Category Archives: Uncategorized

Christmas greetings from Ethos public relations

Season's Greetings from Ethos public relations

Well, what a year! It would have been impossible, just 12 months ago, to imagine where we would all be today and how the country would have been so savagely affected by a new virus, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel, and here at Ethos public relations are looking forward to 2021 with hope.

As a small, well-established business, we have been able to weather the storm of 2020. Of course, our business has been affected – whose hasn’t? – but we’re still here and planning ahead for a busy year in 2021 when things finally start to get back to normal.

Working from home we have been able to maintain our client base, as well as developing websites, online shops and social media for a number of new clients, who realised that they needed to do more to promote the work they do and to do it better.

While none of us can forget the human suffering caused by coronavirus, it’s impossible to ignore that some businesses have done very well this year and that consumer habits have changed. Whether things quickly return to how they were before, as testing improves and new vaccines are rolled out, is of course hard to say.

Many organisations have – and have had to – adapt, and opportunities arise, whether we like it or not, out of every crisis.

The next year or two will continue to require businesses to be nimble and prepared to move quickly as things change. Perhaps not the recipe for a quiet life for any of us, but it’s certainly the only way that many organisations will survive.

And that’s where PR comes in. It really couldn’t be more important to get your message out quickly to your target market and to keep your customers informed about your business and any changes. There have been quite remarkable examples this year, often of small and highly flexible businesses, which have not only survived the crisis but thrived in it too. Sadly, there have also been many that have struggled or failed.

We are optimistic about 2021 and we’re hopeful that things will improve soon, and we’ll be there to help many more businesses, charities and social enterprises to get their message out to people.

And so, it just remains, at the end of another year, to raise a glass and enjoy a palm oil free mince pie as we wish you a happy Christmas and very best wishes for 2021. Keep safe and well!

Could you help shape co-operation for the next 20 years?

Enthusiastic young co-operators are being sought to co-produce the ‘2020 Vision’ conference in Birmingham in 2020.

Co-operative Futures is organising 2020 Vision as it approaches its 20th anniversary next year. The conference will have a firm focus on the future. What will the world look like in 2040? What will be our big societal challenges and what are our opportunities?

• What role will Artificial Intelligence and other technological developments play in the future?
• How will our lives have to change in order to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change?
• How will an ageing population and the changing demographics of society play out in 20 years’ time?
• What will the political landscape look like?
Are you under 30?

Are you already engaged with, or interested in finding out more about the co-operative or social enterprise sector? Would you like to increase your knowledge of community led enterprises and mutually owned businesses? Would you like the opportunity to shape the direction of the sector and have your voice heard? Would you like to gain some hands-on practical experience of conference organisation and facilitation?

If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, then we’d love to hear from you and tell you more about how you can get involved with helping to run 2020 Vision with us.

Said Jo White from Co-operative Futures: “We are really interested in hearing from people under 30 who can help us design our conference. Their input will really help us to create an event that not only celebrates the co-operative successes of the past 20 years, but also helps shape how co-ops develop in the next 20.”

If you are interested, then please contact Jo by Monday 23rd December 2019 on jo.white@futures.coop or 07879 415550.

About the conference:
Future Co-ops 2020 will be taking place on 7th and 8th February 2020 at The Beeches conference centre in Bournville, Birmingham. Booking will open soon and places can be secured by visiting https://futures.coop/2020-vision.

Cae Post develops online shop

Cae Post, an innovative social enterprise based in Powys, has recently taken delivery of a stock of recycled plastic Eco Potagators to sell in support of their charity.

Made out of recycled yoghurt pots, these propagatorsare designed to be turned upside down once seedlings have outgrown the propagator and this then makes an attractive blue plant pot.

Cae Post believes in promoting the use of recycled materials as a way to stimulate demand for them and to ensure that recycled materials retain their value. For over 30 years, Cae Post has provided employment and access to work for disadvantaged people in the Powys and North Shropshire area combined with environmental action. They believe work is central to how people see themselves and that people with a range of disabilities, or who are disadvantaged in the labour market, should be given the same opportunity of contributing to their community through work.

As a charity and social business involved in the collection and recycling of materials – including plastics – Cae Post believes it is important that a market is created for these waste materials. This then makes it profitable to collect the materials. Without an outlet for collected recyclates, their value is much lower.

Cae Post was set up to provide meaningful work experience and jobs to people left behind in the labour market. By selling items on its website, Cae Post aims to give people meaningful work in processing the orders, packaging and sending them out. It’s not solely about making a profit but about giving dignified work to people. This is not Cae Post’s main source of revenue or the biggest activity it undertakes, but one which is crucial to their mission of combining work opportunities and environmental actrion.

