Public relations professionals from across the UK gathered at St Bride’s Church in Fleet Street, London today for a special service to mark the 70th anniversary of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR).
The ceremony, attended by 150 PR professionals, took place at the site of the Institute’s founding in 1948 and featured readings from senior industry figures including Lord Black of Brentwood Hon FCIPR.
CIPR President Sarah Hall Chart.PR, FCIPR led the celebrations by sharing a record of the Institute of Public Relations’ first meeting.
“The formation of an association was desirable to assist in the establishment of satisfactory status, recruitment and training of future public relations officers, safeguarding service conditions, formulating scales of salaries, pooling of knowledge, disseminating information and generally developing techniques of public relations work.”
In her speech, the CIPR President acknowledged the achievements of the Institute’s first President, Sir Stephen Tallents and paid tribute to Anne Gregory Hon FCIPR, who helped secure chartered status for the Institute in 2005. Sarah also outlined her belief that the challenges facing society represented a call to action for public relations.
“Whatever the mood of the moment, this new age will bring more challenges. We are in unusual and uncertain times with political change, media upheaval, technological developments and societal unrest.
It is up to us to educate employers, the business community and the public of the valuable role we play in society and to address misperceptions about practice.
We must play a leadership role and show how organisational objectives can link to social purpose for the benefit of all.”
Excerpt from speech – Sarah Hall Chart.PR, FCIPR, CIPR President
The ceremony was followed by a reception at the St Bride’s Foundation, which took place in the same room the Institute was founded in seventy years ago.
