SIX MEMBERS of staff from White Stuff head office in London successfully completed a charity ‘changing rooms’ challenge in Tooting last Tuesday (May 8, 2012).

The employees spent Tuesday, May 8 decorating a supported living scheme on Longley Road, run by Deaf* healthcare charity SignHealth, as part of Deaf Awareness Week (May 7 – 13).

Sally Crane, Foundation Manager at White Stuff, said: “SignHealth is one of our partner charities and we were delighted to help make-over one of the flats at the Longley Road house. It was a challenging day but we were very pleased with the final result.

“We volunteered as part of our ‘Day in the Community’ scheme, which enables all White Stuff employees to volunteer at a charity of their choice for one day a year.

“It also tied in with Deaf Awareness Week, which took place from May 7 until 13.”

Deaf Awareness Week is supported by more than 100 Deaf charities and organisations under the umbrella of the UK Council on Deafness. The week involves a UK wide series of national and regional events.

It promotes the positive aspects of deafness, social inclusion and raising awareness of the range of regional and national organisations that support Deaf people and their family and friends.

SignHealth is the only UK charity focused on improving the mental and physical health of Deaf people.

Kim Poller, Manager of SignHealth’s Longley Road project, said: “We’d like to thank everyone at White Stuff for helping us with our renovations, the final result was excellent. We hope they enjoyed the experience.”

Longley Road is a supported living scheme run by SignHealth. It holds residential care home status under the Commission for Social Care Inspection and is based in Tooting, West London.

SignHealth provides 24-hour support within an independent living environment for Deaf men and women with complex mental health needs.

The charity, which has its headquarters at Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, provides a range of services for Deaf people, including supported living, advocacy, outreach, psychological therapy and health promotion, all within a British Sign Language (BSL) supported environment.

Steve Powell, Chief Executive at SignHealth, said: “We often have voluntary opportunities, similar to the project at Longley House, for groups of people. If your company would like to help, please call us on 01494 687600 or email info@signhealth.org for more information.”

To find out more about SignHealth, please call the number above, text 07966 976747 or visit www.signhealth.org.uk.

Alternatively, please follow the charity on Twitter at www.twitter.com/signhealth or log on to www.facebook.com/signhealth.

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For further media details, please call Porcupine PR on 01278 446801, email Kate@porcupinepr.co.uk or visit www.porcupinepr.co.uk.

Photograph caption: (Far left) Ruth Harley, Trust and Corporate Fundraiser for SignHealth, and staff from White Stuff head office help to decorate one of the flats at SignHealth’s supported living scheme on Longley Road in Tooting.

Notes to editors:

*Please note: It is the convention adopted within the Deaf community of using an upper case D when referring to those who identify themselves culturally and linguistically as members of the Deaf community. Typically they are prelingually Deaf and use BSL as their first language.

White Stuff was established in 1985 and sells a range of casual clothes and accessories for men and women.

The clothing retailer created the White Stuff Foundation in 2010 to help disadvantaged children and young people in the UK. It currently supports 82 charities across the UK, two in Denmark and two in India.

For more information about White Stuff, please visit www.whitestuff.com or email beckyb@whitestuff.com.

Bar des Arts, which is located opposite the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Millbrook, will be holding a poetry open mic night on Tuesday, May 29 from 7.30pm.

Sue Kucko, Events and Promotions Manager at Bar des Arts, said: “We are hosting an open mic night for those with a passion for poetry and spoken word.

“The evening will be hosted by Dónall Dempsey and Janice Windle, who have proved to be a big hit at previous poetry events at the bar.

“Our featured poets this time will be Cheryl McLennan and Rodney Wood. Cheryl is a poet well-known on the London circuit, whose dry wit and ironic take on life’s trials and joys are always a delight to audiences.”

Rodney was the winner of the Hip Yak Poetry Shack mini-slam in Aldershot in March, which was attended by about 40 young people. His poems have also been published by the Poetry Review.

Sue continued: “Our theme for the event is ‘It’s a Funny Old World’, although people are invited to bring along any poems they would like to share, old or new. Performers will be allocated a five minute spot to deliver their piece.”

Bar des Arts is a café by day and a wine and cocktail bar by night. A range of wine, beers, cocktails and soft drinks are available to purchase, along with sharing platters. The bar hosts a variety of events and exhibitions, including live music, dance performances, open mic nights and many more.

