Media Trust partners with PA Media Group to mobilise hundreds of professionals in year-long skills-based volunteering programme

PA Media Group has today announced a new one-year partnership with Media Trust, offering hundreds of its journalists, editors and media professionals the opportunity to support charities and communities across the UK through skills-based volunteering.
The partnership enables colleagues in content roles across the business to volunteer in an impactful way with collective team-based opportunities rooted in professional expertise.
Staff can now volunteer their skills as journalists, editors and media trainers, supporting charities with storytelling, media engagement, digital skills and strategic communications. Opportunities will be designed around staff expertise, with a strong focus on building confidence, skills development and giving volunteers support to apply their experience in new contexts.
By structuring volunteering as a shared effort, PA Media Group and Media Trust aim to break down barriers, encourage collaboration across teams and create volunteering experiences that feel relevant, purposeful and connected to day-to-day work.
Media Trust will work closely with PA Media Group to design and deliver opportunities that are inclusive, accessible and aligned to both organisations’ values, ensuring charities benefit from high-quality media support, while volunteers gain a deeper understanding of the communities they are supporting. Volunteering opportunities will include hosting skills-based webinars and training sessions for charities, supporting live charity challenge days and workshops, and contributing expertise to flagship Media Trust programmes such as Stronger Voices.
Emily Shelley, CEO of PA Media Group said:
“Our partnership with Media Trust will enable talented teams and individuals at PA Media Group to share their expertise with charities across the UK. The skills-based opportunities that Media Trust provide will help promote greater knowledge-sharing and broaden access to the media industry for charities. It is important we are connected to the communities we report on, putting PA Media Group’s values of integrity, collaboration, ambition and innovation into practical, meaningful action.”
Su-Mei Thompson, CEO of Media Trust said:
“This partnership is about using media skills where they can have the greatest impact. In an uncertain world, small charities need communications expertise. By supporting Media Trust, PA Media Group staff are strengthening charities, shaping a more representative media industry, and investing in their teams through skills-based volunteering.”
The partnership launches in February 2026 and will run for 12 months. If you are interested in offering your teams meaningful, skills-based volunteering opportunities that support charities and communities, Media Trust would love to hear from you. Contact Lara Harper, larah@mediatrust.org.
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Notes to Editors
About Media Trust
At Media Trust, we believe we’ll get to a more equal society when everyone has an equal voice. That’s why we work with charities to strengthen their storytelling, advocacy and campaigning, press engagement and social media. We do this through media, communications and digital skills training delivered with the help of our media and creative industry partners and by matching media industry volunteers looking to give back with charities looking for content creation and other media-related support.
At the same time, our programmes for under-represented talent are giving young and diverse talent the creative media skills, access and mentoring support to break into the media.
In FY 2024/2025, we mobilised 1,400 skilled volunteers, facilitating over 17,000 hours of volunteering.
Find out more at Media Trust’s website: https://mediatrust.org/
About PA Media Group
PA Media Group comprises a diverse portfolio of specialist media companies, spanning news and information, data, technology, marketing and communications services.
Its flagship brand, PA Media, is the UK and Ireland’s leading news agency. Alongside PA Media, the Group is also the parent company of content library, Alamy; strategic creative agency, Sticky; social media consultancy, Hydrogen; video streaming business StreamAMG; Podium; PA Media Academy; PA Mediapoint and PA TV Metadata.
PA Media Group has 20 shareholders, made up mainly of UK news and media businesses. The largest shareholders include DMGT plc, Informa plc, News UK plc and Reach plc. http://www.pamediagroup.com