Next Transition St Austell Meeting 6th August 2009

To support our client Transition St Austell we've lent the group two titles from our environmental DVD collection. Mark and Katie of Transition said: "We are back at the White Hart, St Austell for a film night. The film in question is The 11th Hour. Created, produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, on the state of the natural environment the film documents the grave problems facing the planet's life systems. Global warming, deforestation, mass species extinction, and depletion of the oceans' habitats are all addressed. The film's premise is that the future of humanity is in jeopardy. The film proposes potential solutions to these problems by calling for restorative action by the reshaping and rethinking of global human activity through technology, social responsibility and conservation."
At this early stage of the resurgence of Transition in St Austell it would be great if we could get more people at each subsequent meeting.
Let's try to restore the largest town in Cornwall to the rich community that it once was...

Leap Highlighted

As a company with one foot in the media industry, we like to keep on top of ours and our clients exposure in the press and online. I was surprised this morning to find that we were featured in an article about ISO-14001 accreditation and the EMS Easy tool and how it's helping SME's on an online green newsletter entitled GreenWise.
The article discusses the benefits of the EMS Easy tool kit and that it enables smaller businesses to gain accreditations that five years ago they wouldn't have considered possible or economical to aim for.
"Apart from Cornwall-based Leap Media, four of Global Action Plan’s clients have achieved ISO14001 using the tool kit in the past year – none of them employing more than 50 staff – dispelling the myth that environmental management standards are the sole preserve of large organisations."
Leap previously worked for Global Action Plan and developed all branding and marketing collateral for their Envision project.
Full article is to be found here.

Leap Nominated for University of Plymouth Vice Chancellor Award

Leap were told the other day that Unlocking Cornish Potential (UCP), the guys that brought Claire England and Chris Maynard into the company, have nominated Leap for the University of Plymouth Vice Chancellor Award for Enterprise in Cornwall.
It is awarded to businesses and individuals "for enterprising activities in Cornwall which have influenced thinking in the county and contributed to its economic, social and cultural development."
The winner will be announced at a black tie Awards Dinner to be held in the Graduation Marquee on Thursday 17th September.

Holz Eco House

Claire found this last week whilst designing Holz' Autumn/Winter catalogue for 2009/10:

Plan ‘Green’ Dolls House
An exciting edition to our much loved dolls house collection. Made from sustainable rubber wood, this eco dolls house has a wind turbine, solar panel and electricity inverter. Its own water butt, recycling bins, an adjustable blind to regulate sunlight and air circulation, and biofacade which uses the natural cycle of plant growth to create shade. Also includes room furniture. Everything a modern doll family could need!

All for a very reasonable £142.90! Now, I'm sure that my sister's doll's house cost WAY more than that!

the creekside, west looe

As you can see above Leap have branded an exclusive development of two bedroom apartments beside the river in West Looe.
The twelve energy efficient apartments are being designed and fitted to the highest standard and will be available later this summer.
If you follow this link here you will see Kieran’s beautifully designed website where you can find out more about availability of the properties and the town itself.
Claire is also putting the finishing touches to a comprehensive brochure that will show the apartments in their best light.

Leap is Now ISO-14001 Accredited!

After two years of hard graft and the training of four of our five employees, we have now (last Tuesday in fact) been given our ISO-14001 accreditation.
This is culmination of a huge amount of work and drive by Matt and Jonny and singles us out as the only graphic design studio in the South West (and maybe the country) that has achieved this prestigious recognition.
The 14001 accreditation is concerned with Leap's environmental management system and calls for a measurable reduction in all of its outputs year on year.
For more information Jonny Parker should be contacted in the first instance.

Upton Towans beach in Gwithian was sold at auction yesterday for £80,000. The proceeds from the sale will go to the Hall for Cornwall as the owner, Dennis Arbon, wanted the sale to benefit the people of Cornwall. The buyer is said to be keen to keep the beech totally unspoilt, which is another positive outcome from the sale. Without any chance of planning being granted now or in the future, you may ask what the buyer got from the sale. It is believed to be a literary trophy associated with one Virginia Woolf, as the beach is thought to be the inspiration for her 1927 novel To the Lighthouse. Tim Brinkman of the Hall for Cornwall said: "I'm absolutely delighted. It's a great fillip for the theatre." And were inclined to agree with him. We just hope that the Jack’s Cows project raises just as much if not more money for Cornwall’s premiere theatre.

Cleo Ready for Her Blooming Closeup on Pydar Street

We've just been told this afternoon that Truro City Council have put in a publicity request for Cleo our climate cow. This week sees Truro putting in its RHS Britain in Bloom entry and as a result, the city has asked for Cleo to take pride of place on Pydar Street to boost the climate credentials of the entry. She will then be moved to take up her prestigious final position on Lemon Quay outside the Hall for Cornwall ready to take centre stage in this great fundraising event for the beginning of next week. In other bovine news, Claire’s designs for the Cow map are coming along well and should be ready very soon.

Heligan Wins Gold!