Sue added: “Anyone is welcome to join in with the event, or alternatively people can just come along and enjoy listening to the poems.

“This is fast becoming one of our most popular events with our customers. The performers are always very entertaining and the evenings are full of laughter. We hope lots of people will come along and enjoy our next event.”

People wishing to perform at the event can email the organisers, Dónall and Janice on popuppoets@yahoo.co.uk or arrive at 7.15pm on the evening to book a slot.

The open mic poetry evening will take place at Bar des Arts on Tuesday, May 29 from 7.30pm until 10pm. Entry is free and sharing platters will be available to order.

For more information about the free event, please call Bar des Arts, which is located opposite the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Millbrook, on 01483 453227, log on to www.facebook.com/Bar.Des.Arts.GU1 or follow the bar on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/BarDesArts_GU1.

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For further media details, please call Frances Shepherd, Administration Manager at Bar des Arts on 01483 453227. Alternatively, please contact Porcupine PR on 01278 446801 or email Ellie@porcupinepr.co.uk.

Fhoss Technology® Ltd plans to select the charity that will benefit the most from their new illuminated protective clothing system.

Andy Kimitri, Executive Chairman of Fhoss Technology®, who invented the product, said: “We have recently launched our revolutionary new products, which allow equipment operators to see other workers in poorly lit conditions and in the dark when there’s no other light around.

“We aim to back one organisation that will become our ‘Charity of the Year’ and we are hoping the general public will write in and tell us who they feel would best benefit from our support and why.”

Andy, who used to run nightclubs in Weston-super-Mare, was originally looking for a way to be able to pick out security staff during any disturbances on the dance floor.

He explained: “As they say necessity is the mother of invention and from this initial need I have designed, created and patented a new illuminated clothing system that will be used to help drivers and equipment operators see workers in the dark.

“This is the next generation of personal protective equipment and several steps on from the high visibility jackets, trousers and vests workers wear that have been around for more than 50 years and have hardly changed. This isn’t just reflective clothing. It is one step ahead, or even a giant leap forward.

“We have produced a light emitting reflective tape, which has been designed for use in professional environments where wearing a high visibility garment, such as a vest, is often mandatory due to ever growing health and safety regulations.”

Traditional high visibility reflective tapes work on the principle that they actively collect light and then reflect it back towards the light source.

Andy added: “We are looking to support a charity in connection with our line of work. We are particularly calling on charities connected with construction, highway and rail workers, as well as those who work within the emergency services, to nominate themselves.

“Any charity that is involved with saving lives like mountain rescue teams that might need our product would be good too.

“Charities can be nominated via our Facebook pages and Twitter account or people can email marketing@fhoss.com. The closing date for nominations is June 1, 2012.”

Once a charity has been selected Fhoss Technology® will help by donating products, as well as assisting with fundraising initiatives wherever possible.

Andy added: “Fhoss Technology® has combined the traditional reflective tape with an electroluminescent core that sits behind the semi-transparent tape and actively emits light. Therefore when light is not available the tape emits light as if it were reflecting it.”

In order for the tape to work it needs to be powered by a specially developed, mini rechargeable powercell, which is designed to allow 12 hours of constant usage and can be located discreetly in a small pocket on the garment.

The Fhoss Technology® product has been carefully manufactured and is approved and certified to the internationally recognised EN471 standard by independent test agencies.

It is robust and designed for use by professional users in the work place.

Andy said: “Fhoss Technology® is committed to adding additional safety products into a variety of market sectors to help improve safety through visibility and technology.

“Always at the forefront of our field, our business ethos is to design a new range of products that will help improve safety.

“We’re looking forward to hearing from as many charities as possible and the one we select will be the organisation that gets nominated most. It would be great if charities got all their staff, volunteers and supporters to get in touch with us to put them forward.”

To nominate your chosen charity, please visit the company’s Facebook pages and Twitter account or email marketing@fhoss.com. The closing date for nominations is June 1, 2012.

The chosen organisation and its nominees will be expected to take part in publicity and individuals can only vote once for their charity of choice.

Nominations are only accepted from people aged 18 and over and the company’s decision on the charity selected is final.

For more information about Fhoss Technology®, please visit www.fhoss.com or call 0845 519 2725.

