Lichfield & Tamworth Lichfield & Tamworth Chamber Patrons
Contact: Marilyn Castree T: 0845 603 6650
Simple Stuff Works lend a helping hand
As part of its ongoing support for St Giles Hospice in Lichfield, the team at Tamworth-based Simple Stuff Works spent a day volunteering to help staff and residents. “St Giles Hospice is a
fantastic organisation staffed by some truly amazing people,” said managing director Anna Waugh. During the day the volunteers undertook a
Volunteering works: managing director Anna Waugh with Becki Boath and James Edgar
number of tasks including gardening, stock taking and helping clear up after a charity bike ride. Anna added: “Hospices around the UK provide
an invaluable service to people approaching end of life along with their family and friends and I would urge other organisations to consider supporting their local hospice.”
If you are interested in sponsoring Anna and her colleagues please call 01827 307870 or email
admin@simplestuffworks.co.uk To make a donation direct to St Giles Hospice, please call 01543 432 031.
Keeping creative (from left): Javier Rioja, Peter Howard, Laura Franklin and Neil Sargeant
25 years of success for PHd designers
PHd design, one of Staffordshire’s longest established design companies, is celebrating a quarter of a century in business. The firm was launched in 1992 by Peter
MEL’s Anne Messenger with Kath Ryan Help for Kath to
carry on baking Kind-hearted staff from M6 toll road operator Midland Expressway Ltd (MEL) are helping injured service men and women to continue to enjoy a tasty treat. The MEL staff have raised funds for Birmingham-based Kath Ryan, ‘Kath the Cake Lady’, who has devoted her life to baking thousands of cakes every year which she then transports to injured service men and women in various Ministry of Defence establishments around the country. The MEL donations will allow Kath to buy
new equipment for her kitchen, after the toll road’s staff heard that some of it was in urgent need of replacement.
32 CHAMBERLINK November 2016
Howard, whose first commission was to create a logo and leaflet for a charity called Robert Franks. This led to more work from the charity, and
the business was up and running. As this was still the early days of the computer, Mr Howard started out with a drawing board in a bedroom, with which he created logos, brochures, direct mail and packaging designs by laboriously drawing each element out by hand and then using traditional method of print preparation to achieve the desired effect.
‘It is a genuine passion to make a difference to our clients that drives us on’
He said: “Some of the skills I learnt and used back then will not be missed. Endless hours in a rented darkroom scaling prints in frankly horrible conditions being just one. “However, it taught me the basics of form,
balance and structure which are still the same today. Sophisticated computer systems such as we have today are fantastic tools which really do
aid the process and speed projects along but you still need the idea, and no computer in the world can do that.” He added that the PHd today is a very different
business from that of 1992. Gone are the drawing boards, the cow gum and Rotring pens, and in have come the Macs, scanners and printers. However, he said: “The ideas come in the same way – pen, paper and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the client.” Among those who favour old school methods
is the firm’s creative director, Neil Sargeant, who has been part of PHd since 2004 and is the longest serving member of the team. He said: “Sketching out ideas is so much
faster. You can try several ideas in minutes without ever touching a mouse or a keyboard and once you have an idea that stands up to scrutiny, then it’s worth opening the digital toolbox and seeing if it really does work.” Over the years, the firm has survived various
ups and downs. Mr Howard said: “People often ask how we have managed to get through two recessions and come out the other side with as much drive and enthusiasm as the early years. “It is a genuine passion to make a difference
to our clients that drives us on. We are an independent design house which gives us the freedom to take on some projects and challenges which other companies could not.”
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