Exeter communications agency appointed by the South West Lakes Trust

Exeter based Absolute PR and Marketing has been appointed as the communications consultancy for the region’s largest combined environmental and recreational charity, the South West Lakes Trust.

The Trust, which manages inland waters on behalf of South West Water for conservation and recreation purposes, has 50 sites encompassing 5000 hectares of land and water spread across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset attracting in the region of two million visits annually.

Absolute was awarded the annual contract to provide PR and marketing services to the Trust following a competitive pitch process.  Absolute will provide strategic PR and marketing advice to the Trust’s senior management team and support to its in-house marketing and publicity officer.

Diane Bassett, South West Lakes Trust Corporate Services Director commented: “We were looking for access to senior consultants and received some strong proposals from agencies across the region.  We selected Absolute as the agency had an in depth understanding of the leisure and charity sector in the South West, coupled with strong expertise across marketing, communications and PR disciplines  – these factors stood Absolute apart from the other suppliers.”

Account director at Absolute, Rachael Whitson said: “The South West Lakes Trust is achieving some incredible results but in common with other leisure and tourist attractions it faces challenges both in terms of pressures on funding and attracting visitor numbers.  Thirteen years after the Trust first launched, the charity is at an interesting milestone and we’re pleased to have joined its team to help shape the Trust’s future communications strategy.”

The South West Lakes Trust listed in the top 3,000 of the country’s 150,000 charities,  attracted over 23,000 new participants to sports based at their sites last year. Promoting public access to the 50 inland lakes is a founding principle of the charity which in 2012 opened new cycleways at Roadford and Wimbleball lakes and launched an innovative cable-tow waterski/wakeboarding course at Siblyback Lake.  The conservation and stewardship of the lakes is also fundamental to South West Lakes Trust, which holds the Queen’s Award for Enterprise  (Sustainable Development) and since 2000 has undertaken projects to protect and develop 19 wildlife protection zones, three SSSIs (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and four ancient woodlands.