The Boost Bingo campaign orchestrated by the UK’s Bingo Association, which secured a reduction in bingo duty from 20 per cent to 10 per cent in this year’s Budget, was named the winner of the Best Public Affairs Campaign category at the PR Week Awards 2014.

BA award

The award was presented to the BA’s chief executive Miles Baron at an awards dinner at Grosvenor House, London. The Boost Bingo campaign was launched in January 2014 and aimed to reduce bingo duty to enable the industry to invest and grow.

Nearly 50 MPs supported the launch of the campaign in their constituencies by visiting their local bingo club, with some trying their hand at calling numbers.

Over three months, the campaign gathered more than 330,000 petition signatures from bingo players across Britain. The petition was then delivered to the Chancellor’s residence at Number 11 Downing Street, in February, when around 200 bingo players joined MPs for a celebratory procession past the Houses of Parliament.

In the Budget on March 19, Chancellor George Osborne announced that bingo duty would be reduced.

“We are delighted that Boost Bingo was recognised as the best public affairs campaign at the PR Week Awards,” said Baron. “The industry united behind the campaign and everyone worked flat out to make it a success and secure a needed boost for the industry.”

Pictured - Miles Baron, Elin Twigge and James Corden at the PR Week Awards 2014