Today Workhouse Marketing meets Royalty! (well, Nicky did)

If you’ve read this blog before you might be aware that Workhouse is helping out with a really important project which will help the young people of Blackburn. It’s called Youth Zone. Today, The Duke of Kent was in Blackburn and the team behind Youth Zone led by Andrew Graham of Graham and Brown met him and explained all about Youth Zone. Our own Youth Zone ‘hero’ Nicky Jepson also met the Duke and here are some pics…

Duke of Kent…and Nicky

Duke of Kent, Andrew Graham….and Nicky peering over shoulder.

Duke of Kent, Andrew Graham….and back of Nicky’s head

Here’s how it was reported in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph….

In a visit to the town HRH the Duke of Kent was given a presentation on the new £5million Youth Zone, which is set to be built in the town centre next year. Graham Burgess, Blackburn with Darwen Council chief executive, said: “We have shown him the fact that regeneration and cohesion is key to our future and we are proud of what is going on here.

“He said that he wants other members of his family to come here and see what is being done.”

Youngsters who are helping develop the new Blackburn Youth Zone spoke to the Duke about the project, which is to be built off Jubilee Street. The scheme, based on the highly successful Bolton Lads and Girls Club, will see a huge new facility created for hundreds of youngsters to get involved in a huge range of activities. There will even be a football pitch built on the roof.

Andrew Graham, the chairman of the scheme, said: “We told the Duke that this project can bring the community together. It could be completely life changing because it would give children somewhere to go and something to do that they really want to do.”

Dec Elliot, 16, of Roe Lee, spoke to the royal. He said: “I cannot wait for it to open. It will make a massive difference to Blackburn. We are all really excited.”

White van man, a set of cream covers and Lancashire’s finest national brands

Most of the Workhouse team ( Grez and Rachel were on hols, Liz wasn't in, Woody was behind the camera, and Jamie's on a ski-ing sabbatical!

A full house today at Workhouse Marketing. Every member of staff was in (no hols, no sick,), everybody full-on busy, Grahams brother Ste was in to help out in the studio too, the photography studio was busy all day… good stuff, very pleasing. All well and good but I needed some hard copy visuals dropping off at a clients in Preston, normally there’d be somebody out and about and willing to drop them off for you, but not today (you know, everybody busy….good stuff, very pleasing etc…) so it gave me the opportunity to drive the van round at high speed, wolf whistling and shouting ‘ello darling’ at all the girls….(no that last bit is a fib).

It was great to be dropping stuff off at Plumbs in Preston. We did a fair bit for Plumbs a while ago, and I’m delighted to be back doing some more for them now. Plumbs is a really successful national brand, and it’s based in Lancashire. The company is 50 years old this year and going strong. Plumbs make loose covers for your furniture, such a simple idea, yet so effective. It makes so much sense, if you have  a sofa that’s really comfortable but is just wearing out or you don’t like the pattern anymore, then the simple, easy, and cheap, option is to buy a new set of loose covers in a style you like. The service is great, the Plumbs rep just comes to your house and does it all for you. We had a really patterned three piece suite which we grew to hate  (why did we buy it in the first place?!), so through Plumbs we got some really nice cream covers which transformed our sitting room….(good stuff…very pleasing…)

Plumbs also do re-upholstery...I love the red and white chair...

We’re currently doing work for some of  Lancashire’s finest national brands. I’m proud to say we work for Crown Paints, Daniel Thwaites, Graham and Brown, The Holiday Cottages Group, as well as Plumbs, and of course the ‘Lancashire’ brand itself through our work with the Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board. We also work with some fabulous regional brands and some great brands outside of Lancashire too … (good stuff…very very pleasing!)

Mark Jones, MD, Workhouse Marketing.

PS.  Forget all that nice stuff I said about Dave yesterday, this morning I discovered he was a Man U fan!