LONDON — Edelman, Pretty Green, Ready10 and The PR Network are among the launch partners for OnePercent, a new initiative aimed at increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in the PR industry. The fundraising scheme offers anyone working in the communications industry the opportunity to make a contribution of 1% of their salary (through PAYE) to a fund administered by the Taylor Bennett Foundation. The money raised will help fund bursaries, access grants and training for PR professionals or those looking to enter the industry from a black or minority ethnic background.

LONDON — The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has published the results of its annual UK PR and Communications Census with 3Gem, showing the industry has bounced back after 2020, growing by more than 6%, contributing £16.7 billion to the economy, and comprising 99,900 practitioners. Women in the industry continue to earn less on average: the gender pay gap is 12%. The UK industry’s ethnicity pay gap is 16%. The research shows that 9% of practitioners were furloughed after March 2020, and that 2% were made redundant. Of those, 69% are back to work full-time and 26% are back to work part-time. Only 16% of practitioners have returned to their office full time.

LONDON — Hope&Glory PR has been appointed to handle consumer PR for LinkedIn. The agency was previously the networking platform’s retained PR partner in 2019; Mischief has been working with LinkedIn in the interim.

LONDON — Technology communications consultancy Missive has launched a dedicated “spacetech” practice to service clients in a sector expected to be with $10 trillion by 2030. There are five people in the team and the agency already works with a number of confidential clients in the sector. CEO Giles Peddy said: “Missive has always been at the forefront of technology innovation. The next decade will see quantum leaps in space technology and Missive wants to be the destination agency for spacetech businesses.”

LONDON — Nelson Bostock has won the integrated PR brief for global fintech Railsbank, which operates in the area of ‘embedded finance experiences’, where non-banks offer financial and banking-style services. The agency will build awareness of the Railsbank brand and story, and position the firm as a financial services innovator, focusing on the UK as well as leading Railsbank’s global agency network.

LONDON —Safer Date, the only dating site that requires ID and background checks for every person who signs up, has joined forces with digital agency Mediaworks to build and amplify its first mobile app, after “substantial” investment. As well as developing the app, which launches this month, Mediaworks will be activating PR, paid social and pay-per-click strategies and content creation.