As a social enterprise, Cae Post says it is always looking for new opportunities to grow the business in a way that marries its purpose of combining environmental action with tackling exclusion and inequality in the labour market.

Click here to find out more about Eco Potagators and to purchase online.

Centre for Alternative Technology Revisited

In his latest blog Sean looks back at visits to the Centre for Alternative Technology

It must be about 16 years since I was last at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) near Machynlleth in Mid Wales.

For those that don’t know of it, it’s a pioneering education charity based in a former slate quarry, which has used the site to trial a number of alternative technologies over the years, and today it is using many of them still to power the site.

When I visited the Centre for Alternative Technology in the early days of Ethos public relations it was to discuss an ethical online web portal, which one of our clients was involved in. Times have certainly changed as far as the internet is concerned and, no doubt, that’s true in the field of alternative energy technologies too.

I remember arriving at the site of CAT the first time, after a beautiful train journey from Manchester, and being impressed by the water-balanced cliff railway which takes you from road level up to the visitor centre.

As with many of the technologies showcased at CAT, the cliff railway works using the simplest of technologies, namely gravity. The two carriages are linked by a steel rope and when one goes down due to the combined weight of its passengers and water tank, the other carriage travels up the cliff face, with some stunning views.

On my recent visit, another ancient technology was being displayed, though with a modern twist. Burning wood for cooking and heating can hardly be described as an alternative technology, given that millions of people around the world rely on it day in and day out, but at CAT there is an innovative display of boilers that use wood pellets to produce both electricity and heat. Obviously, managed properly wood is a sustainable fuel and so provides an alternative to fossil fuels. If we want to work towards a zero carbon economy, then this might be part of the solution.

For many years, I have thought that solar panels for domestic and industrial premises should be fitted as a matter of course instead of roofing tiles, rather than on top of an existing roof. At CAT, that’s what they have on the café.

Over the past 16 years many things have changed dramatically in the field of low carbon energy generation, whether that is the growth of offshore wind energy generation or the increasing number of homes with photovoltaic cells on their roofs, but what we still have not seen is a widespread belief in using alternative technologies from the start of a project rather than as an add on.

But there still seems to be a lot of antipathy to wind and solar, in spite of their obvious benefits. Ethos public relations has worked with community biodiesel and community wind energy operators in the past and have, in a very small way, helped get the message out about the benefits of reducing carbon dependency. There is still much to be done.

So keep up the good work CAT, keep promoting the alternatives and helping to put sustainability into practice…

International recognition for Islington Council and London Capital Credit Union

Islington Council and London Capital Credit Union recognised

Islington Council’s work in support of its local credit union is to gain international recognition as it hosts a group of senior managers from Singapore this week.

The group from the Singapore National Co-operative Federation will be greeted by the Leader of Islington Council, Councillor Richard Watts, at Islington Town Hall, before visiting the offices of the credit union in Archway.

The delegation will meet with representatives from Islington Council and London Capital Credit Union at the Town Hall and will hear how the council has supported London Capital Credit Union to become the success it now is and how this benefits residents across the borough.

The group will then visit the credit union to speak directly with members and staff about the credit union’s mission and the way it encourages saving and responsible lending to residents in Islington and beyond.

Cllr Watts said: “These are difficult times for hard pressed families in Islington and beyond, as many people deal with the rising cost of living.

“Multiple loans from payday lenders are a pathway to deeper poverty, and the council has taken action to support residents to avoid getting into problem debt.

“Part of this work has been to support London Capital Credit Union, as an accessible and affordable way for people to deal with their finances.

“I am very pleased to be supporting this organisation and the excellent work it does in Islington, and I look forward to meeting our colleagues from Singapore.”

Islington Council supports The London Capital Credit Union Ltd with a one-off grant of £250,000 and annual revenue support funding of £25,000.

Martin Groombridge, Chief Executive of London Capital Credit Union, said: “Credit unions are an ethical alternative to banks and other high street lenders and their way of working is designed to benefit all members.

“We are always pleased to be able to share our knowledge with others around the world and we look forward to meeting the delegation from Singapore and welcoming them to London, and to Islington in particular.”

Credit unions in Britain have been growing consistently over the past few years as they become better known and they now have almost 1.3 million members across the country.

Added Martin Groombridge: “Over the last ten years, London Capital Credit Union has seen a huge 1,400% increase in members’ savings from £436,000 to over £6 million. And as a co-operative, we are proud that London Capital Credit Union is owned and controlled by its members – not outside shareholders.”

