Start UK
The Prince’s START UK Sustainability Initiative
Demonstrating that prosperity and the protection of nature are not mutually exclusive, Joey helped create and deliver a sustainability event on a scale never seen before in the UK.
Start was ‘A Garden Party to Make a Difference’ held in the grounds of Clarence House, The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall’s official London residence. This Garden Party and Exhibition lasted 12 days and attracted support of brands such as B&Q; M&S, Asda, Waitrose, BT, IBM, EDF, Addison Lee; Virgin Money; Live Nation, CBS Outdoor, Meteorite, and a consortium of water companies.
Under the heading ‘Let’s start something good’, UK high street businesses urged their customers to start doing one thing to make a difference to the planet. For example, Asda, encouraged customers to eat food that is in season; M&S launched its shwopping initiative, encouraging customers to return used clothing to be repurposed; and B&Q promoted the importance the forest stewardship council in ensuring that it only purchased responsibly sourced wood used in its products.
What we did
Working with The Prince’s Foundation’s key urban designers and architects Joey was on the team that developed the Start concept for The Prince’s Charities. Working together with industry, government and charities, Start showcased the positive steps and innovations being undertaken to create prosperity while protecting the natural environment.
This Start project was a career highlight for Joey, having moved to the UK to champion sustainability and behaviour change on a global scale.
Start attracted headline supporters including Alan Titchmarsh, Vivian Westwood, Jools Holland, Kevin McCloud, Joanna Lumley, and Live Nation. As part of the event, IBM held a 10-day business summit at Lancaster House, cut short one day by a surprise visit by The Pope, and a 10 day pop-up restaurant in Lancaster House launched by Barbara Windsor and hosted by Think.Eat.Drink.
“Just as the Great Exhibition used tools of the Industrial Revolution (such as railways and iron buildings), so START will use the tools of the modern age (such as television and the internet) to show people how it is possible to adopt more sustainable ways of operations and, put simple, to do their “bit”.” HRH The Prince of Wales
Joey went on to launch a long-term Start Campaign with ongoing industry support, chaired by the then CEO of B&Q, Sir Ian Cheshire. Events followed including at The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, London and The Louvre and the Palaces of Versaille in Paris.
Joey also led showcase events at UK Royal Agricultural Shows, Home Design Shows and orchestrated displays in major retail outlets such as M&S and B&Q. He formed pro-bono partnerships with CBS Outdoor providing London Underground and National Rail network advertising as well as at Piccadilly Circus (Piccadilly Lights) and on the BT Tower, London.
Other achievements included managing the UK’s largest Big Lunch event as part of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich in partnership with The Eden Project, Cornwall.