Keep Bealonians FC At Oakfield Playing Fields

Bealonians FC

Keep Bealonians FC At Oakfield Playing Fields

PR

PR strategy

Press releases

Bealonians FC

The background

The future of Bealonians FC, a cherished grassroots football club with deep roots in the London Borough of Redbridge, hangs in the balance as the council announces its plans to lease Oakfield Playing Fields, where 600 members have been since 2004 alongside five cricket clubs, to West Ham United.

In need of an urgent, quick turnaround PR campaign, Bealonians FC contacted BIG little LDN after being recommended to them following the successful PR of the Jumpers for Goalposts Festival in 2018.

Leasing the ground to West Ham United would leave Bealonians FC and its 29 youth teams (including two girls teams) and ten adult men’s teams, without a place big enough in the borough to relocate to.

The playing fields are also home to Aztecs, Bardoli, Spartans, Scintilla and Essex Panthers cricket clubs as well as being a well-maintained, safe and convenient location for the Hainault & Chigwell Muslim Association, London Seaward FC and the number of locals who hire the pavilion for private functions.

The BIG solution

The aim of the campaign, put pressure on the council to reconsider their decision which was due to be discussed at committee on 12^th October 2023.

With less than 2-weeks from our initial conversation to the committee meeting, the team at BIG little LDN had to work around the clock – starting with a complete immersion in all the facts and background to the story before writing copy for the Change.org petition, drafting the press release and planning its distribution across the media and influencers in the sports industry.

A detailed day-by-day timing schedule was set, ensuring both the BIG little LDN team and key stakeholders at Bealonians FC knew what the key dates and times were needed for copy deadlines, reviews and sign-offs. The looming committee meeting meant there was no room for delays.

Following the brand immersion, BIG little LDN drafted a copy for the Change.org petition, quickly followed by a draft of the press release. Turning both around in less than 48 hours.

At the Cabinet meeting, the council confirmed they would be awarding the lease to West Ham United, but that didn't stop us.

We advised Bealonians Football Club to submit several Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to the council, providing them with the detail of what should be included in each request. The requests sought to reveal if the council were in conversations with West Ham United at the time they halted lease negotiations with Bealonians FC and whether those conversations revealed a preference to lease the site to West Ham prior to an official application process.

The FOI request was denied.

BIG Results

UPDATE Jan 2024: Following our relentless PR campaign and FOI requests the council made an announcement that they would be revoking their decision to lease the ground to West Ham United. Coverage secured in Evening Standard.

The Change.org petition went live on Friday 6^th October and by Monday 9^th, had received over 4,500 signatures. The petition is currently sitting at over 11,000 signatures.

The BBC visited Oakfield Playing Fields after learning of the club’s uncertain future. BIG little LDN secured a rare three-minute broadcast slot on the evening BBC London News.

Coverage secured in, The BBC, BBC London News, The Evening Standard, Ilford Recorder, The West Ham Way, Yahoo, The Athletic, Romford Recorder, CPRE London, West Ham Til I Die, Team Grassroots, This is Local London, Daily Motion, Claret & Hugh, Six Foot Two, West Ham Football Club and KUMB.