There are many awareness days throughout the year, a lot of them healthcare related. This can be a great opportunity to raise awareness of a particular condition, or issue, with patients or staff.
This guide has some tips for how to make the most of an awareness day.
Find the right day to get involved with
There are many days that take place throughout the year. By tapping into an existing an event or campaign it can help boost the attention your campaign receives and further your impact.
If you aren’t sure when the relevant days are taking place, try looking through an online calendar such as this one from NHS Employers.
Think about your target audience
Is your event aimed at patients/staff/the wider community? It may be more than one but consider carefully who you want to reach and this can help you develop your plan for the day.
Holding an information stand or event
If you are wanting to reach people inside the hospital such as staff or patients then you might want to consider an event or an information stand on our sites.
Some things to consider
- Have I got enough colleagues to help me deliver the event successfully or to man the stand for the times I want? This could be too much for one person to manage alone
- Who am I trying to reach and where is the best location? For instance for patients we recommend in our foyers/main reception areas, and for staff near to our canteens or catering outlets can be a great place to get their attention.
- What resources will you need? Do you want to give out information on the stand? Do you have budget for giveaway items? Do you want to do any practical demonstrations or activities to bring your topic to life?
- Many awareness days have campaign resources on their websites that you can download and print off locally, so it is always worth checking their site before creating anything new.
- How will I let people know about my event? An information stand will catch passers-by but if you are looking to hold a more in-depth event of some kind consider who you want to invite and how you can reach them. To share details of your event in our Liverpool News bulletin please email communications
@liverpoolft.nhs.uk or complete our form here. - Remember to take photos of your stand or event and share with communications
@liverpoolft.nhs.uk so that we can let colleagues know what you have been up to. Make you sure you get consent from everyone who is being photographed and let them know where it will be shared. There is some more detailed guidance available here to support you in taking high quality photographs and videos.
Social media
Social media can be a great way to get the word out there about your campaign and reach those you wouldn’t with an in-person event.
If your team or department has a social media account you could use it to share information about your campaign or event, post pictures from stands, and let people know what else you’ve been up to.
If there is a hashtag for your awareness day remember to include it to help you reach a wider audience. You might also want to tag other related accounts so they can help boost your content for instance any societies or charities related to the condition you’re raising awareness of, or if your day is staff related you could tag your professional body if you have one.
Please also tag our corporate accounts too so we can share your content:
Don’t forget about our staff Facebook group. The group is made up of nearly 5000 colleagues and you can use it to share updates about your campaign and events directly with them. To join the group click here.