Tag: gold award

Teapot Trust Elsewhere Garden awarded Gold at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Designed by Semple Begg and generously funded by Project Giving Back, the garden will be relocated to Royal Hospital for Children , Glasgow, following the show.

The Teapot Trust provides art therapy for children with chronic illnesses and the garden represents a place where a child’s imagination blooms in response to art therapy taking them ‘elsewhere’ away from their illness, helping them express and ultimately overcome their fears.

Teapot Trust Chief Executive, Sarah Randall said: “Winning gold is a fantastic acknowledgement of the brilliance of Sempe Begg’s design in conveying the freedom gifted by art therapy.

“The most important point is that we’ve never lost sight of the reason we created the Elsewhere Garden – to reach more children so that their lives can be transformed through the healing power of art therapy. For us, that’s gold.

We are so grateful to Project Giving Back’s funding that has enabled this to happen, helping us reach more children and their families who will benefit from art therapy.’

The garden was designed for Teapot Trust by Scottish-Swiss design team Semple Begg. The garden which must be at least 80% plants with designers encouraged to showcase unusual and interesting plant combinations includes a signature ‘Dolly Mixture’ stream of Candelabra primulas and a Chelsea first appearance for a pair of Picea abies ‘Inversa’.

Susan Begg and Nicola Semple (top) say: “We are thrilled to have won Gold! The Teapot Trust Elsewhere Garden tells the story of the transformative power of art therapy, creativity and imagination.

“The one thing we couldn’t have imagined is what a fantastic experience it would be. Our thanks to the whole team and to all who have supported the project. Most of all to Project Giving Back – who made it all possible.”

Following Chelsea, Teapot Trust’s winning Elsewhere Garden will be permanently relocated to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow to create an inclusive safe space to help overcome barriers to accessing healthcare. It will be used for outdoor art therapy and all patients and visitors will be welcome.

Innis & Gunn takes home Gold at European Sponsorship Awards

Scottish Brewer awarded the top prize in the arts & culture category for partnership with The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn was awarded one of the top prizes at the prestigious European Sponsorship Awards held last night (9 March) at the Brewery in London, for its iconic sponsorship work with The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. 

Innis & Gunn was awarded first place within the Arts & Culture sponsorship category in recognition of two iconic brands coming together in a first-class sponsorship of an internationally renowned spectacle rooted in Scottish tradition. This award win is the latest accolade in a string of coveted awards for the brand. 

Hundreds of sponsorship industry professionals from dozens of countries joined the ESA Awards last night (9 March) to see winners awarded across 25 categories. With sponsorships from nine different countries, as well as a range of multinational campaigns.

The objective of Innis & Gunn’s sponsorship of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2022 was to bring together two brands which at their heart are all about originality and creativity and to create a phenomenal customer experience.

The opportunity enabled Innis & Gunn to take its flagship beer, The Original, and award-winning Lager to a quarter of a million ticket holders over the month of August. The partnership even made history as this was the first time The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo had been licensed in its 72 years of running. 

The results of the sponsorship speak for themselves. In the first year of the partnership, Innis & Gunn created an exceptional bar experience in a historic location – combined with outstanding customer service achieved industry-beating satisfaction scores from guests. 

Commenting on the win, Innis & Gunn’s founder, Dougal Gunn Sharp, said: “The huge success of this inaugural year of our partnership is a testament to the shared vision and incredible talent both at Innis & Gunn and The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. 

“Our beers are known across the world for their originality and creativity. Working with the Tattoo has enabled us to bring our creative vision and award-winning beers to new drinkers who, for the first time, are able to enjoy Scotland’s most iconic beer, at Scotland’s most iconic event, in Scotland’s most iconic location.

“We are passionate about our commitment to our local community and are already planning how we can elevate the experience even further at this year’s show.”

For more information, visit https://www.innisandgunn.com

Edinburgh letting agency Clan Gordon strike gold

Edinburgh letting agency Clan Gordon is celebrating winning the 2020/2021 Best Estate Agent Guide Gold Award at the EA Masters 

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The Best Estate Agent Guide Gold award was presented on 3 November at the EA Masters, Estate Agency of the Year event, at Evolution Live in London and confirms Clan Gordon’s position as one of the top  agencies in the UK. 

The EA Masters celebrates the best estate agents and letting agents and the leading property industry suppliers and is regarded as the equivalent of an Oscar for a film, a Michelin Star for a restaurant or a gold medal at the Olympics.

Each year EA Masters assess the UK’s 25,000 estate and letting agency branches and highlight the top performers in the Best Estate Agent Guide. Only 5% of agencies across the UK are recognised with the prestigious gold award.

Susie McOwan, EA Masters, told Clan Gordon: “You’ve clearly worked extremely hard during this most testing period and have come through  as one of the very best agencies in the country, congratulations, now it’s time to celebrate all your effort.”

Jonathan Gordon, Managing Director of Edinburgh letting agent Clan Gordon, said: “The team at Clan Gordon is delighted that our agency has been recognised with the prestigious  EA Masters Gold award.

“It is the only award that is judged using real data from Rightmove about how good our property marketing is, how our  agency performs with letting properties and tests our customer service though mystery shopping.

“To receive this industry recognition of our letting service after having to adjust to the huge challenges we all faced during the pandemic, is a most welcome reward for the team’s hard work and dedication.

“As restrictions lift and we see confidence in the property market returning to the capital Clan Gordon is proud it’s services have been underscored with gold and we look forward to working with both existing and new clients and landlords across Edinburgh in the future.”

Clan Gordon has also been shortlisted for the allAgents awards which will be announced next week and hopes to add this prize to its growing trophy cabinet.

