Shelter’s campaign launch hits opposition

October 11, 2004 in Adults

Homelessness charity Shelter was forced to change the venue for the
launch of their campaign calling for an end to Britain’s
housing crisis at the last minute following opposition by
organisers of the Ideal Home Show to their posters,
writes Clare Jerrom.


One of Shelter’s posters

The charity took over the advertising space at Earl’s Court
tube station in London with a series of posters depicting the
impact that bad housing has on the lives of more than one million
children in Britain.

The launch was designed to coincide with the launch of the
autumn Ideal Home Show and it was planned that contestants from Big
Brother would hand out copies of a spoof magazine ‘Room for
Improvement’ covering the impact of the housing crisis.

Adam Sampson, director of the charity, said that while thousands
of visitors were expected to attend the event, yet only a fraction
were aware of the effect of bad housing has on children.

“Growing up in overcrowded, unfit or emergency housing has
a devastating impact on their health, education and future
prospects,” said Sampson.

But after displaying the posters for the launch of the campaign,
Shelter was asked by dmg world media, which organised the
exhibition, to remove the posters.

The tube station manager then withdrew previously agreed
permission to hold a photocall at the station and dmg media slammed
the posters as “an attack” on the Ideal Home Show.

“Shelter has not attacked either the organisers or
visitors to the Ideal Home Show – of course we think people
should enjoy making a comfortable home for themselves,”
Sampson said.

“We want to focus the spotlight on the contrast between
this ands the suffering of over one million children in Britain due
to bad housing,” he said and concluded. “It is crucial
that we bring this to the public’s attention if we are ever
going to create change.”

The launch and photocall went ahead on the street outside the
tube station and at 4pm, Shelter were allowed back into the tube
station.

http://england.shelter.org.uk/home/index.cfm