THE ENGLISH GROUP †THE ENGLISH GROUP: GOOD CAUSES
The English Group has long had an interest in providing marketing and design expertise to charities and good causes, and over the past few years has created a number of its own fund raising initiatives for projects that it has wished to support. As a result of the success of these we are now often asked to help develop similar projects for other organisations - and usually further enhance the potential of these projects as a direct consequence of our ability to encourage our clients, our suppliers, and other contacts to come together to contribute too.
In doing so we have raised or directly contributed to the raising of a sum of almost £1,000,000.
In addition, The English Group has also contributed design support towards other good causes projects, in the conservation & environment, humanitarian, and arts sectors, raising in excess of £150million.
The English Group was contracted by the Soil Association to design a document detailing the organisation's plans for the development of a site on Bristol's harbourside to become its new headquarters and Centre For Food & Sustainable Farming. This project was endorsed by HRH Prince Charles, chaired by Jonathan Dimbleby and additionally supported by Trudie Styler. The oversize publication produced to detail the plans also enclosed a second volume offering a photographic essay by the celebrated war photographer Don McCullin, showcasing landscape images shot at or around his home on the Somerset Levels.
The agency is currently working with the conservationist and philanthropist Paul Lister to launch his charity foundation, The European Nature Trust, and on another project for 'Wild Europe' (of which Paul is a supporter) to protect Europe's remaining old forests and ultimately, create Europe's largest National Park.
view Project Update: The Soil Association »
view Project Update: The Alladale Lodge and Wilderness Reserve »
The English Group has worked with the musician Annie Lennox to contribute to the launch of two good causes initiatives. The first, The SING Campaign, aims to raise the profile and initiate projects in support of women and children suffering the effects of AIDS in South Africa. A second project, The Circle, brings together a number of similarly high-profile women who have the capacity to direct the weight of their combined voices towards a number of women's initiatives worldwide. (In the first instance, Oxfam has put together a broad mix of projects for the Circle to support).
The agency has also contributed support to the charity Peace One Day and has designed a variety of publications for its projects, including the event programme for a concert at the UK's Royal Albert Hall. In similar space, The English Group has also created a new website for the conflict resolution charity headed by three times Nobel Peace Prize nominee Scilla Elworthy, Peace Direct.
Most recently, The English Group has also worked with the rock star and acclaimed photographer Bryan Adams, to produce a publication detailing his portraits of many of the music industry's biggest names in support of the hearing impairment charity, Hear The World.
As an aside, The English Group's very first self initiated project, 'Rather Go Naked' was a party and auction event, held in Bath (with donations or contributions from David Beckham, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel and Midge Ure) which donated £15,000.00 to Medicin Sans Frontieres for the human rights catastrophe in Dharfur.
view Project Update: Annie Lennox ~ The SING Campaign »
view Project Update: Peace One Day »
view Project Update: Make Your Peace (Peace Direct) »
view Project Update: Hear The World ~ Bryan Adams »
The English Group has enjoyed a productive relationship with the UK's National Portrait Gallery which now spans many years, and has culminated most recently with The English Group's founder, Marc Carter, being invited to join the Gallery's Executive Committee. Both Marc and the agency team have worked to contribute to the Gallery's 2009 'Portrait Gala' - designing all invitations, tickets, menus, booklets, and a 96pp event publication - which has raised almost £200,000 to underwite the costs of the Gallery's educational and outreach initiatives
The agency has also introduced sponsorship support to the NPG for two previous exhibition projects - the Cornel Lucas Lifetime Retrospective, and an essay documenting many of the UK's most inspirational women, 'Modern Muses', photographed by the rock star Bryan Adams. The English Group was proud to be asked to design and manage production of the Limited Edition books produced to accompany both of these exhibitions.
The English Group's other large arts-based project has been to create a fund-raising platform for the British Academy of Film & Television Arts' educational programmes. The first two auction and dinner events for this project have raised in excess of £400,000 and the agency is pleased to have produced all literature necessary to promote the events and support the two evenings' activities.
The English Group is currently working on a project with the photographer RANKIN to support Youth Music, the UK's largest organisation enabling access to music for children and teenagers who otherwise would not be able to enjoy such opportunities.
view Project Update: National Portrait Gallery 'Portrait Gala' »
view Project Update: Modern Muses by Bryan Adams »
view Project Update: Screen Dreams »
For an opportunity to view The English Group's current portfolio of work, including many award winning graphic design solutions and the full suite of good causes initiatives that the agency has contributed towards, please contact Ellie May Harvey on +44 (0)1249 715 480 or via email at ellie@theenglishgroup.co.uk.