AN ADDICTION treatment centre in Weston can expect to enjoy a spell in the limelight – after winning a year’s free support from a public relations agency.

Plum Communications and PR, based in Bleadon, offered its services free of charge to a local charity, inviting causes to nominate themselves through social media channels.

The 200-word applications were then shortlisted, and a public poll saw Broadway Lodge emerge victorious with 45 per cent of the 780 votes cast.

That means the Totterdown Lane centre will benefit from news releases, social media support and general advice, all pro bono from Plum.

Broadway Lodge’s chief executive Brian Dudley said: “This has come at the perfect time as Broadway Lodge is celebrating 40 years of delivering successful addiction treatment programmes in 2014 and what better way for us to benefit from such expertise to help us shout about it.

“I am sure that our relationship with Plum will be fantastic as they help us to overcome our greatest challenge; overcoming the stigma that so many people associate with our work.”

Plum director Karen Morledge said she was pleased the public vote saved her the tough choice of picking from a shortlist which also included the Charlie Derrick Music Foundation, Canine Partners, Penny Brohn Cancer Care and Somerset Community Care Matters.

She said: “I recognise how difficult and financially constraining it is for charities to promote themselves and realise for many, having the services of an agency such as Plum is a real luxury. I wanted to give something back to the community who have helped towards making Plum the successful brand it is today and offering pro-bono PR and marketing support was a great way to achieve this.

“My colleagues and I at Plum are very excited at the prospect of working with Broadway Lodge and we have many ideas already about how we can support them this year and we can’t wait to get started.”