Townhouse Times
The Townhouse team have been very busy recently for a very good cause. Long-standing client The National Lottery asked us to help organise a volunteers day for Lotto and EuroMillions winners at a Lottery-funded site/organisation somewhere in the region. Having spent some time recently at the National Memorial Arboretum, the site at Alrewas was recommended and so we jumped into action to get things organised.
With a combined worth of over £90 million, a team of 35 donned their gardening gloves, wellies, hard hats and shovels to help create a new path that leads up to the poignant World War I Shot At Dawn memorial.
Shot at Dawn is a memorial erected in memory of the 306 British and Commonwealth soldiers executed after court martial for cowardice and desertion. It was chosen for this project in advance of significant national centenary commemorations of WWI, which will commence in 2014.
The memorial portrays a young British soldier blindfolded and tied to a stake ready to be shot by a firing squad. The memorial was modelled on the likeness of 17-year-old Private Herbert Burden, who lied about his age to enlist in the armed forces and was later shot for desertion. It is surrounded by a semicircle of stakes on which are listed the names of every soldier executed in this fashion. The memorial was created by Birmingham artist Andy De Comyn.
Here are some of the photos of the two-day event. Media coverage included national, regional and local media plus forces publications and broadcast.
55 PACES, 25 SECONDS, 1 WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT
Lichfield-based events company KP Events, best known for organising the Lichfield Half Marathon and the unique Lichfield Cathedral Dash are staging a World record attempt; the World’s shortest ‘fun run’ on Monday 6th May 2013 to raise money for the charity We Love Lichfield of which Townhouse Communications Director Julian Fisher is a Fund Advisor.
The World’s shortest Fun Run will take place from 10am onwards and is being staged around the UK’s smallest park, Princes Park off Church Road and Farewell Lane in Burntwood. There are lots of definitions of a ‘park’ but in essence it must be a fenced open space, not adjoined to a building and be solely used for recreation. Kevin Wilson of KP Events said he dreamt the idea up after researching the World’s smallest park on the internet. He said: “Princes Park is a great attraction for the area and I thought it was the World’s smallest park but that honour is taken up by a grassed traffic island on a California freeway! Princes Park is the UK’s smallest park so this little strip of land would have another honour so we decided to launch a Guinness World record attempt to try and get between 500 and 1000 people to run or walk around it.”
It will only take 55 strides to get around Princes Park in approximately 25 seconds and everyone who takes part will, once verified by the Guinness Books of Records will be a ‘record-holder’.
The launch with the KP Events team, local diginitaries and
We Love Lichfield at Princes Park.
KP Events are organising the event to raise money for ‘We Love Lichfield’ a new local fund that provides small grants to a wide range of projects based across Lichfield District. Kevin Wilson said: “Not only will people become record-holders but they can raise money for our favourite charity, the We Love Lichfield Fund which in only its first two years raised over £150,000 for local projects.”
Simon Price, CEO of famous cutlery firm Arthur Price and a Patron of We Love Lichfield said; “What a brilliant idea…another creative and unusual family fun event to add to the District’s extensive sporting calendar. I’m delighted that the organisers KP Events have chosen the We Love Lichfield Fund as its charity and I hope that lots of people can take part in what will be, even though only 55 steps, a fun occasion.”
The World’s shortest fun run attempt forms part of a running-themed May bank holiday weekend across the Lichfield District staring with a running exhibition in the Three Spires Shopping Centre in Lichfield city centre on Saturday May 4th from 1pm. Then it’s the Lichfield Half Marathon on Sunday May 5th starting at 10:30a.m.
For more information about the World’s shortest fun run and to register, visit www.kpevents.net or contact Kevin Wilson at kevin@kpevents.net.
More information on We Love Lichfield visit www.welovelichfield.com.
The Townhouse team have spent the last few days at the NEC with client Arthur Price who were exhibiting at the Spring Fair. The task was to engage with the trade media about the latest products from world-famous cutlery and gifts manufacturer Arthur Price.
Two media events were held and both were a great success. Britain’s dandiest designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen chatted with visitors and was interviewed by the media in his capacity as a designer for AP. His partnership with Lichfield’s Arthur Price stretches back to 2000 and his latest venture is the Remember range. The first non-cutlery range from AP with all proceeds from the range of gifts going to the Royal British Legion’s Women’s Section.