To discover more about the complete letting service that Clan Gordon offers visit:

www.clangordon.co.uk 

Native Goes Green With Double Gold ECO Smart Accreditation

Leading Aparthotel group, Native, eco-friendly commitment is paying off as the sustainable hotel has been awarded double gold from Greengage’s ECOsmart programme. 

The awards follow a recent green commitment by the stylish aparthotel as they embrace a road to recovery that targets sustainable travellers and an eco-friendly approach to operations. 

Greengage’s innovative accreditation recognised Native for embracing environmental sustainability excellence at both their Scottish properties located in Glasgow and Edinburgh, receiving an ECOsmart Gold Award for 2021/2022. 

ECOsmart is an industry standard accreditation, awarded to hotels and meeting venues that can demonstrate an eco-friendly service approach in five key areas: energy and water conservation, waste management and recycling, rooms and facilities, food and beverage, and corporate and social responsibility. 

Native who already operate a ‘Reuse, Reduce, Recycle’ policy and zero waste on single-use plastic welcome the gold standard recognition and the ‘green bill of health’ for their sustainable drive. 

The hotel group was recognised in particular for turning their food waste into biofuel, offering 100% compostable bin bags and offering fully biodegradable, organic coffee pods fromThe Eden Project from their Edinburgh property.   

Meanwhile, in Glasgow, they were applauded for eliminating almost 30,000 plastic bottles through their partnership with local independents Mossgiel Milk and ethically sourced Glasgow coffee roaster – Dear Green, to offer the perfect cup of coffee in the morning through sustainable practices.

There is zero waste with the milk production as the organic milk is supplied and refilled on-site using innovative reuse and recycle method, reducing landfill and cutting the hotel’s single-use plastic use down by 100%. 

Native believes that by choosing sustainable accommodation you can, amongst other things, cut down your own carbon footprint without compromising on a comfortable and stylish stay. They welcomed the awards ahead of COP26 in Scotland.

Gary White, Scotland regional manager at Native aparthotels, said: “We are committed to our drive for sustainability at our properties here in Scotland. It’s an incredible team effort and we’re really proud to have been recognised in our bid to lower our carbon footprint. 

“At both our properties here in Scotland, we are very eco-conscious and ambitious in our plans to deliver eco-friendly yet stylish accommodation for our guests.”

Andrew Perolls, CEO of Greengage Travel & Event Solutions, said: “Native is leading the way with sustainability in Scotland. It’s our pleasure to reward their imaginative approach to maximising the sustainability of their properties with the gold level ECOsmart recognition.“

Capital primary school is top of the class for outdoor learning

An Edinburgh primary school has become the first in Scotland to receive a national award for its commitment to taking learning outside the classroom.

St Andrew’s Fox Covert RC Primary School has been given the national Learning Outside the Classroom Mark (Gold), the highest accolade of its kind.

The award has been given by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC), the national voice for teaching beyond the classroom which is known to contribute significantly to raising attainment and improving pupil and staff wellbeing.

As part of their submission for Gold status, St Andrew’s excelled in the following important areas:

  • capitalising on their resources, including nearby Corstorphine Hill, to ensure learning was based in local, accessible places
  • maximising commitment to learning for sustainability and their core ecological values; nurture, inspire, flourish
  • ensuring that their work was rooted in Curriculum for Excellence and that all learning was underpinned by progressive skills for learning, life and work

Rebecca Favier, Head Teacher at St Andrew’s, said: “Being awarded the gold mark is a tremendous achievement for all the staff and pupils. That we are the first school in Scotland to achieve this makes it even more special! It shows that we are providing our pupils with potentially life-changing opportunities to learn in meaningful contexts.

“We’re thrilled to get national recognition for our efforts, and we look forward to continuing to develop what we do, helping our pupils achieve their potential and to promoting the many benefits of taking teaching and learning beyond the classroom walls.”

Primary 5 pupil Billy said: I love learning outside my classroom on Corstorphine Hill. We do maths, language, science, nature studies and art and it’s fun doing it in the fresh air.

“Even when it isn’t sunny we keep our outdoor clothes in school for all weather. It makes learning feel like playtime with my friends. St Andrew’s is the best school ever!”

Councillor Ian Perry, Education Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: Well done to all the teaching staff and pupils at St Andrew’s who have made such a massive contribution to achieving this award.

“It’s great to see such innovative learning and teaching being taken out of the classroom and getting the national recognition that it fully deserves.”

Councillor Alison Dickie, Education Vice Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This past year has been a real challenge for our young people and teaching staff so a massive thumbs up to St Andrew’s for leading the way in Scotland.

“This is creative learning at its best and these outdoor experiences both improve pupils’ academic attainment but also personal development and health and wellbeing.”

Kerr Willis, Chair of St Andrew’s Parent Council, said: “Big congratulations to all the staff and pupils for achieving Gold Award status in LOtC.

“It’s great to see the school making use of the incredible outdoor space near the campus to provide the children with a creative and practical approach to learning. Keep up the great work!”

Dr Anne Hunt, Chief Executive of CLOtC said: “Learning outside the classroom has many proven educational benefits as well as providing some of the most valuable and memorable experiences in a child’s school life. 

“Achieving LOtC Mark (Gold) demonstrates that St Andrew’s Fox Covert RC Primary is a leader in providing learning experiences outside the classroom and that these sessions are a genuine part of the everyday life of the school, are available to all of their children and young people.

“I congratulate them on achieving this award.”

For more information about LOtC Mark, please visit http://www.lotc.org.uk/lotc-accreditations/lotc-mark/