Find out more at www.credit-union.coop.

Ellesmere Port sea shanty festival

The fifth national Sea Shanty Festival returns to the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port over the Easter weekend (3-5 April 2015).

A major sea shanty festival returns to the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port and is expecting to see over 3, 000 visitors come along to three full days of maritime singing. The annual festival is dedicated to keeping the tradition of sea shanties alive, in its spiritual home, Merseyside.

According to Julia Batters of Shanty UK, the Festival has gone from strength to strength over the past five years and is now an important event on the Sea Shanty Calendar. Julia said: “Our Easter Sea Shanty Festival is our way of marking the rich tradition of sea shanties. The festival provides a welcome day out, with plenty for the whole family.

Canal boats at Ellesmere Port – Sea Shanty Festival

“The museum is a great backdrop to the festival and during the weekend visitors will be able to hear traditional and modern maritime songs being sung around the museum and on some of the boats.”

Coinciding with the Annual Boat Gathering at the museum, the Shanty UK festival brings together nearly 100 performers in seven different venues within the museum for three exciting days of singing, concerts, boat trips, museum tours, nautical poetry, face painting and much more.

The highlight of the Festival will be two evening concerts taking place within the museum on Friday and Saturday nights, which feature a number of acts from across the UK and Europe.

Hissy Fit at Ellesmere Port Sea Shanty Festival

Hissy Fit in concert at Ellesmere Port Sea Shanty Festival 2014

Entrance to the National Waterways Museum for the Sea Shanty Festival and Annual Boat Gathering costs £6.50 for all three days (10am – 5pm). Tickets for the evening concerts are £11 each night and can be reserved online at http://www.shanty.org.uk/our_festival

Latest news on charity-pr.co.uk

The latest news story on our sister website, www.charity-pr.co.uk, is about a new campaign to help get more people online.

We regularly update the news on the site, which is designed specifically for charities. The website outlines the PR and marketing support we can offer charities, and provides communications tips and information which we hope not-for-profit organisations may find useful.

Ethos public relations has worked with a number of charities for over 15 years, helping to promote their services and secure media coverage.

As well as helping charities make the news, we are equally passionate about helping charities get their messages out to the public. If you would like your charity news to be published on the charity-pr.co.uk website, please email us your story so that we can consider it. A great photograph also helps!

Social investment boost for North East cycling business

Big Issue Invest provided a loan to help The Cycle Hub refurbish its premises.

A social enterprise dedicated to getting more of us cycling across the North East has secured funding to assist with the refurbishment costs of its new premises.

Situated beside the River Tyne in Quayside, The Cycle Hub is a social enterprise that promotes and facilitates cycling, complete with bike hire facilities, café, bike shop and repair workshop.

The Cycle Hub was co-founded in 2012 by Newcastle’s Cycle Centre and cycling holiday company Saddle Skedaddle after the two groups saw the need for a place where Newcastle’s growing cycling community could meet after a ride. Since it was established, The Cycle Hub has created new six jobs and has already provided advice and support to many local people about the health benefits of cycling.

The Cycle Hub secured a £25,000 loan from Big Issue Invest, the social investment arm of The Big Issue.

“In many ways, being a social enterprise is just like being any type of business,” says Emma Hallington, marketing manager for The Cycle Hub and Saddle Skedaddle. “But it can be difficult for traditional lenders to see that our aims go beyond just profit, and so they are sometimes wary to lend to us.”

That’s where Big Issue Invest comes in, says Rod Jones, Regional Director for the North East and Cumbria at Big Issue Invest.

“As a lender we exist to help worthwhile social businesses get the access to funding that they need to grow and develop their businesses so that they can help more people.

“We have enjoyed working with The Cycle Hub and their ambitions to get more people out cycling is one we can all support.”

Adds Emma: “We all know that cycling has the twin benefits of improving people’s health, if they take regular exercise, and reducing traffic congestion, if more people commute by bike. It really is a win win situation.”

According to Rod Jones, funding for social businesses can be hard to get, as many commercial lenders have no experience of lending to organisations that are not all about making a profit.

He says: “Businesses like The Cycle Hub play an important part in delivering services that our communities need, but aren’t usually provided by commercial operators. That’s where Big Issue Invest comes in, to help lend to this sort of business.

“At a time when 15% of UK small businesses rate access to finance as the most pressing issue they face, Big Issue Invest is here to support social businesses in the North East, be they charities, co-operatives or social enterprises like The Cycle Hub. People can find out more at our website www.bigissueinvest.com.”