A crisis in communication

There couldn't be a cause much closer to my heart than language. So it's a shock to learn that in some areas of the UK, over half the children starting school do so without the basic speech and language skills they need.

Yes, half. 50%. And 'basic' means 'basic': things like recognising your own name, or counting to five. That figure again: 50%.

I made this terrifying discovery while working on I CAN's new report (left). I CAN is the children's communication charity. For 20 years, it's been developing practical solutions to children's communication problems. Now it needs dramatically to expand its scope, if we're to turn the tide of a crisis in language that's engulfing the nation.

The charity had already produced an authoritative report on the economic impact of this crisis. Language is the fundamental skill, underpinning all the others we ever learn. Without it, children grow up with few skills and few qualifications - with obvious implications for the national economy.

I CAN wanted an accompanying report, aimed at major donors, to expose the human cost of this crisis. Because unless these problems are spotted and addressed early, they can decimate people's lives, and leave whole families struggling at the margins of society.

I CAN asked me in to make the report as emotionally engaging and compelling as possible, in order to secure the considerable donations they so urgently need. Hopefully I've achieved that, because this is a campaign that really cannot afford to fail.

You can read the full report as a PDF - just click here (2.2MB). And you don't have to be a major donor to make a donation.

Teaching myself structural microbiology

A little while back, Asthma UK (AUK) asked me, along with freelance designer Piers Rutterford, to help them raise around £5 million. The money will secure the future of a prestigious new research centre, set up by AUK and the Medical Research Council (MRC).

The new centre will investigate the complex causes of asthma and allergy, which affect rapidly increasing numbers of people in the UK. Indeed, one of the horrifying statistics I learnt on this project is that someone dies from asthma every six hours.

Piers and I were asked to develop a brochure that would put the case for supporting the Centre to major donors - people with thousands, or even tens of thousands - to donate.

But as well as the brochure, we were also asked to give the entire appeal an identity of its own - one that would attract this level of donor, and make them feel involved in the work of the Centre.

Our answer was 'Partners Against Asthma' - a name that's both a description and a call to arms. It also gives these special supporters a name: Partners. The Centre is all about partnership - between institutions, scientists, Asthma UK and people with asthma. And those whose donations keep the Centre going are every bit as important.

We also gave the name a visual twist: the 't' of 'Partners' is truncated to form a plus sign - a graphic summation of the theme that we carried throughout the brochure.

Writing the appeal meant a crash course in medicine for me (majoring in structural microbiology), and the chance to interview some dauntingly eminent scientists. It was fascinating, and perhaps the toughest writing challenge I've ever faced. So I was especially chuffed when AUK's major donor consultant described the brochure as 'a joy to read'.

To see the brochure in all its glory, click here for a PDF (2MB).