International North West 200 PR team, JPR won a Gold Award for its crisis communications management during 2011 NW200 Race Week and Race Day at the prestigious Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Pride Awards held recently at Belfast’s Europa Hotel. The team handled communications for an unprecedented series of situations from Stuart Easton’s serious accident on Thursday practice to atrocious weather conditions, a major bomb alert, a mile long oil spillage and ultimately suspension of racing on Saturday Race Day.

CIPR judges said, “JPR handled the crisis with a fully planned and rehearsed strategy that ensured the situation was presented fairly and positively by the media.”

Pictured collecting the award are, from left, NW200 Technical Director, Mervyn Whyte MBE with JPR team members, Rosemary Allister, Sarah Weir, Jane Wells and Kathryn Kirk.

JPR won a total of seven gold and three silver trophies at this year’s PRide Awards.