IoIC North Awards 2011

Our first award was an Award of Excellence in the Design Category for the HMS Astute Commissioning Book we produced for BAE Systems with the judges stating that we demonstrated how to spend a handsome budget to best effect, producing an effective design which enhanced the reader experience, delivering a document which will stand the test of time.

Our subsequent awards were both in the Website/Intranet Category and we took an Award of Excellence for the Astute Class Website produced for BAE Systems due to the judges being impressed with the interactivity it offered the end user.

We also received the prestigious Class Winner for the website we developed for Stafford & Rural Homes, the judges deemed that it was a great example of what can be achieved when great content, easy to follow design and interactivity are successfully combined which is quite an accolade.

Collecting the Website Class Winner award for Stafford & Rural Homes

Once again we are honored to have had our work recognised by the Institute of Internal Communications and would like to congratulate everyone involved in each project.

The Awards

HMS ASTUTE Commissioning Book

Class 6: Design
HMS Astute Commissioning Book for BAE Systems and The Royal Navy

Class 13: Special Publications
HMS Astute Commissioning Book for BAE Systems and The Royal Navy

Class 17a: Website/Intranet
Stafford & Rural Homes Website

Class17a: Website/Intranet
Astute Class Submarine Website for BAE Systems

Liz Douglas who is the North Region Director of the IoIC states that ‘these awards look for those communicators whose work is absolutely critical to the success of the organisation for which they work and who operate with skill, flair and creativity’ so just to be shortlisted is quite an accolade, so well done to all involved in each project.

Stafford and Rural Homes Website

The Awards Dinner is on Thursday 29th September at the Leeds Marriott Hotel so keep your fingers crossed we are victorious on the night!

We were commissioned to produce the extensive 180 page plan by Sellafield Ltd with whom we have had a successful ongoing relationship with for over 14 years supplying them with multi-discipline design support services, recently winning the contract for the supply of Marketing, Productions and Publication Services to support Sellafield Ltd and the NDA Estate for the next four years.

The Sellafield Plan has been compiled over the past two years under the guidance of Nuclear Management Partners (NMP), owners of the Site Licence Company. It is the first credible and underpinned lifetime plan for the Sellafield site and details the forward programme of operations, construction projects and decommissioning.

The Plan also provides information crucial to the economic development of West Cumbria. Acceleration of the decommissioning programme at Sellafield site means higher levels of employment than would otherwise have been the case and also provides opportunities for the local supply chain and increased prospects of inward investment for West Cumbria.

Our dedicated nuclear team here at Forepoint worked closely with Sellafield Ltd to create this extensive and informative document utilising the established tripartite brand identity which represents the three key organisations; Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd and Nuclear Management Partners, and held a number of workshops with site stakeholders to assist in both the development of the content and design of the plan prior to publication.

Sellafield Plan - PDF Page Turner

At Forepoint we are committed to the innovation of our processes and services and we try to introduce cost savings where appropriate, we therefore decided on producing the plan in a modular nature which was encapsulated in a ring binder which allows cost effective updating of data in the future. We also created an interactive pdf page turner which allows people to view the plan online thus saving on production costs.

NMP Chairman Tom Zarges hailed the plan as a major milestone for the site, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the nuclear industry in general. He added: “We have applied our world leading expertise over the past two years to producing this plan and we are fully committed to delivering the promises made in it.”

You view the groundbreaking Sellafield Plan online on the Sellafield Ltd website.

We were approached to give full creative, structural and production input in producing this commemorative book, in celebration of the formal commissioning of HMS Astute into full service. We were honoured to have received acclaim for the quality of the publication from dignitaries and crew at the commissioning ceremony, and are very proud to have been a part of this momentous event in celebrating the commissioning of the most technologically advanced submarine in the world.

HMS Astute Commissioning Book

We are also now on the shortlist for Class Winner and will find out if we have taken this prestigious title at the IoIC Awards Gala Dinner on Friday 17th June in London. We feel that being shortlisted for a National Award is a remarkable achievement and we are especially honoured as the IoIC Awards are Europe’s biggest internal communications competition and our work has been judged by leading communication professionals to be among the best in the country.

