THE BEST STORYTELLERS

IN THE BUSINESS

With four decades of combined senior-level editorial experience at national newspapers, at Cause Communications we know exactly what the media needs, and we have unbeatable media contacts. We also have in our team over 20 years of experience working at the highest level of charity communications, so we know how to work with charities in a way that stays true to values, understands challenges, and has maximum impact. We want to see our clients succeed and work in partnership with them to reach their goals.

Storytelling is at the heart of everything we do; from conceiving and developing creative campaign ideas, through to delivering comprehensive media coverage. We are agile, we are creative and we work efficiently to deliver perfectly tailored coverage and campaigns on brief and on deadline. From the spark of an idea through to comprehensive coverage, we work hand-in-hand with not-for-profit organisations to ensure their messages are heard.

We are experienced in working with second-tier organisations, federations, networks and coalitions. We are the ideal agency for managing multiple stakeholders and working with a mix of national and regional partners on powerful and effective communications.

Who we are

Meet the Team

Founder
Sam Carlisle has 25 years’ experience as an award-winning national newspaper writer and editor. She devised The Sun’s Give Me Shelter campaign with Women’s Aid, which was acknowledged by Prime Minister Theresa May as a driving force behind the 2021 Domestic Abuse Act.
Sam founded Cause Communications to use her campaign experience to amplify the voices of charities and community interest companies.
She is a trustee of the Institute of Health Visiting, a judge for the British Press Awards and is a mentor for Women In Journalism.
In 2021 Sam, who is based in London, wrote News UK’s first diversity language guide for national titles and radio stations. She regularly writes and appears on TV to discuss parenting her disabled daughter.

Director
Jenna Sloan joined Cause Communications in September 2020 working with Sam to help charities raise their voices.
She worked as a staff writer for 10 years at the Daily Mirror, Press Association and The Sun and as a freelance writer across national newspapers, magazines and digital platforms.
Jenna lectured in journalism at Manchester Metropolitan University for six years and manages Cause Communications’ training offers. She is based in Manchester.

Phoebe has over 17 years' experience in PR across agency, broadcast and almost a decade working in charity comms.
Starting her career at global PR agency Grayling, she worked across consumer brands such as Wilkinson Sword, Dulux, United Airlines and Accor Hotels. She then moved into broadcast PR, helping brands, charities and public organisations get featured on radio and TV. She also created videos for online placements and managed live stream launches for clients like Sony and Rockstar Games.
More recently, Phoebe spent eight years as PR Manager at the national cancer charity Maggie's. During her time at the charity Phoebe devised and oversaw multiple awareness campaigns on the impact of living with cancer on the patients, their families, and their friends. She also worked closely with documentary and broadcast crews, stakeholders, storytellers and programme teams to help raise the charity's profile across the country.
Phoebe brings diverse experience from both PR agencies and charities to Cause Communications.

Associate Director
Teresa has spent 23 years campaigning against gender-based violence, raising the profile of domestic abuse survivors in national media and changing Government policy and legislation. Teresa was one of Marketing Week’s Top 100 Most Effective Marketers in 2023 and 2024 for her work at Woman’s Aid. She adds her great depth of third sector knowledge and campaign experience to our team.

Why work with us

Our story-first approach

Charities have a huge number of powerful and compelling stories from the people they help. The skill is to understand how you harness them to connect with an audience, make your messages memorable and deliver the coverage they deserve. That is what we do.
Our experience

With significant senior level media and charity communications experience, the Cause Communications team knows exactly what the media and charity clients need. Our team have both been on the end of the phone in a newsroom as a charity pitches to them, and led award-winning charity communications campaigns. We are uniquely well qualified to support charities to achieve the results that they need.
Our results

The national media coverage we secure for clients has ensured increased funding, raised profiles and led to important policy wins. The coverage we have achieved has enabled our clients to push Government for funding or policy change - and get it - as well as reach millions of people with their campaigns and messages.
Our creativity

Thinking laterally and developing creative campaigns is second nature to us. As experienced journalists and specialist charity communicators we respond quickly to the news agenda and also to any challenges we face. We are efficient and we get things done on brief, on deadline and without fuss.
Our network

All our clients benefit directly from our outstanding contacts across national print, broadcast and digital titles. After decades working at a senior level on national newspapers, we have an extensive network of journalists, writers, producers, editors and presenters who we work with regularly, and who want to hear and amplify the stories we deliver.
Our supportive and friendly team

We are a small team with huge results. We have exceptional experience and a supportive and friendly approach. We excel at taking the strain from clients and creating an easy and effective working relationship that gets results.

“Cause Communications have put the voices of parents and young people at the centre of our work and our media coverage. The measurable outcomes of Cause Communications’ support are undeniable.They have not only amplified our voice but have also helped secure policy wins and lasting media engagement, reinforcing the Disabled Children’s Partnership as a leading force in the sector. I cannot recommend Cause Communications highly enough.”

— Stephen Kingdom, Campaign Manager, Disabled Children’s Partnership