APS Group has helped Premier’s Carbon Capture® programme raise over £1.83 million to date for the Woodland Trust, funding more than 480,000 trees with the potential to capture approximately 110,580 tonnes of CO2e over their lifetime. 100% of the funds raised through the programme are passed directly to the Trust to fund woodland conservation and the planting of trees, which will absorb carbon from the atmosphere during their lifetime. The new woodland created provides habitats for wildlife and green spaces for all to enjoy. We’re delighted to be part of this programme, and sharing our values of a responsible approach to the environment.

The Woodland Trust work tirelessly to protect, restore, create and care for our woodlands to ensure that they can be enjoyed for generations to come. Find out more on the Trust’s work and strategy here.

Supporting the Woodland Trust’s to establish 60,000 hectares of native woodland across the UK by 2030

The Trust’s woodland carbon scheme helps organisations reduce their carbon footprint by locking up unavoidable carbon emissions while helping nature thrive. Trees don’t just mitigate carbon, removing it from the atmosphere, they also sequester it – absorbing carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and then locking it up for centuries. In 2022 the Trust turned 50, over that time 500,000 people from the UK and beyond have been inspired to be a member or supporter of the Woodland Trust. The Woodland Trust care for more than 1,000 free public woods, growing more than 50 million trees.

Woodland covers just 13.2% of the UK, with only 7% of all Britain’s native woodland in good ecological condition. Climate change has meant that spring happens on average 8.5 days earlier which is having catastrophic effects on a multitude of different species. For example, blue tit chicks are hatching later than the caterpillars they feed on. Although woodland cover is gradually increasing, woodland wildlife populations are dramatically decreasing so it’s vital we’re part of this programme to ensure our woodlands can be enjoyed for years to come.

See more on our sustainability commitment.

We are thrilled to have supported Creative Resource’s Two+Two event in Manchester for several years now. The event is a fantastic opportunity for upcoming creative and marketing talents to come together and showcase their skills. Over 150 students participate in the event, working on a live brief while being mentored by industry professionals. The ideas are then judged by a panel of experts, and this year’s winning team is invited to Headline Sponsor, Coinbase’s London offices for a full-day immersive workshop with the firm’s UK marketing team, international brand team and international design leads. As part of this experience, they design a marketing campaign that will be displayed throughout Coinbase’s London offices.

We were a creative partner for this year’s event, providing complimentary design work and printing. We also sent mentors for the day, including Senior Copywriter Nick Watmough and Account Director Louisa Thomas. Our Creative Director, Paul Dunleavy, was also one of the judges.

This year, the students were challenged to demonstrate the potential of blockchain technology and crypto assets. They formed teams of 30 students across 5 groups and were asked to think about how they can capture the public’s imagination on the potential of blockchain technology and crypto assets to update the system to drive societal change, and ultimately demystify the industry.

The Red Snakes team emerged as the winners, with their simple demonstration of how blockchain technology can provide reassurance and transparency in the food supply chain to consumers and retailers. The other finalists will also receive mentorships and internships from a host of agencies, including ourselves, and we are excited to work with them soon.

Congratulations to all involved and thank you to Creative Resource for once again putting on such an inspiring event!

Read about last year’s event here.

Each year Prolific North, a leading media and creative publication, and their research partner Mustard, independently compile a list of the Top 50 Integrated Agencies in the North of England and we’re thrilled to have been listed 3rd this year! APS Group are the largest independent agency listed, and moved up two places from last year.

The rankings are compiled using a selection of criteria, including headcount, turnover and pre-tax-profits as well as other publicly available information.

APS Marketing and Agency Director, James Lawton-Hill adds, “It’s great to have placed 3^rd this year, and the moving up of two places certainly reflects all the hard work and dedication the team has delivered over the last year. We’d like to extend our thanks to our wonderful team and clients for making this possible.”

You can view the full rankings here.

This week, we cemented our commitment to combat climate change in collaboration with the Woodland Trust by helping to plant 3,500 native saplings on the picturesque former Frodsham Golf Course in Cheshire. We joined 20 other businesses and around 100 of their enthusiastic employees and customers for a day of planting saplings which will one day grow into a thriving native forest.

Native trees such as Maple, Oak and Silver Birch, hold the key to addressing the immediate challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. Being a part of Premier’s tree planting initiative, Carbon Capture®, demonstrates a joint dedication to providing sustainable solutions for excess CO₂ emissions within our industry.

The Frodsham site is set to be transformed into native broadleaf woodland, contributing to the growth of The Mersey Forest and the larger Northern Forest, which spans from Liverpool to the Yorkshire coast. With tree cover in Merseyside and Cheshire at 6 to 7%, some way below the national average of 13%, this initiative serves as a beacon for environmental conservation and mitigating climate change.

The objectives for the Frodsham site are to support nature recovery, climate change mitigation, and increase community involvement. The new woodland will also provide habitats for wildlife, offer public recreation spaces, and contribute to long-term carbon storage.

“APS Group have engaged with the Woodland Trust for many Years and actively takes part in the Tree Planting days organised through one of our key Suppliers ‘Premier Paper Group.’ The Carbon Capture programme focuses on the UK, protecting ancient, veteran and valuable woods, plus creating new quality woodland and growing UK native trees to benefit nature, the climate and future generations. It is a perfect initiative which we at APS are glad to support and gives companies and their clients the opportunity to mitigate carbon and demonstrate their sustainable development goals.”

Brian Henners, Global In-Direct Supply Chain Director at APS Group

We’re proud to contribute to the UK’s ‘net zero by 2050’ target by being a part of Premier’s Carbon Capture® programme. This initiative has created over 3 million square meters of new native woodland in the UK, which equates to 107,571 tonnes of CO₂e to be mitigated. We can’t wait to join the initiative again next year!

Read more out about our sustainability commitments here.