So keep your fingers crossed and watch this space…

The awards ceremony was held at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate, and once again proved a great success for Forepoint, BAE Systems Submarine Solutions and the Astute Brochure.

Congratulations to the CIPR for hosting such a prestigious and successful event and also to everyone shortlisted across the 24 categories and in particular to our fellow award winners.

See the PRide Award shortlist

CIPR PRide Awards 2010 Silver Winner

The CIPR Pride Awards recognise excellence in PR and communications across the UK and we are extremely honored that our work has been recognised by the Institute at the North West event.

We are currently developing an Astute Class microsite on behalf of BAE Systems and you can register your interest in the Astute Class programme by visiting www.astuteclass.com where you can register for notifications and updates.

Astute Brochure – Awards:

• Silver: CIPR North West Pride Award 2010
• Class Winner: CiB North Awards 2010

Also developed for BAE Systems Submarine Solutions:

• HMS Astute Commissioning Book
• Astute Class Microsite

CIPR Pride Awards 2010

The CIPR PRide Awards have grown in strength and stature, recognising public relations success and achievement in the nations and regions.

• There were over 1,221 plus entries UK-wide this year.
• Being shortlisted – even better winning one – is proof to your colleagues and clients that your work has been judged to be among the best in the UK – and is a great morale booster for your team.
• The CIPR PRide Awards is the only awards scheme which showcases the best PR work being carried out across the UK regions and nations and sets industry standards.
• The judging process is rigorous with a national panel of industry experts assessing the shortlisted entries and choosing the winners. For 2010 we appointed two Chairs of Judges, Alison Clarke and Chris Genasi, who will resolve any disputes and help ensure a fair and consistent judging process.
• Sponsors for the 2010 PRide Awards are as follows:
  • Headline sponsors are media intelligence company Precise
  • PRWeek are the National Media sponsors
  • Goddard Gadd, Redbrand and Xchangeteam are also national sponsors

Dave Sanders, Chair of CIPR North West, said: “The CIPR PRide Awards recognise and reward the thriving PR profession from across the UK. They help to celebrate the importance of demonstrating the value of what we, as public relations professionals, do and the positive impact this profession has on all aspects of business. Being named as a CIPR PRide Award winner is a fantastic achievement and I congratulate all of this year’s winners.”

HMS ASTUTE Commissioning Book

As the book was a dual commission from both BAE Systems Submarine Solutions and the Royal Navy, with the perception of neutral ownership, we were able to push the boundaries in terms of design interpretation, paying homage to, rather than adhering to each set of brand guidelines, in creating this quality production piece. The book was required to feature the ‘Commissioning Order’ as well as an official endorsement from Clarence House, and detail, the development process, the build programme, the boats performance and capability through to the entire ship’s company and the story so far from its initial exit from Barrow back in November 2009, through its sea trials to the formal commission ceremony.

HMS ASTUTE Commissioning Book

The book itself was case bound, with the cover produced using a Colorplan stock, with gold and white foil blocking to the outer cover, to reinforce the prestigious nature of the publication and also the celebration of this first of class submarine. A select number of special edition books were also produced with a personalised signature sheet and slipcase that mirrored the book cover. The inner pages were printed using both full-colour process, and special inks, in order to retain an accurate colour match and consistency to the outer cover stock and end leaves.

We were honoured to have received acclaim for the quality of the publication from dignitaries and crew at the commissioning ceremony, and are very proud to have been a part of this momentous event in celebrating the commissioning of the most technologically advanced submarine in the world.

Facts about HMS Astute

• She is 97 metres from bow to stern.
• She has a beam of 11.2 metres.
• She displaces 7,400 tonnes of seawater.
• Her cabling and pipework would stretch from Glasgow to Dundee.
• She is the first Royal Navy submarine not to have a traditional periscope, instead using electro-optics to capture a 360-degree image of the surface for subsequent analysis by the commanding officer.
• Astute is the first submarine to have an individual bunk for each crew member.
• She manufactures her own oxygen from seawater as well as her own drinking water.
• She could theoretically remain submerged for her 25-year life, if it were not for the need to restock the crew’s food supplies.
• She is faster under the water than she is on the surface – capable of speeds in excess of 20 knots (37km/h), although her top speed is classified.

