1. Only Connect Brief
Only Connect is a crime prevention charity working in London with prisoners, ex-
offenders and at-risk youth. Their five key programmes offer support at every point in
the crime cycle in order to reduce offending. Most of all they offer a community that is
positive, stable and supportive.
http://www.onlyconnectuk.org/
BACKGROUND
In the UK 47% of ex-offenders re-offend within a year of getting out of prison. This is a
rate which increases each time an offender returns to prison. This makes the role of
Only Connect and particularly their preventive youth programmes, vitally important.
Independent research from New Philanthropy Capital found that “Only Connect halves
the re-offending rate” (Unlocking Value, NPC, 2011).
Only Connect provides a support structure with a family ethos in the form of a members’
club, which helps to support and train ex-offenders as they leave prison. They currently
support 132 members with training, education, advocacy, creative opportunities and
therapy. Members benefit from developing new skills that can help them into
employment and also develop interests that on a personal level increase confidence,
communication skills and encourage new forms of expression. In many cases, it is the
development of these soft skills that improves members’ personal relationships,
encourages more positive engagement with their community and increases
employability.
ONLY CONNECT PROGRAMMES
Only Connect offer five key programmes:
1. OC Central is the heart of the organisation; the family. OC Central provides social
space, therapeutic services, sign-posting and assistance to access other social services,
and access to opportunities in the arts and music.
2. OC Impact utilises the skills and experiences of OC’s ex-offender members to deliver
high-energy, high-impact, professionally directed productions and interactive and
innovative workshops to students and at-risk-youth to address attitudes and behaviours
that are holding them back. The latest project can be found at:
http://www.oclondon.org/heroes
3. OC Inspire reaches offenders in custody in London prisons and Young Offender
Institutions providing creative training, in line with accredited courses, which equips
individuals with employment skills.
4. OC Create produces high-quality art for external audiences inspired, performed or
produced by OC members, reflecting the lives, dreams and reality of Londoners at risk of
involvement in crime.
5. My Generation is a youth intervention project working with high risk young people
aiming to create a new generation of leaders and youth ambassadors in the community.

2. THE CHALLENGE
Only Connect is often perceived as a youth theatre or arts organisation, and the current
communications style is re-inforcing that. But they are so much more than that,
providing a community of belonging, training and employment opportunities for at risk
youth. The key challenge is to communicate their purpose & broad mission more
effectively to members, potential corporate partners and the wider public.
The striking black and white design has been well received, the challenge is to build on
this to make the messages clearer rather than start again.
1. Reframe the OC brand purpose & communications to land its work and services more
clearly
Specifically:
Explore and develop a clearer point of view about the OC purpose and mission
Prioritise and refine the key messages to communicate
Identify the key audiences and how to reach them more effectively
Create a communications strategy and tactics to get their work more widely
recognised.
Evolve the visual communications style using more succinct messaging N.B the
black and white visual approach is liked by the organisation but they are open to
how this could be developed and expanded creatively to tell their story more
effectively.
Revisit and refresh the website with up to date messaging, copy and expression
Develop a social web strategy to effectively communicate to their key audiences,
eg. Funders and potential corporate partners
Create social web tactics
Create a guide and principles for OC users to use the social web on behalf of the
organisation
2. Attract corporate partnerships and prototype other innovative fundraising
streams/ideas
Specifically:
Prototype innovative ways that Corporate organisations could get involved with
OC. Explore mentoring, skillshares, training, inspiration, internships and
innovative funding models e.g co-production of products and services,
sponsorship of OC productions, content etc
Explore co-production possibilities with social enterprise etc
Create a corporate pitch document/materials tools
Develop up a fundraising page on the website
Identify a hit list of companies Only Connect could approach with relevant pitch
WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH
Logo (fixed)
Current marketing assets collateral
Short introductory video with testimonials from members
4-5 members present at the Future Youth weekend