Go Get ‘em Tiger

London Zoo is hosting an event tonight to raise money for Tiger SOS. Some very brave (or very stupid…) people, including Daisy’s zookeeper sister, Grace, will be taking on the challenge of walking over hot coals, all in aid of a great cause. Tiger SOS is a campaign to raise money for ZSL’s tiger conservation work in Sumatra as well as developing a new Conservation Headquarters right in the heart of central London.

 
The tiger is desperately endangered throughout its range and its future is in our hands. Over the last decade the wild tiger population has been decimated, with a massive 95% drop in numbers. ZSL’s aims are to raise £4 million to save the Sumatran tiger. Plans include developing a state-of-the art Tiger Conservation Headquarters in the centre of London at ZSL London Zoo. Its purpose is to inspire support and a lifeline of funds for their tiger conservation work in Indonesia and other key tiger ranges.

A huge amount of money has already been raised, but further efforts and support are still needed. Tonight’s fire-walking event will see participants attending a 'Nothing is impossible' seminar, where they will learn to face their fears and attempt to walk over burning hot coals in the London Zoo grounds… if, like me, you have a more ‘rather them than me’ attitude towards putting bare flesh to hot embers, don’t fear, you can still play your part in support by putting your hands in your pockets and donating to this worthy cause. Daisy’s sister’s just giving page can be found here. At time of publishing Grace has already raised £360.00, keep it coming!

Spectators are welcome on the night, with gates opening at 5:30pm. More information can be found about the event, and the Tiger SOS campaign here.

A Great British Knees Up

This year is a pretty special year for Britain, with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in June just a month before the opening of the London Olympics in July. The tube will be rammed, the streets will be busy and taxi’s will be extortionately priced but regardless of all this, what a fantastic summer it will be. Everywhere will buzz with the confusion of lost tourists, the excitement of sports fans and/or royalists. On top of all of this there will be an immense feeling of unity, not only within our own community but throughout the entire world.

It’s a time to really show off what talent Britain has to offer, I think Adele managed to kick start this on Sunday evening at the Grammy Awards by winning 6 awards and irrefutably giving one of the most moving yet infallible performances of the night, just weeks after throat surgery.

It’s not only music that the British can be proud of; we should also take note of the great designers that to this day are still recognised as pioneers in their industry. Namely the great Thomas Crapper, whose designs are still kept alive and known as the world’s most authentic period style sanitaryware. Another is H&E Smith known for their traditional techniques, coupled with an inherently skilled work force, these expertise is what lead to their presence within a vast re-furbishment programme by the London Underground.

And a little on the business side… Just two days ago the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) issued a positive * forecast with growth in UK manufacturing and professional services having been encouraging in recent months. Their report forecasts that as well as increased business investments, net trade will continue to provide the most positive contributions to growth with UK exports expected to increase by 4.3 per cent in 2012 and 6.4 per cent in 2013. 

The British love a good knees-up and I imagine this summer will just be one big party rolling into the next.

For a further read on this subject the Editor of Elle Decoration, Michelle Ogundehin, explores some fascinating views on her blog.

*Source CBI PressRelease 13th Feb 2012 entitled 'Growth will restart in 2012'

The Power of Print Media

To follow on from our last blog I think it's appropriate to bring to light a recent Mintel report that shows how people are still very fond of 'traditional' print media.

Richard Cope discussed at 'The InternationalContent Summit 2011' how, what is often dubbed as, 'slow media' is still going strong. Some of the main points of his presentation were:

• 71% of people say they prefer to read a printed magazine than the online version.
• Time is the new privacy and slow is the new opportunity for publishers.
• 42% of people consume print for long journeys.
• 1/5 adults would buy a print subscription if it included free access to exclusive online content.

Many people argue these days that with the rise of social media, print media is becoming somewhat redundant but with the above stats they couldn't be more wrong. Everyone loves to sit down, with a cup of tea and flick through their favourite magazine, it's safe to say it's definitely one of the perks of working in PR for the home interest sector! Subcriptions are also still so popular, and why wouldn't they be? It's lovely to have your favourite magazine posted through your door every month, many people will keep older copies as either a coffee table read or sometimes as collectables.

For further information and if you'd like to read the full report (maybe over a cup of tea!) click here.