Sophie Conran also was at the show and chatted away with the media about her exapnding range of cutlery Rivelin.
Arthur Price also launched one of its biggest ever new ranges after partnering with iconic fashion and homeware brand Monsoon. Together they are launching ‘Eloquence’, a beautiful range of cutlery boxed sets and gift accessories.
In the end 11 media titles and websites attended the Arthur Price stand including ITV Central who filmed a piece about midlands-based family-owned firms who are bucking the economic trends.
With a little help from the team at Townhouse, the public were able to try for free a wide range of sporting activities and meet Olympian Kath Merry at the new Coventry Decathlon store last Saturday (20th October). The Discover Decathlon Day aims to help promote sports and the benefits of physical activity to overall health and wellbeing. The public had the opportunity to try a range of different sports for free, including rock wall climbing, tennis and rugby all supervised by qualified coaches from local sports clubs.
Ashley Wright, Decathlon Coventry Store Manager said: “The Discover Decathlon Day will be a great opportunity for people of all ages to find out what sport has to offer, meet local clubs who are at the heart of the sports community and meet a couple of Olympians.”
“Taking part in sporting activities is vital to our overall health and well-being and, at Decathlon, the world’s largest sports store, we promote this. Our Discover Decathlon Day will enable people, of all ages, to try a sporting activity they have never tried before in a friendly and fun atmosphere.
“For those who are sporty, there will also be the chance to join in activities and improve techniques as our Decathlon experts as well as local sports clubs coaches will be on hand to offer advice and tips.”
The star guest was local Olympian Kath Merry. Born in Dunchurch near Rugby, Kath won the 400m track Bronze in the Sydney Olympics.
Kath said: “The Discover Decathlon Day was the perfect opportunity to try out new sports for free that many of us have seen on our TV screens during the amazing Olympic ‘summer of sport.’ It’s great that sport is even higher on the agenda and Decathlon Day are doing their bit for the sporting community!”
The missing EuroMillions Millionaire Raffle ticket from the Stratford-On-Avon District, worth £1million, is still outstanding and so drama and performing arts students from Stratford College have joined the hunt (with a little help from the Townhouse PR Team).
To coincide with Halloween the students dressed as witches, goblins and ghosts outside Stratford’s very own haunted abode Shrieves House, home to the world famous spooky Falstaff Experience. Lottery organisers Camelot are continuing the hunt for the lucky ticket holder and hope these scary faces will ‘spook’ the good folk of Stratford-upon-Avon to jump into action, and hope no-one will miss out on this life-changing amount and ultimately be a silly ghoul.
The winning selection on Friday 18 May was FNN912588 and the lucky ticket-holder has until 11pm on Wednesday 14 November 2012 to make their claim.
A new independent shop and online business has opened in Lichfield and it’s a UK first. Faroe Born sells handmade clothing and jewellery plus Sirri Wool from the Faroe Islands, the only business of its kind in the UK, only the second in Europe.
With a little help from the team at Townhouse it was opened by the Head of the Faroese Government in the UK Jóannes V. Hansen, who is making his first trip to the Midlands and Lichfield. As part of the proceedings, Jóannes also made a special visit to the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas. He laid a wreath at the MN Sundial in respect of the 200+ islanders who lost their lives during World War Two assisting the British and their Allies.
Laying a wreath at the National Memorial Arboretum
The ‘friendly’ British occupation of the Faroe Islands in World War II, also known as “Operation Valentine”, was implemented in 1940 immediately following the German invasion of Denmark and Norway. It was to protect the islands, preempt a German invasion via the North and to act as a base to support the North Atlantic fleet. 8000 servicemen and women built roads and infrastructure and Faroese fishing vessels harvested the local sea and transported their catch to the UK. Indeed over 1/5 of all fish during WWII was from the area and Churchill is reported as having stated: “that what that small nation has done in supplying the British housewife with fish for her larder, will never be forgotten”.
The Faroe Islands received occasional attacks by the German Luftwaffe, but a full-scale invasion was never attempted. However, more than 200 Faroese seamen lost their lives at sea during World War II, mostly due to the mines and Naval attacks. A monument to their memory stands in the capital Tórshavn‘s municipal park.