Rear Admiral Simon Lister, Director of Submarines, who oversees the build programme of the class for the MOD, said:

“To my mind Astute is a 7,000 tonne Swiss watch. There is an extraordinary amount of expertise that goes into putting one of these submarines together. There are stages when it’s like blacksmithing and there are stages when it’s like brain surgery.”

The BBC gained exclusive access to the facility building these amazing machines; one of the most secure and secret places in the country, and the Royal Navy; who commissioned it; allowed BAE Systems to tell the story of how one of the world’s most complicated vessels is built.

Fourteen years to design and build and costing around one billion pounds, the ‘Astute Class’ nuclear submarine is one of the most technically advanced and controversial machines in the world.

Astute Class Nuclear Submarine

Able to circumnavigate the globe without surfacing and as long as a football pitch, the nuclear engine that powers Britain’s brand new class of submarines will never need refueling, has a life expectancy of 25 years and makes less noise than a baby dolphin. Its sonar system is so advanced that if one of our new submarines was in the English Channel it would be able to detect ships leaving New York harbour over 3,000 miles away. Each submarine will carry 38 Tomahawk cruise missiles able to hit targets 2,000 kilometres inland with pin-point accuracy and will also be armed with the worlds most advanced torpedoes.

The ‘Astute’ is a 7,400-ton machine more complex than the space shuttle – able to keep a crew of 98 alive while deep underwater for months at a time. Four of them are currently being built by a dedicated team of engineers, designers and skilled craftsmen and women in Britain’s only shipyard capable of doing such a complex and potentially dangerous task.

Computer graphics go inside the construction of the submarine itself, giving a blueprint of the design, the life-support systems and weaponry. They also help to illustrate the areas that could not be filmed due to national security.

The film features many of the workers including Erin Browne, a 19-year-old apprentice electrician who wires up the boat; Commander Paul Knight, responsible for the safety of the nuclear reactor; and Derek Parker, whose job involves moving massive pieces of the submarine that weigh hundreds of tons into position before the welding team join them together.

The ‘Astute’ class submarine is a true example of technological advancements, capability, construction and engineering skills at their innovative and very best. The planned commission of  ‘Astute Class’ demonstrates the cost effectiveness in rolling out a number of boats in order to amortise the initial development cost.

The first episode is currently available on the BBC’s iPlayer at the following link:

How to Build a Nuclear Submarine on BBC iPlayer

How to Build a Nuclear Submarine on BBC iPlayer

Next week’s episode features ‘Rolls Royce’, yet again another client that Forepoint are proud to work with as guardians of their brand.

Previous features and links of our award winning service to BAE Systems Submarine Solutions

A Night for Celebrating

Bouyancy Aid

We structured the publication around the core values, each article featuring the team, their achievement and their award, thus providing an insight into some of the inspired work and people that combine to make Liverpool Women’s what it is today.

A strong brand look and feel was important, however we also ensured the publication had a more relaxed approach that was visually engaging.

This first edition of Celebrating Success recognised the wonderful achievements of people working for Liverpool Women’s and the selfless devotion given by staff in all areas. It was widely praised by staff and stakeholders, helping to raise the profile of and publicise the great work accomplished at the hospital:

“Liverpool Women’s rely very heavily on their staff in order to deliver the best care possible to patients. It was essential that the Celebrating Success publication recognised this by striking the right balance of celebrating staff achievement with motivation to encourage pride in what they do on a regular basis. Forepoint achieved exactly the right balance that was needed to get the full buy in from the staff who really appreciated the publication…every member of staff in the organisation across all levels received the magazine so that they could see and learn about the importance of their role in delivering excellent patient care.”

Since the successful launch of the Astute, BAE Systems Submarine Solutions have gone on to employ the brochure in other promotional and marketing capacities, whilst a casebound book design is in the pipeline for the Royal Navy – a win-win for both client and designers.

We are all very much looking forward to the awards ceremony which is held at the Midland Hotel, Manchester on 26th March and have our fingers crossed that we will come out victorious – we will keep you informed.