PR Briefing Sheet – Need to Sleep campaign

1. PR Briefing Sheet – Need to Sleep campaign • This document will provide you with all the tools and information you need for your own press activity in support of StepChange Debt Charity’s Need to Sleep campaign including: • Campaign introduction • Quotes • National, regional and local debt stats • Supporting the campaign – call to action • Campaign tools including infographic Campaign introduction On 22nd September, StepChange Debt Charity will be launching its Need to Sleep campaign, which will run until the end of the year. The central purpose of the campaign is to help the millions of people struggling to sleep at night because of money worries by letting them know that they are not alone, and encouraging them to take positive action to deal with the causes of their financial problems. Previous research by the charity found that 74 percent of clients said that worrying about debt problems had affected their sleep and 64 percent said it led to mood swings. Yet 50 percent of our clients stated they had waited a year before seeking debt advice. The charity is partnering with other organisations such as Relate, Mental Health Foundation and Shelter to highlight the wider problems that debt and sleep problems can cause, and to offer support and solutions. National, regional and local debt stats National stats To support the campaign, the charity has commissioned research from YouGov, the results of which are embargoed until Monday 22nd September. If you would like to receive a copy of the press release, please email press@stepchange.org Regional and local stats The charity will also be releasing regional data on debt and sleep problems, and its latest local debt statistics. This information is embargoed until Monday 6th October. If you would like a copy of the press release, please email press@stepchange.org, mentioning which local area you would like to receive information for.

2. Quotes We have provided a number of quotes that you can use in your press activity. StepChange Debt Charity’s chief executive, Mike O’Connor “Millions of people are being kept awake due to money problems.  Money worries can impact on every aspect of a person’s life, from mental health problems, to relationship difficulties and to being able to do a good job at work. Reaching out for help to deal with financial problems can be a difficult thing to do, but people do not need to struggle alone. Free, expert and independent advice is available from  StepChange Debt Charity.” The following quotes were collected from StepChange Debt Charity clients in September 2014. We asked our clients how their money worries affected their ability to sleep before seeking debt advice. “I had restless nights, and the interest on my loan when I was younger meant I was stressed and getting very angry with my own family.” – Ben, London "I used to lay there at night worrying about my next bill, the food shopping or just whether I could afford to live my life." – Leanne, Derbyshire “I would be stressing all night and then the next day I’d be snappy with my daughter because I just couldn’t find that balance.” – Vanessa, Yorkshire “I had many sleepless or sleep disturbed nights worrying about my financial difficulties.” – Gary, Hertfordshire Campaign tools Your PR toolkit contains the Are money worries keeping you awake at night?’ logo to use in all your activity – this will have been downloaded alongside this briefing sheet. From Monday, 22nd September a series of mini infographics will be made available. To receive these please email press@stepchange.org • Supporting the campaign – call to action • For the Need to Sleep campaign, we have designed an interactive online platform to help people realise how losing sleep over money could be affecting other areas of their life, and what they can do about it. • For any activity, please ensure that the link to the online tool is included: • As a standalone web address to be used in press releases: • www.needtosleep.org • As a web address behind a text link: • http://www.stepchange.org/needtosleep •  Any questions? • If you would like to speak to a member of the StepChange Debt Charity team about your PR work for this campaign, feel free to contact our press office on: • press@stepchange.org • 0207 391 4598