Following the liberation of Denmark and the end of World War II in Europe, the occupation was terminated in May 1945 and the last British soldiers left in the September. For a video of this story visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0k1EVCHP2g and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxWZz38p7ow
Ian Bourne, Managing Director of Faroe Born said: “I am delighted that Jóannes made such a big effort to celebrate our little shop. I also feel humbled that he officially visited my home town and also visited the National Memorial Arboretum in nearby Alrewas to pay his respects to all those who lost their lives helping the British during World War Two. The islands maybe nearly 700 miles away from Lichfield, but I hope Faroe Born will help promote this wonderful, and little known isles who made many sacrifices for our country.”
A flypast over the National Arboretum after the wreath laying
“Torben Nielsen, business partner to Ian and a Faroe Islander said: “I’m very proud to see the first Faroese shop in the UK. We are a very small but passionate and industrious island and I hope our Lichfield business is the first of many Faroe Born throughout the UK providing the people of the United Kingdom and beyond with products of the highest quality.”
Able to keep you stylishly toasty from top to toe Faroe Born stock Sirri Wool garments plus woollen yarn for those wanting to create their own designs. Part of the Sirri appeal is that no two products are alike. Each item is made using traditional Faroese techniques and organic, dye-free wool. The sheep are sheered in their natural habitat, not indoors or in pens and, as local law states that only 70,000 sheep are allowed on the Faroe Islands at any one time, production numbers are limited.
Mikkalina Glass creates hand-blown jewellery, ornaments and sculptures in Tórshavn. From necklaces to fruit bowls, from children’s toys to condiment sets Mikkalina is a well-known artist in the Faroes and is now exclusively stocked in the UK by Faroe Born.
Leading Faroese designer Beinta Poulsen is the lady behind Soul Made. Using Faroese wool in all her collections, Soul Made is a range of high quality ladies dresses and garments, with clean and simple designs – a perfect fit for the classical wardrobe.
Faroe Born have been visited by Faroese people living in the UK is receiving orders from outside the UK and has actually mailed goods back to Scandinavia
Faroese Fast Facts:
- Sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark, situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Norway and Iceland.
- 18 islands in the group
- Total area 540 sq m
- 2010 population of almost 50,000 people.
- 70,000 sheep!!!
- Birmingham to Faroe Islands – 680 miles
- Shetland Islands to Faroe islands – 177 miles
- Voted the World’s “most authentic, unspoiled, and likely to remain so” islands by National Geographic Traveller Magazine
Good causes across Lichfield District have received a cash boost thanks to donations from the We Love Lichfield Fund. Townhouse Director and We Love Lichfield Fund Board Member Julian Fisher attended a special presentation at the Lichfield Garrick Theatre when representatives from the community groups met with supporters and advisors of the Fund to receive their cheques from patron Simon Price of cutlery manufacturer Arthur Price.
A total of £3,125 was given away to 11 groups in awards of up to £500 – money which will help them to continue their important work across the area. After thanking the Lichfield Garrick for hosting the event Simon Price said: “The We Love Lichfield Fund was formed to raise money to support groups in Lichfield, Burntwood and the surrounding villages. This, the second round of donations, will make a big difference to the recipients.”
The recipients included: 1st Burntwood Scout Group, £250; 2nd Chase Rainbows, £175; Abacus Preschool Playgroup, £250; City of Lichfield Concert Band, £250; Coneberry Millenium Green, £250; Flea Pit Cinema, £200; Fulfen Association, £500; Lichfield Under 16 Rugby Tour 2012, £250; Monks Walk Group, £450; South Staffordshire Young Enterprise Board, £250 and University of the Third Age, £300.
Launched in 2011 We Love Lichfield is a local fund that provides small grants to a wide range of projects based in Lichfield District run by these people. The fund will consider all applications from local groups in need twice a year. Companies and individuals are welcomed to donate or fund-raise and all money is invested through a permanent endowment fund by registered charity Staffordshire Community Foundation on behalf of We Love Lichfield in line with charity commission guidelines. The interest and dividends earned on the invested money is then distributed by the We Love Lichfield Fund as small grants across the district. Indeed, in comparison with many charities, its benefits can therefore be seen at a local level. Also the beauty of this model is that it will provide a source of on-going funding that can be used for small grants, and larger grants as the fund grows, for many years to come. The fund aims to raise £500,000 by April 2016, which would mean up to £25,000 could be given away every year.