Yesterday (7th July) the medal winners at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show were announced to the world with a name familiar to the people of Cornwall amongst them.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Pentewan, just outside of St Austell, won a Gold Medal for their Leap designed Camellia & Rhododendron display in the Plant Heritage Marquee.
As the only Cornish garden exhibiting this year, it was extra important to make sure that Heligan’s display was especially striking, especially because, due to disease control, they are not allowed to exhibit live samples; as Lorna Tremayne, Heligan’s Marketing and Media Manager explains:
“Due to restrictions on plant movement for sites like ours with the fungal disease Phytophthora ramorum, we are unable to take any plant material from our National Collection. This meant that we needed to create a purely interpretative display full of images and interesting anecdotes and facts to tell Heligan’s National Collection story.”
“We have worked closely with Leap Media who have created an eye-catching gallery style display for us.” Leap designer Claire England worked for three weeks on the display that tells the story of Heligan’s National Collection of Camellias and Rhododendrons and is thrilled with the award: “I’m really pleased with the finished result and so happy that our hard work has been recognised.”
Taking pride of place in the Plant Heritage Marquee, the display is made up of over 60 panels of images and information and reveals the adventures of the Victorian Plant Hunters, the fascinating stories of individual plants and the conservation and future of Heligan’s horticultural treasures.
In 2008, Heligan was granted National Collection status by Plant Heritage for its historical collection of ‘Camellias and Rhododendrons Introduced to Heligan pre-1920’. The collection, which boasts over 70 veteran camellias and 350 ancient rhododendrons, attracts thousands of visitors to the gardens every spring with its majestic and colourful blooms.
It’s been over ten years since Heligan last exhibited at Hampton Court. Leap are really excited to be involved with their return and with this success look forward to working with the ‘Lost Gardens’ in the near future.

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The Lost Gardens Return

In association with Leap, The Lost Gardens of Heligan have completed their preparations for next week's Hampton Court Flower Show.

As the only Cornish garden exhibiting this year, it was extra important to make sure that Heligan’s display was extra striking, especially because, due to disease control, they are not allowed to exhibit live samples; as Lorna Tremayne, Heligan’s Marketing and Media Manager explains:
“Due to restrictions on plant movement for sites like ours with the fungal disease Phytophthora ramorum, we are unable to take any plant material from our National Collection. This meant that we needed to create a purely interpretative display full of images and interesting anecdotes and facts to tell Heligan’s National Collection story.”
Claire has been working on the display that tells the story of their National Collection of Camellias and Rhododendrons for three weeks and has just today gone to check the final product at Parc Signs. It will take pride of place in the Plant Heritage Marquee and is made up of over 60 panels of images and information.
It’s been over ten years since Heligan last exhibited at Hampton Court and Leap are really excited to be involved with their return.

(Left to Right) Lorna, Marketing and Media Manager from Heligan, Claire from Leap and Sarah from Heligan.

ShelterBox Goes Live!

Within the last hour the all-new, Leap-designed ShelterBox website has gone live. One of the biggest elements of an ongoing 18 month re brand of the disaster relief charity and taking eight months alone, the new website is a cleaner design with the emphasis on recent successful deployments and making it easier for visitors to donate and volunteer their time.
ShelterBox package and deliver ten man survival kits, in their highly recognisable green boxes, to sites of humanitarian disaster all over the world. They also train volunteers to become part of their ShelterBox Relief Team with their gruelling nine-day training courses.
In August 2007 the Duchess of Cornwall became the charity’s President and Royal Patron following a visit with the Prince of Wales to Pakistan in 2006 where they saw the great work being done there by ShelterBox volunteers. Other patrons include Miss Joanna Lumley OBE and Lady Mary Holbarrow, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall.
Last year ShelterBox announced their One Million in Africa project that hopes to deploy one million boxes on the continent.
ShelterBox relies entirely on donations from the public and are very proud that 92% of all donations goes directly to those in need. To donate now go to http://www.shelterbox.org/

South West Tourism and the Tourism for Tomorrow

The World Travel and Tourism Council have announced the winners and finalists of their annual Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.
The awards include four very different categories: the Destination Stewardship Award, the Conservation Award, the Community Benefit Award and the Global Tourism Business Award. As the only finalist from the UK, South West Tourism was exceedingly proud to be in the final twelve across the four categories and the final three in the Destination Stewardship Award.
Neil Warren, Sustainability Strategist for South West Tourism said: “We were surprised and delighted to make it so far and while a little disappointed that we didn’t win, it was further than I ever anticipated we would get when I sent the application in.”
Leap are very proud to be associated with South West Tourism and were more than happy to say so to the award judges, Matt said: “I was asked to meet with the judges to discuss Leap’s working relationship with SWT and what we do ourselves.”
Even though they didn’t win, Neil remains positive: “One of the best outcomes from the process was that the judging visit reminded me just how many great partners we are fortunate to work with. I’d like to thank them all again for their support in recent years, for their help with the judging in February and I look forward to continuing our work together in the future.”
The eventual winner of the Destination Stewardship Award was Grupo Puntacana from the Dominican Republic. The group own and run a Resort and Club, international airport, a community and an ecological foundation. Like a modern day Bourneville or Voltaire the group employs 1,700 people and provides all their educational and health related needs whilst sustainably developing the local infrastructure.
Neil said: “Congratulations to Grupo Puntacana on what looks like fantastic work in the Dominican Republic.”

[re]design and the Design Olympiad

Back in October last year Sarah Johnson of [re]design gave a seminar to the 2008 Design Olympiad in Seoul, South Korea.
Entitled 'What is Design For?' the talk centred around how UK designers are 're imagining and reinventing our world...whilst respecting ecological limits' by emphasising good practice pioneers including Leap.
Leap embodies tactical changes that all designers could make in the way that we have revolutionised our design practice. By changing the way we think about and use paper along with other raw materials, we have neutralised our carbon output and reduced the waste that comes out of our studio.
Leap has shown leadership in other levels of our production process; by collaborating with St Austell Printing Company to develop an until recently unmatched carbon calculator, we have set ourselves apart from the competition by increasing our own sustainability and positive social outcomes. Its great for this to have been recognised and heralded by Sarah and [re]design and we'd like to thank them for thinking of us!
By the way, I don’t want to ruin the ending, but in case you didn’t catch Sarah’s talk; it turns out that design is for designing a better world…watch this space.