Mencap has an in-house creative team, which creative sales manager Nina Clarke describes as “busy”. Clarke trained as a graphic designer and moved to Mencap six years ago.
Mencap has always been a hefty user of print, and Clarke manages print budgets for a number of the charity’s departments. “We produce 500-600 jobs a year, anything from A5 flyers to annual reports and photography displays. Most of our work is printed in the UK, probably about 95%,” she says.
But Clarke is aware that Mencap’s print spend is gradually falling due to the new media that have forced their way into the public’s homes in the past 20 years.
“In the future, we will probably be printing smaller quantities,” she adds. “Jobs have a shorter life span, due to the changing nature of our smaller, quicker and cheaper world – especially with the use of the web.”
The organisation uses several printers for its work. On the list of regular suppliers are 4Limited, Quadracolour and Lingfield Press, although several others are called upon in a roster that covers digital and litho print.
Although cost is crucial for a charity, Clarke does not auction work and insists she is keen to ensure that any supplier is thinking green as well as offering a good price.
She says customer service, quality, cost and green credentials are the qualities she looks for. But Clarke adds that printers need to communicate, as printers’ biggest weakness is not “letting us know when changes or delays happen”.
MENCAP IN NUMBERS
Established 1946
Staff 7,500
Volunteers 12,000
Annual print jobs 500-600
Print produced flyers, annual reports, photographic displays, posters and more
Print suppliers include 4Limited, Quadracolour, Lingfield Press
Source: Mencap
Client audit Mencap
One of the UKs largest charities, Mencap is a leading learning disabilities charity and is this year celebrating its 60th anniversary. It campaigns for equal rights and greater opportunities for those with learning disabilities, and works to challenge attitudes and prejudices.
