With less than 3 weeks to go, we are hugely excited to be working with Kedem again to organise the KFWE at the exclusive Park Lane Hotel in London on the 6 Feb. The industry is buzzing with anticipation and we are expecting media from print, radio and online, special guests and dignitaries, wine connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike to attend our event. It promises to be the highlight of the month and we cannot wait! Click here to buy your tickets: http://tiny.cc/vie3b

In his recent article in the November edition of Caring UK, Shimon Cohen encourages the Caring Sector to start promoting the positive aspects of its industry.

In the latest edition of the Jewish Chronicle, Chairman of The PR Office, Shimon Cohen, explores the impact of the current economic climate on charitable giving and how charities can best succeed in the future.  Will smaller charities survive? Read the article ‘Charities will adapt or die’ here http://bit.ly/q6BwBf

World Jewish Relief’s online giving website Wjrapped Up has been shortlisted for a Charity Times Award for ‘Best Use of the Web’.  The first online gift website for the Jewish community launched in March 2011 has already raised over £2000. Gifts cover the whole breadth of the charity’s work in 22 countries, including ‘access to clean water for victims of disasters’ and ‘mobile health clinic access’.  To purchase a gift or make a donation go to http://bit.ly/p3d44z

Following an energetic and passionate campaign, Etz Chaim Jewish Primary School, one of the very first ‘Free Schools’ has successfully secured planning permission for the site which will now become its permanent home in Mill Hill, north London. Despite local opposition, The PR Office was able to work with Etz Chaim to demonstrate the urgent need and immense value of the school, both to the planning committee and to the local community. We wish the school every future success.

The PR Office is currently looking to recruit a new receptionist/admin assistant.  This is a pivotal role in a busy office environment which requires an energetic team player.  Main roles include ensuring the smooth running of the office, providing key support to the Office Manager and administrative support to the team.  If you are interested please email a covering letter and CV to Nikki Saunders. 

This week, over 200 students from across the country were honoured for their outstanding and inspirational work following their participation in the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz Project. The event, held at Church House in Westminster, London, was addressed by guest speakers Nick Robinson, BBC Political Editor and actor Ollie Barbieri from hit Channel 4 show Skins, who visited Auschwitz-Birkenau with the Holocaust Educational Trust earlier this year.

Kenshoo, a global leader in digital marketing software this week held its first industry roundtable in London. The event, which saw the chairman of the IABs Search Council present his findings from a new report on The Search for Integration, helped stimulate a very lively debate between 12 industry professionals. This was not just on search in the media mix but continued through to just about every other hot topic in digital marketing. Kenshoo look forward to making this a regular event.

World Jewish Relief (WJR) has launched an emergency appeal to support millions of people facing severe food shortages across the Horn of Africa.  The UN has reported that the situation is the worst food security crisis in the world today, leaving some 10 million in need of assistance.  To donate please go to http://bit.ly/jWzY9j 

As the latest addition to the Corporate and Professional Services team Emma has joined us from Say Communications where she was working on a variety of b2b and technology clients. Prior to this Emma worked in China with Marriot Hotels and in a  London-based consumer PR agency. Emma studied Law at Liverpool University and interests include running and escaping to explore new cultures!

Mike Freer, MP for Finchley and Golders Green & Lee Scott, MP for Ilford North joined representatives of Shechita UK at an Abattoir this week, in the Prime Minister’s constituency of Witney; where shechita, the Jewish religious humane method of animal slaughter for food, is carried out.

The MPs both commented on how impressed they were with the dedication and expertise of the slaughter men as well as their uncompromising adherence to the highest standards of animal welfare. Nice hair nets guys!

The PR Office held our annual World Jewish Relief Big Bagel Lunch on Friday.  The entire team and guests mingled and munched on a variety of bagels and competed in a bagel quiz!  All donations received went to World Jewish Relief who support individuals and communities living in abject poverty.

Jo has joined the team as PA to Shimon Cohen.  She has several years of administrative experience, most recently working with a firm of Chartered Accountants. She will also be working closely with the Office Manager to ensure the smooth running of the office. Jo is involved with voluntary organisations outside of work and spends her free time doing a range of activities. Due to being from sunny Devon she enjoys nothing more than getting outdoors and making the most of the day.