Alternatively, please become a fan of the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FhossTechnology or follow the company on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/FhossTechnology.

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For further media details, please contact Porcupine PR on 01278 446801 or email Michelle@porcupinepr.co.uk.

The Whisky Shop in Guildford is hosting another tasting evening at Bar des Arts on Wednesday, May 2 from 7.30pm.

Sara Burks, Owner of Bar des Arts, which is located opposite the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Millbrook, said: “The star of the show this month is the Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21-year-old, especially created for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. It has elegant malty, chocolaty and apple brandy notes.

“Our whisky tasting evenings are always a hit with customers, who have a great time sampling and learning about the various whiskies.

“As usual there will be a delicious selection of whiskies to taste. It is set to be an informative, enjoyable and relaxing evening spent in good company.”

Bar des Arts is a café by day and a wine and cocktail bar by night. A range of wine, beers, cocktails and soft drinks are available to purchase, along with sharing platters. The bar hosts a variety of events and exhibitions, including live music, dance performances, open mic nights and many more.

Sara added: “Tickets for the event cost £30 and include four whisky samples as well as canapés. The tickets tend to sell out quickly so we advise people to book early. They can be purchased by calling the bar on 01483 453227.”

The Whisky Shop chain is the largest specialist retailer of whiskies in the UK with 17 outlets in England and Scotland and an online shop at www.whiskyshop.com.

The whisky tasting event will be held at Bar des Arts on Wednesday, May 2 from 7.30pm.

For more information about the event, please call Bar des Arts, which is located opposite the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Millbrook, on 01483 453227, log on to www.facebook.com/Bar.Des.Arts.GU1 or follow the bar on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/BarDesArts_GU1.

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For further media details, please call Frances Shepherd, Administration Manager at Bar des Arts on 01483 453227. Alternatively, please contact Porcupine PR on 01278 446801 or email Ellie@porcupinepr.co.uk.

Photograph caption: Lynette Adams, Store Manager for The Whisky Shop in Guildford, with some of the whiskies available.

In her new Office Administrator role, the 22-year-old from Wick St. Lawrence, Weston-super-Mare, will be working closely with the company’s Marketing Sales Team as part of its expanding workforce.

She said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to this position within the team at First Call Payment Protection Ltd. It represents a wonderful opportunity and I’m looking forward to helping move the business forward.”

Originally from Rolestone, Weston-super-Mare, Catherine was educated at Weston  College.

In her spare time, she enjoys helping with the feeding of pedigree cattle, sheep and ponies on her parents’ small farm.

Kevin Williams, Managing Director of First Call Payment Protection Ltd, said: “We’re very excited about Catherine’s appointment. We’re all looking forward to working with her on our forthcoming marketing projects.”

First Call Payment Protection Ltd operates the www.firstcallpaymentprotection.co.uk and www.protection.uk.net websites. It is dedicated to offering products, at the best possible prices, that are designed to help people maintain their standard of living in the event of an unexpected accident, sickness or redundancy.

First Call Payment Protection Ltd’s products include: accident sickness and unemployment insurance, income protection, redundancy insurance, mortgage protection, unemployment insurance and shortly GAP insurance for motorists.

The management team at the company has more than 30 years’ dedicated experience in offering insurance protection products direct to the public and has created insurance schemes for many of the UK’s largest brands/retailers.

The company’s aim is to provide financial protection and peace of mind that ‘the bills’ can be paid when an accident, sickness or redundancy may affect or even threaten their normal way of life.

For more information about First Call Payment Protection Ltd, please visit www.protection.uk.net or call 01934 529427.

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For further media details, please contact Porcupine PR on 01278 446801 or email Ian@porcupinepr.co.uk.
If you wish to contact First Call Payment Protection Ltd  direct, please call Managing Director, Kevin Williams on 01934 529429 or email Kevin.williams@fcppl.co.uk. Kevin is happy to do interviews.

Photograph caption: Catherine Hucker, who has been appointed as Office Administrator for the national firm First Call Payment Protection Ltd based in Worle in Somerset.

SOMERSET teenagers are swapping junk food for fresh produce this year (2012) according to a fruit and vegetable box delivery service in the county.

Cossey Produce says more families with teenagers have signed up for its vegetable boxes in the past six months mirroring a national report by the Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU).