Simon added: “Legacy is the ‘buzz’ word at the moment but it couldn’t me more true with We Love Lichfield. What we give away today will help preserve the great voluntary work so many people do on behalf of others. But I hope our gifts we also leave a legacy for the community of Lichfield so that generations to come will also benefit.”
To find out more about We Love Lichfield Fund visit www.staffsfoundation.org.uk/welovelichfield or if you wish to make a personal donation visit www.localgiving.com/welovelichfield
FULL LIST OF RECIPIENTS AND DETAILS OF GIFT
- 1st Burntwood Scout Group was awarded £250 which This grant is to be put will go towards new replacement chairs and tables for use on camps. Eight folding table and chair units will provide dining space for 32 people which will be “much easier to transport than the old furniture which is 25 years old”. The scout group offers members from Burntwood, Boney Hay, Chasetown and Chase Terrace “an exciting programme full of physical, spiritual and mind stretching activities as well as fun and adventure”.
- The 2nd Chase Rainbows gives girls between the ages of five and seven years opportunities to enjoy new experiences and adventures and encourages them to progress into the Brownies and Guides. The group was awarded £175 which will be put towards an events shelter. This will enable the unit to take part in more outdoor activities, enabling the girls to benefit from spending more time outdoors in the fresh air. The shelter can be used in all weathers offering protection against UV rays and rain. It is also large enough to accommodate outdoor catering.
- Abacus Preschool Playgroup operates in Lichfield providing care and fun every weekday morning for children aged between two and five years. The £250 it has been awarded will go towards replacing old, worn out puzzles with new ones and to replenish the stock of art materials which are in constant need of replacement.
- The City of Lichfield Concert Band has been awarded £250. It is a community band with over 50 members ranging from school age to 80 plus. Many of its concerts are free and they are often for the city’s key civic and celebration events. Its award of £250 is being used to help replace the band’s drum kit and to obtain storage boxes for the drums.
- Coneyberry Millenium Green has been awarded £250. This grant is towards creating a playground on the Millenium Green in the village of Clifton Campville, an area used for community events and celebrations and the rest and recreation of all ages. The intent is to use environmentally friendly, sustainably sourced equipment “in keeping with the rural nature of the green”.
- The Flea Pit Cinema was set up in Alrewas in 2009 to provide a free monthly cinema event to members of the community unable to access cinemas in local towns. It has been awarded £200 to help buy a sound system for use alongside the film shows to “enhance the audience’s experience”.
- The Fulfen Association has been awarded £500 towards a bicycle rack at Fulfen School in Burntwood.An area of land needs to be cleared and resurfaced for the rack to be installed. Road safety signs, bicycle locks and hi-visibility tabards for the children are also required.
- A £250 grant has been awarded to Lichfield under 16 Rugby Tour 2012. This grant is towards funding a trip to France for boys aged 15-16 years to play rugby as a team for the last time as junior players. The trip will give them “great experience of playing abroad and will also help them develop social and life skills”.
- A £450 award has been made to Monks Walk Group which is a restoration project started in 2003 in the garden area near Lichfield Campus. Since 2006 Queens Croft School students have worked to create a nature area. The grant is towards installing a timber arbour and a stone birdbath.
- South Staffs Young Enterprise Board has received a £250 award. This is towards the cost of entry for one local school into the business competition which sees pupils run their own enterprise for one year. By taking part in Young Enterprise “young people will learn business skills, teamwork, marketing and finance, preparing them for the world of work”.
- University of the Third Age has been awarded £300. This will enable the group, which offers adults later in life the chance to study over 200 subjects, to buy an additional croquet set for the croquet group so that more members can play at the same time.
We are delighted to announce we have been appointed by Lichfield-based wool and knitwear importer Faroe Born.
Faroe Born, a brand new, family-owned company will be importing and retailing Sirri Wool products from the Faroe Islands, the first outlet of its kind in the UK. Sirri Wool produces woollen garments such as jumpers and scarfs using traditional Faroese techniques using organic, dye-free wool. The wool is naturally water resistant and wind proof whilst remaining soft, warm and dry.
