the UK's leading public relations training provider, the CIPR is encouraged by the Government's renewed focus on greater integration of AI, tackling barriers to innovation for SMEs, and the allocation of £1.2 billion each year to enhance skills and access to talent.

The Venice Pledge – developed by the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management - was co-signed by the Institute and more than 20 other public relations bodies. Ratified by the Alliance’s Board of Directors, the Pledge updates its Responsible AI Guiding Principles. 

The seven Responsible AI Guiding Principles provide a shared framework for the ethical, transparent, and human-centred application of AI in public relations. The Principles emphasise that AI should support, not replace, human judgment and creativity whilst ensuring accountability, fairness, and accuracy in professional practice.

The Principles cover:

• Ethics First
• Human-Led Governance
• Personal and Organisational Responsibility
• Awareness, Openness, and Transparency
• Education and Professional Development
• Active Global Voice
• Human-Centred AI for the Common Good

• Learn more about the Get the National Learning campaign
• Find out more about CIPR Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Discover the CIPR's range of qualifications and on-demand learning

Now entering its fourth year, the scheme has grown by 50% – a powerful signal that, despite mounting pressure and scrutiny on DEI initiatives, many agencies and in-house teams are reaffirming their commitment to building inclusive cultures. Participating organisations in 2025 include BT, Virgin Money, Freuds, MONY Group, and others.

Over the next 10 months, 20 senior leaders from across the industry will be paired with PR and comms professionals from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds. These partnerships are designed to spark candid conversations, challenge bias, and drive cultural change by allowing senior leaders to hear first-hand experiences from underrepresented voices in the industry.

• All participants were carefully selected and matched through a joint process led by the CIPR and the Taylor Bennett Foundation, drawing on a wide pool of agency and in-house professionals across sectors.
• The programme will run until February 2026.