The Reverend Dr. Martin Dudley Appointed Master Of PR Guild

LONDON, ENGLAND, October 13, 2012 (Press-News.org) The Reverend Dr. Martin Dudley will become the 13th Master of the Guild of Public Relations Practitioners at the Installation Ceremony at Saint Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield, on 11 October.

Dr. Dudley is well known for his dedication to the City. He is an elected City of London Councillor, chairs the Community and Children's Services Committee and is also the rector of the church where his installation ceremony will be held.

Says Dr. Dudley: "This is an exciting year to be Master, with our sponsoring alderman, Roger Gifford, as the next Lord Mayor. We expect to take a further significant step towards becoming a livery company this year. The Guild shall see the fruits of our partnership with media teams in the army and navy. We will expand our pro bono work, training and mentoring, and our support of communications-based charities will increase. We also intend, as a City Guild, to be part of the creative approach to the challenge faced by our financial services bodies."

Commenting on his year, the outgoing Master, Brian Moore, said: "It has been a great privilege to be Master of the Guild during Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee year. The PR Guild celebrated the Diamond Jubilee by holding a Diamond Charity Ball, jointly with our Affiliated Army Unit, the Media Operations Group (Volunteers), at which we raised GBP7000 for charity." He added: "Other highlights of the year included an evening at the House of Lords, courtesy of Guild member Lord Chadlington; we are now affiliated with the Royal Navy's Marketing and Communications department, with the ceremony of affiliation taking place on HMS St Albans, on a visit to the Pool of London. The final 'icing on the cake' was that during the year the Guild managed to fulfil all the conditions to be able to apply for Company status during 2013."

The Installation Dinner will be held at Haberdashers' Hall in West Smithfield. The Principal Guest and Speaker will be His Honour Judge Brian Barker QC, The Common Serjeant of London. Other guests include: Lieutenant Colonel Rosie Stone, Commanding Officer of the Media Operations Group (Volunteers); Lieutenant Commander Ian Pratt RNR, Head of Media Operations Specialisation, RN Media & Communications; the Master Information Technologist; the Master Constructor; and Alderman Simon Walsh.

Photographs from the event will be available at http://www.facebook.com/PRGuild; photographs of Dr. Dudley are available on request

Editorial contact:
Alla Lapidus
Moonlight Media
Tel: 020 7250 4770
Email: alla@moonlightmedia.co.uk

Notes to Editors
The Guild of Public Relations Practitioners was formed in June 2000, and is part of the modern City of London Livery movement, which is believed to have begun before 1066. The PR Guild was one of the first City of London Guilds to have been created in the 21st Century, and its aims are shared with the broader Livery movement: charitable works and promoting best professional practices, while upholding the unique spirit and values of the Guilds.

The Guilds, or mysteries, from the Latin 'misterium', meaning professional skill, flourished throughout Europe for many centuries, but the City of London Companies, now collectively known as the Livery, are unique in their longevity, number and diversity. 'Livery' refers to uniform clothing as a means of identification. 'Guild' derives from the Saxon word for payment, since membership of these fraternities was, and is, paid for.

Public Relations is an essential activity in the City of London and the UK is a world leader in this profession. The Guild aims to:

• Promote charitable endeavour, raising money and providing support for the Guild's Charitable Trust and other charities.
• Promote the value of public relations and propagate its use, especially in the City and for the benefit of the City of London.
• Develop support for education for both the younger and the more established public relations practitioners, including a mentoring scheme.
• Foster good fellowship and discussion in the profession.

Charities recently supported by the Guild include Hi Kent, DeafBlind UK, and SignHealth, as well as the children's charity Coram (as part of the Lord Mayor's Appeal 2011).

For more information visit http://www.prguild.org.