Faroe Born will be retailing online and from a brand new shop at the Heart Of The Country Shopping Village, near Lichfield. Townhouse has been tasked with publicity for both online and offline sales and to position the ‘brand’ as quality and fashionable
Ian Bourne, Managing Director of Faroe Born said: “Townhouse were recommended to me and I was impressed with not only their creativity, but their focus and finally passion for my business. I’m looking forward to working with them.”
Julian Fisher, Townhouse Communications Director said: “It’s always nice to have a recommendation and I’m delighted that Lichfield is having another independent shop.”
The ‘We Love Lichfield Fund’ has appointed a new member to its Board. Julian Fisher, a PR consultant who owns Townhouse Communications in the city, and whose clients include The North Face, Decathlon and The National Lottery, will help amongst other duties, the charity raise its profile.
Every year volunteers donate thousands of hours of their free time for the benefit of others. Launched in 2011 We Love Lichfield is a new local fund that provides small grants to a wide range of projects based in Lichfield District run by these people. The fund will consider all applications from local groups in need twice a year. Companies and individuals are welcomed to donate or fund-raise and all money is invested through a permanent endowment fund by registered charity Staffordshire Community Foundation on behalf of We Love Lichfield in line with charity commission guidelines. The interest and dividends earned on the invested money is then distributed by the We Love Lichfield Fund as small grants across the district. The beauty of this model is that it will provide a source of on-going funding that can be used for small grants, and larger grants as the fund grows, for many years to come. The fund aims to raise £500,000 by April 2016, which would mean up to £25,000 could be given away every year.
Julian said: “I’m delighted and feel honoured to be asked to join the Board of We Love Lichfield. My home and my business are in Lichfield, my children school here and I am passionate about the city and its people. I hope to contribute to this very worthwhile charity that is trying to make a difference for many people and organisations in the District.”
Simon Price, Patron of the We Love Lichfield Fund said: “I’m delighted that a person with Julian’s skill base is able to join the Board. Our aim is to grow the fund and help more organisations, but we need to raise our profile not only to the general public but to various stakeholders. We also need event management skills for the various fund raising events we intend to hold to maximise our income which in turn will be given to the Lichfield community.”
For more information visit: www.staffsfoundation.org.uk/welovelichfield.
Aiming to inspire the next generation of young readers, a Birmingham mother of two has appointed Lichfield PR agency Townhouse Communications to launch her new online bookshop created especially for children – and their parents – to ensure they can become fully fledged booklovers of the future. Naida Bano, a librarian and mother has started www.likeabook.co.uk, listing over 200,000 titles and 80,000 e-books, after realising there was a lack of easy to use and interactive web book shops specialising in children books.
Naida, who worked at the Matthew Boulton College as Resource Manager and was a Learning and Skills Council Research Officer, says Likeabook.co.uk is not just a list of books. She said “Likeabook.co.uk has been designed to make it easy for parents to understand what books are best for their children dependent upon their age, confidence or ability to make sure they enjoy reading and are not put off by something to easy or too advanced. Categories are not just as per the school years (KS1, KS2 etc) which can be confusing, but also in easy to follow levels and groups.”
She continued: “As helping a child to read can be often be a daunting task for many parents, Likeabook also includes information on literacy, hints and tips on encouraging children to read, plus a blog spot for parents and teaching professionals to exchange ideas on how to make the whole reading experience as fun as possible.”
Naida Bano said: “Julian and his team were recommended to me and I was taken by not only his passion but also his immediate understanding of what I was trying to do.”
Julian Fisher, Director of Townhouse Communications said: “I’m delighted that we are working with likeabook.co.uk. As a parent myself I feel the pressure of helping teach my children how to read and Likeabook is a superb specialist resource for parents to ensure their children enjoy reading.”
www.likeabook.co.uk caters for everyone from their first book up to A level examination advice. It sells all types of books and e-books, offers tips and advice for families on reading, learning techniques and there is a blog for parents to exchange ideas for children to fulfil their potential. Likeabook also sells gift packs, can source unlisted books and can supply bulk orders for educational establishments, businesses and voluntary organisations.
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