This morning at an event at the Jewish Museum, Secretary of State Eric Pickles announced £2.1m funding for the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation fund. Greville Janner, Chairman of the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET) commented "HET has urged the government to provide financial support for the upkeep of the site and this commitment sends a clear message that we have a responsibility to safeguard the future of the camp."

Elena Baturina, Russia’s richest woman and beneficiary of the Inteko company, has presented 40 works from her rare art collection to the “Tsaritsyno” Moscow State Museum and Natural Reserve. The gift from Baturina, who made billions of dollars through the construction industry, includes a collection of vases, ceremonial dinner services and plates from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Leonie was invited to speak to MA Public Relations students at the London College of Communication, University of Arts yesterday.  Leonie completed this degree last year and took the opportunity to pass on her experiences at The PR Office to the class.  She gave a presentation to the class, which focused on life in the PR world, a discussion of exciting campaigns The PR Office have worked on and was followed by a Q & A with the students. 

To celebrate this year’s Big Bagel campaign World Jewish Relief is looking for the community’s favourite bagel filling. Celebrities including Dermot O’Leary and Boris Johnson have chosen theirs, but WJR supporters will have the final say by voting in a survey at wjr.org.uk/bigbagel. The winning bagel will be sold in London with 10% of the profits going to WJR.  The Big Bagel encourages people to get together and raise awareness of WJR’s work while enjoying everyone’s favourite snack-the bagel!

The Corporate team this week launched a report on behalf of DLA Piper’s Intellectual Property & Technology Group. Part one of ‘Shifting Landscapes - the online challenge to traditional business models’- a significant piece of qualitative research - highlights the challenges businesses face in fully exploiting the potential the internet offers them as a channel to market. Parts two and three are due to launch in June and July respectively. For more info, visit: www.dlapipershiftinglandscapes.com

The PR Office’s Voluntary Division is delighted to welcome Beth to the team, who joins us after working in house at a national housing and regeneration organisation.

Beth has also worked in Westminster and for a human rights organisation in Washington DC, and she brings extensive knowledge of the voluntary and public sectors. She will be working across a variety of clients.

On Monday, legal and business professionals from across the Jewish community gathered at Middle Temple Hall, to attend the launch of Jmediate, a new venture offering mediation services within the community. Guest speaker Jonathan Djanogly MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, gave his support to the new mediation service and highlighted the Government’s firm commitment to mediation.

The PR Office is proud to be working with Daniela Lavender, currently starring in the fantastical black comedy ‘A Woman Alone’.

‘A Woman Alone’ is the story of a housewife held prisoner in her own home, driven to madness by her abusive relationship with a possessive husband and the drudgery of household chores. But can a passionate affair with a young boy let her escape or will the harassment from her wheelchair bound brother-in-law send her overboard?

http://www.tabardweb.co.uk/awomanalone.htm…

Denis Avey, ‘The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz,’ spoke about his incredible experiences during the Holocaust, to a crowd of a hundred people last night in Parliament, at an event hosted by the Holocaust Educational Trust. The event was hosted by Sky News presenter, Dermot Murnaghan who called Denis’ story “humbling and uplifting.”

Following the devastating earthquake and tsunami on Friday 11th March, World Jewish Relief (WJR) have launched an emergency appeal, so far raising £60,000.  WJR has provided financial assistance to a local partner in Japan, assisting up to 1,000 children displaced by the disaster.  Working with Save the Children Japan, WJR’s resources have enabled the establishment of three Child Friendly Spaces in and around Sendai.  To donate please go to http://tinyurl.com/4dy4zaa

Picture: Reuters

We are pleased to welcome Jacqui to the Digital & Technology team. Previously at Quantum PR, Jacqui has a broad PR background, managing a range of digital marketing, waste management, local authority and apprenticeship projects, working with both the private and public sector. Skills include, developing communications strategies, drafting stakeholder audits and developing community consultation plans. As well as implementing action plans, media relations campaigns and event management. 

