Picture this!

It's National Charities Week and it is becoming increasingly competitive for charities, particularly small local organisations, to attract donors.

For many of these charities publicity is crucial to attracting donors and fundraisers, but so many are missing opportunities to promote themselves.

Many hope that photographs of people presenting large cheques will get them the awareness. But I know of at least two regional newspapers that have banned cheque presentation snaps from their pages. Likewise on social media a quirky photograph will always draw the attention more than lines of text.

And it doesn't take much more effort to arrange a good photography opportunity than the traditional cheque presentation. Costumed dancers captured in action at their dance marathon, walkers with boots hung around their necks soothing aching feet in basins of water, or a child surrounded by colourful cakes at a bake stall - these are all simple to arrange but offer more interesting images than a cheque presentation.

So if you're planning an event, whether for a charity or your business, think about how you can be present what you're doing to attract the maximum attention - and ditch the big cheques!

For support in promoting your organisation, charity or business call me on 0780 7671728 or check out our website www.sentrypr.co.uk