Mark Druitt, Director of Cossey Produce in Bridgwater, explained: “According to the SHEU teenagers are eating more vegetables compared to 13 years ago, which is great news.

“The organisation also found that the diet of many teenagers has changed quite considerably since it began surveying 11 to 15-year-olds in the 1980s, with more young people now preferring to eat healthy food.

“The research carried out by the SHEU also reflects around a 35 percent increase we have seen in sales of our family size boxes during the past six months with many families with teenage children signing up for them.

“We would like more parents to encourage their teenage sons or daughters to follow the trend and try one of our fruit and vegetable boxes.”

The SHEU was founded in 1977 and is an independent research and publishing organisation that supports surveys in hundreds of communities in the UK.

The organisation’s figures were collated from surveys, some of which date back to the 1980s, of the eating habits of 11 to 15-year-olds. This data was then compared with the results from a survey of more than 80,000 teenagers in 2010.

Mark added: “For the average family our boxes can be much better value for money than shopping in a supermarket and we deliver direct to the door.

“The contents can be used to create healthy snacks such as apple wedges and carrot and cucumber sticks.

“A family size veg box, which contains enough local veg and salad for an average family for a week or a fortnight, depending on eating habits, costs £12.50.”

Cossey Produce delivers fresh seasonal produce, often grown in the area, direct to homes and businesses across the region.

For further information about Cossey Produce, please visit www.cosseyproduce.co.uk, call 01278 424242, follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CosseyProduce or log on to www.facebook.com/CosseyProduceLimited.

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For further media details, please contact Porcupine PR on 01278 446801, email Capella@porcupinepr.co.uk or visit www.porcupinepr.co.uk.

It’s a buyers market and people are opting to buy from companies that have a good reputation and that communicate with them professionally using the latest techniques, proving they are alive and well.

It is predicted that economic growth in 2013 will reach just 2%. There are some tough times ahead for all businesses.

So it is more important than ever to retain and attract customers, and to have a competitive advantage.

Businesses desperately need good publicity to grow. They need to work hard to keep existing customers and attract new ones.

Failure to do this means missing out on growth, worse still if businesses lose existing customers faster than they are winning new customers they are in danger of decline.

A sure way to maintain and protect profit margins is to communicate more expertly with your current customers so they either spend more or maintain their spend and to reach out to potential new clients.

The most cost-effective way to do this is through editorial coverage in national and local media including websites, radio and television and also via social media, which is a direct means of communication with your target market.

Customers are willing to part with their hard-earned cash if they feel your company has a good reputation and it is informing, entertaining and inspiring them. The days of the hard sell are over, as existing and potential clients are immune to the old-fashioned marketing ploys and traditional advertising.

The new rules of PR and marketing are now key and online content and social media are king. But it is not as simple as just having a blog or Facebook and Twitter accounts, you need a professional strategy and someone to implement it on a daily basis.

It is also important to collect customer data and create potential customer databases, maintain them and to market to these clients using not just social media but also virtual newsletters. Using professional journalistic techniques and quirky ideas it is possible to get excellent responses from email drops.

You also need to ensure you secure editorial coverage that generates Search Engine Optimisation, which makes the most of your website, to help with your Google ranking.

If people experience little to no consistent and persistent media coverage and are not inspired by your social media strategy then they could well take their money elsewhere.

PR and social media strategies need not be expensive. Depending on the commitment required, professional support and know-how can be from as little as £150 plus VAT per month, which is around just £5 plus VAT per day.

To put this into perspective that’s cheaper than paying for many other more traditional methods of marketing such as leaflets and advertisements. However, all PR and social media activity does need to be part of an integrated marketing strategy.

Businesses must put communication first and to view it alongside any other sales activity if they are to succeed. They need to show an interest in their customers, engage with them, entertain and inspire them and show them that they value their custom.

You can’t do this without professional assistance from people who have skills and expertise and a track record in communications strategies that help sell millions of pounds of products and services every year.

Good publicity can lead to increased brand awareness, customer loyalty, greater footfall or website hits and increased sales leads via referrals.

That’s all you need for a successful business in the current economic crisis when we’re all feeling the squeeze.

GARDEN centres and retailers can from now (March, 2012) onwards stock seeds that will raise money for a national children’s charity.