Roll up, roll up as Edinburgh’s top selling comedian Jason Byrne takes to the road to hotwire your comedy funny bones with his brand new show Cirque du Byrne! Performing in over 40 venues across the UK from, Aberdeen to Wimborne, there is no excuse not to see this comic genius at work. www.jasonbyrne.ie

Last week the Otto Schiff Housing Association (OSHA) hosted an event to celebrate their transformation from care provider for more than 200 people into one of the largest grant-making trusts in the UK, with a primary focus on assisting direct victims of Nazi persecution.  The event marked an important chapter in the history of the charity with over £54 million worth of funds being channelled through other organisations who are better placed to care for OSHAs original client group.

Following the huge success of their massively popular BBC One TV show Little Howard’s Big Question, Big Howard and the animated six year old Little Howard are packing their bags and heading off on a tour of the UK with their hit live show Little Howard and the Magic Pencil of Life and Death. See Little Howard on BBC Radio 1 at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00cx3rf

The team were privileged to work once again on the TrainE TraidE Jewish Business Awards 2011, which recognises the best of British Jewish business talent.

This year, David Lewis CBE, founder of River Island, received the Lifetime Achievement Award & Lord Young of Graffham, in his first public speaking engagement since stepping down as the Government’s Enterprise Tsar, commented on the need for young people to get proper guidance in order to compete in an increasingly challenging job market.     

Pappy’s, the most exciting live sketch act in the UK, are hitting the road with a brilliant new show ‘All Business’ following their critically acclaimed ‘World Record Attempt’ international tour and fifth successful year at the Edinburgh Festival. See www.pappyscomedy.com

Riverside Studios in association with Clive Conway Celebrity Productions is pleased to present Edward Fox: Trollope in Barsetshire until 2 April and Edward Fox: T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets Sundays until 3rd April http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-features/8347703/Edward-Fox-interview-Life-the-universe-and-everything.html 

The PR Office team were very pleased to have managed Kedem Europe’s annual Kosher Wine Festival this year at London’s exclusive Park Lane Hotel in London. VIP guests, members of the press and public were given the opportunity to sample new and established premium kosher wines from around the world and were treated to delicious gourmet food from the renowned Arieh Wagner. The evening was a great success with over 540 people attending!

Tim Minchin, received two accolades at the Chortle Awards last night: for best music or variety act and for best tour, for the show he is performing with a full orchestra. Sadly he could not attend as he is in Australia, but Katie, Flick and Emma were there and of course will ensure he gets his awards when he is back in London.

The PR Office has added to its Corporate and Professional Services team with the appointment of professional services specialist, Ed Smith. Ed brings a wealth of experience advising leading UK and international professional services firms; and executing PR campaigns to raise their brand profile within their specific sectors and the wider business community. Ed’s particular area of expertise are within the legal and insurance sectors and his insurance knowledge brings a new specialism to The PR Office.

The Arts & Ents team were pleased to have some of Britain’s finest comedy talent attend our Loaded LAFTAs awards event at the Cuckoo Club in London. The day kicked off very early as we delivered a YAZOO goody bag to our favourite Breakfast show DJs around town, then we whizzed over to the Club to manage a throng of paparazzi & reporters all desperate to get in on the action! The press room was a great success, a good time was had by all at & we secured some awesome coverage for the awards!

More than 160 people attended the fourth World Jewish Relief(WJR) Manchester Annual Dinner, raising more than £80,000 to help WJR to fund the new Kharkov Welfare and Community Centre which will open in March. Guests were privileged to hear the UK’s greatest contemporary British Jewish novelist and winner of the Man Booker Prize 2010, Howard Jacobson.  The author spoke about his love for writing and his joy at winning the Man Booker Prize last year for his latest novel, The Finkler Question

Over the last month, Nightingale, one of the UKs largest care homes has welcomed a number of celebrities to have tea with the residents and share their experiences with them.  Guests have included actor Timothy West, comedian David Baddiel, presenter Esther Rantzen and comedy actor Michael Palin. Residents enjoyed hearing about their interesting and varied lives and sharing a cup of tea with the celebrities.

