PR Guild celebrates new media & communications affiliation with the Royal Navy

The Guild of Public Relations Practitioners is pleased to announce their new affiliation with the Royal Navy’s media & communications division.

Guests will join the launch party to be held on board HMS St Albans today, 21st March. HMS St Albans is the one of the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates, often referred to as the backbone of the Fleet because of the wide array of security operations they can conduct. It is currently docked on the Thames near Tower Bridge, alongside HMS Belfast.

The launch event will include a tour of the ship and demonstrations of how the crew operate their ship. A ceremonial cake-cutting will mark the start of the affiliation, with speeches by Commodore Sutton, Head of RN media & comms, and Brian Moore, Master of the Guild of Public Relations Practitioners. The occasion will finish with a ‘Ceremonial Sunset’ – one of the oldest and most poignant Royal Naval ceremonies – which includes the salute and lowering of the White Ensign at the close of the day.

Brian Moore says: “We are honoured to have this affiliation with the Royal Navy Media & Comms division; our experience with the Territorial Army MOG(V) has been exceptionally rewarding and has shown how such relationships can be hugely beneficial and enjoyable. I am thoroughly looking forward to working with Commodore Sutton and his team.”

Commodore Gary Sutton comments: “I am delighted that we have established this affiliation with the prestigious PR Guild, not least because of our shared interests in the importance of effective communication. This is a real opportunity for an exchange of ideas and best practice between us both and we look forward to inviting Guild members to experience something of naval operations and see at firsthand how today’s Royal Navy is protecting our nation’s interests.”

The guest list will include members of the PR Guild and the Royal Navy, with all proceeds of the event going to the PR Guild’s Charitable Trust, which supports charities linked to communication.

In a nod to past traditions, Pusser’s Rum will be donating a few bottles of their Navy rum to help celebrate the event. The Royal Navy’s 350 year tradition of issuing a daily tot of rum came to an end on 13th July 1970, otherwise known as Black Tot Day, when the last rum tot was served.