For every £1.99 packet of Nasturtium ‘Jelly Beans’ sold, Suttons Seeds is donating £1 to Greenfingers, which creates gardens at children’s hospices nationwide.

David Arnold, Marketing and Sales Director of Suttons Seeds, said: “We are delighted to offer garden centres and retailers this opportunity to support this worthwhile charity with the introduction of a promotional, specially designed counter display unit.

“The counter display unit comes with 30 packets of Nasturtium ‘Jelly Beans’. The unit is the perfect size to place next to each till point. For each packet of seeds purchased we will donate £1 to Greenfingers.

“Nasturtium ‘Jelly Beans’ is a particularly popular variety and is one of the easiest flowers to grow. The seeds can be sown between March and June and will flower between June and September.

“They are excellent in hanging baskets, tubs and borders. They produce brilliant colours on upward facing flowers. Nasturtiums are also edible flowers and are high in vitamin C.”

The Echoes will be playing at Bar des Arts, which is located opposite the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Millbrook, on Thursday, April 12.

Sue Kucko, Events and Promotions Manager at Bar des Arts, said: “The Echoes is a six piece band that plays a range of genres including Tamla Motown and Soul.

“The band includes vocalist Izzie Edwards, guitarist Jack Kendrew, drummer Dan Adcock, saxophonist Talie Burkitt-Jones, trumpeter Brad Hayes and bassist Jim Stephens.

“The band will be entertaining customers with a selection of Motown and Soul hits and a few originals. Our party nights at the bar are always very popular and we hope that lots of people will join us for this free event.”

Bar des Arts is a café by day and a wine and cocktail bar by night. A range of wine, beers, cocktails and soft drinks are available to purchase, along with sharing platters.

The bar hosts a variety of events and exhibitions, including live music, dance performances, open mic nights and many more.

The Echoes will be performing at Bar des Arts on Thursday, April 12 from 8pm until 11pm and tables should be booked in advance.

For more information about the free event or to book a table, please call Bar des Arts, which is located opposite the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Millbrook, on 01483 453227, log on to www.facebook.com/Bar.Des.Arts.GU1 or follow the bar on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/BarDesArts_GU1.

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For further media details, please call Frances Shepherd, Administration Manager at Bar des Arts on 01483 453227. Alternatively, please contact Porcupine PR on 01278 446801 or email Ellie@porcupinepr.co.uk.

Martin Conway will host the free demos on behalf of Cossey Produce at the Fab Funday, which has been organised by Burnham Dreamscheme, on Saturday, April 7.

The 49-year-old said: “I am looking forward to attending the event, which will take place in Manor Gardens.

“I will be showing people how to make a strawberry and blueberry cream cake using the fruit found in one of Cossey Produce’s boxes.

“Cooking is my passion and I really enjoy hosting demos. I am looking forward to giving people tips and answering any questions they may have.”

Martin has appeared in pilot cookery shows for TV including, ‘Cooking on the Hoof’ and ‘My Dad Cooks Best’. He is also writing his first recipe book.

Cossey Produce, which is based in Bridgwater, delivers fresh produce, often grown in the South West, direct to homes and businesses across the region.The company aims to beat supermarkets on price.

Dreamscheme is a worldwide charity that aims to inspire and enable communities to realise the potential of young people. It organises work projects for young people and rewards them with points, which can be spent on trips and sporting activities.

John Alexander, who is organising the event, said: “We are delighted that Martin will be at the event demonstrating how to make a tasty dish.

“I am sure people will thoroughly enjoy his cookery demonstrations and will have a go themselves at home.

“As well as the demos there will be various activities including a climbing wall and drumming workshop. There will also be a barbeque, which has been provided by the Burnham-on-Sea and District Lions Club. Individual stallholders will charge for the different activities.”

The Fab Funday takes place at the Manor Gardens in Burnham-on-Sea on Saturday, April 7 from 11am until 3pm. Martin will be hosting cooking demonstrations at 12noon and 2pm.

For further information about Cossey Produce, please visit www.cosseyproduce.co.uk, call 01278 424242, follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CosseyProduce or log on to www.facebook.com/CosseyProduceLimited.

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For further media details, please call Porcupine PR on 01278 446801, email Capella@porcupinepr.co.uk or visit www.porcupinepr.co.uk.