Ancoats-based video production studio – Standby Productions – has announced a new charity partnership with The Wildlife Trust for Manchester, Lancashire and North Merseyside (LWT), which will see it pledge one per cent of turnover.
The collaboration, which officially launched this month and has no end date, will see Standby produce a video as a donation in addition to the financial contribution. It will highlight the work LWT is doing in Greater Manchester to protect and conserve peatland areas, which are vital to reducing carbon emissions and CO2.
Longstanding Manchester business, Standby Productions, has been in the industry for ten years this Spring, and wanted to mark its anniversary by giving something back to the environment.
Simon Owen, founder and managing director, said: “We’re really passionate about nature and the environment and this past year has highlighted how important it is for us to do our bit to protect it. We initially approached LWT to donate trees, but they informed us that conserving peatland was in fact far more crucial due to the vital role it plays in the ecosystem as it stores more carbon than a forest – something I knew nothing about until now.
“On top of the financial donation, we’re going to be producing video content for the charity to use in awareness campaigns to help support its mission. – and make people aware of something I also didn’t know was so important.”
Standby’s team of directors, producers and creatives will also be volunteering for LWT helping with restoration and conservation work in the region.
Sarah Johnson, Lancashire Peatlands Initiative Project Manager, at Lancashire Wildlife Trust, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be working with Standby Productions. A large part of Greater Manchester was once a huge peatland called Chat Moss, but sadly now only fragments of it remain. By working to restore these we are not only recreating homes for lots of rare and specialised plants and animals, but also helping to halt the release of huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. However, this crucial work is simply not possible without the support of our companies such as Standby Productions. This partnership will help us make a real difference to the fight against both our climate and biodiversity crises.”
The environmentally-focussed studio is also planning on becoming the first fully sustainable video production agency in the north.
Simon Owen added: “We’ve implemented a series of changes to help us achieve our goal, and this is just the beginning. So far, the way we run our shoots and office have been revolutionised and we hope others will follow suit. It’s not often you hear a company calling for others to copy them, but in this instance, that’s exactly what we’re doing.
“On set, we’ve banned plastic water bottles and made refillable bottles mandatory; any leftover props, food or costumes are donated to foodbanks or charity organisations; and all call sheets and meetings are digital, for example.
“In the office, we’ve switched to sustainable suppliers so we don’t waste any energy and support ethical providers as well as using all natural, chemical-free cleaning products that don’t harm the environment. Perhaps the biggest thing of all though is that we’re actively looking to work with others who share our goal. We’re encouraging all businesses to talk about their own environmental achievements or targets as now is the time to act and the more of us that are making positive changes, the better chance we have of saving the planet.”