Online record label MyMajorCompany (MMC) has announced that ‘Some Velvet Morning’ is the latest act to raise the £100K of investment required to be taken into the market. MMC founder Paul-Rene Albertini said, “The market place is more challenging than ever for new talent. MMC offers its music industry expertise to acts and launches them into the market surrounded by the right team. We’re very excited for the band and can’t wait to build on their success.”

Everyman Cinemas proudly welcomed Oscar nominated actress Helena Bonham Carter and The King’s Speech director Tom Hooper to Everyman Belsize Park last night. Hotly tipped for Oscar success, the King’s Speech is set to captivate audiences and critics the world over, and this sell out screening and Q&A, hosted by Mark Lawson, kicked off another vibrant programme of exclusive events at Everyman Cinemas.

The Government today confirmed Euston station as the terminus for High Speed 2(HS2). In May 2008 Sydney & London Properties who act as Project Manager for the Euston Estate published a Vision Masterplan highlighting their aspiration for a comprehensive redevelopment at Euston which can be viewed at  www.eustonvision.com.The choice of Euston as the London terminus of a national high speed rail network is entirely in line with Sydney & London’s vision for an iconic station and transformation of the public realm surrounding Euston.

Katie and Flick went to Stratford Upon Avon to attend the press night of the adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda. Tim Minchin has written the music and lyrics, and the production has been adapted by writer Dennis Kelly. The show has opened to critical acclaim with five stars in The Times and The Telegraph and four stars in the Guardian. To quote Charles Spencer’s review in The Daily Telegraph “The songs fizz with humour and great take-home melodies. Kelly and Minchin suddenly look like the brightest prospects for British musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice”.…

The PR Office’s Voluntary Division is delighted to welcome new recruit Leonie Furman this week. Leonie joins the team having just completed a Masters in Public Relations at the University of the Arts in London. During her Masters Leonie undertook internships at a number of PR companies and worked on the re-election campaign for Housing Minister Grant Shapps MP. Leonie will be working on a number of clients across the voluntary sector and we are delighted to have her on board.

On Monday we welcomed a new member to The PR Office team.

Sarah Fuller has joined us on The Corporate Team. She will be working, primarily with James on a variety of Technology clients, including Chase, Dot Talent and Malaria No More. She will also support the DLA Piper team.   Her understanding of technology and social media, having recently launched a social media campaign for the Oyster Partnership, will be a great asset and will help us to expand in this area.

Katie was up in Liverpool yesterday with John Bishop who was signing copies of his DVD ‘John Bishop Live’ at HMV, Liverpool One. Around 400 fans turned up to meet John, and get their copy signed. The store was full of very happy customers and John had a great time too. <a href=". http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2010/11/17/merseyside-comic-john-bishop-signs-copies-of-his-new-dvd-for-hundreds-of-eager-fans-at-hmv-gallery-100252-27668070/…

London, November 2010 - Laura and Penny attended the launch of The Entrepreneurship report, a joint venture between Law firm Mishcon de Reya and The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, aimed at providing entrepreneurs a platform to express their needs and lobby for change. Celebrated entrepreneur Luke Johnson addressed attendees with an impassioned call for changes to help support start up businesses. The PR Office team launched the report to the media securing coverage in the national and business press.

Shahnaz, Katie and James invited press to the Wonder Bar at Selfridges this week for the launch of Gino’s new cooking app, Eating Italian. Developed by dot.Talent, the app contains exclusive material that cannot be found in any of Gino’s books. The TV chef spoke about the inspiration behind the app and guests were given special preview demos. In the words of Gino himself, the event was fantastico!

The humanisation of robots took centre stage at this year’s Ron Arad Lecture as Nikki and Lucy helped the British Technion Society achieve its most successful event to date. Two of the world’s leading robotics experts from the Technion in Israel and from Bristol Robotics Laboratory in the UK presented the very latest developments in robotics to the capacity crowd of 300, and highlighted the importance of robot ethics as robots become more intelligent and more sophisticated in the coming years.

A big welcome to Jamie Obertelli, the latest addition to the Corporate and Professional Services team. Jamie has joined us from B2B agency White Dragon Communications, prior to which he was editor of trade magazine Mortgage Solutions and financial correspondent for Inside Housing Magazine.  He has a passion for comedy and tries to write as much as he can in his spare time….who knows, maybe one day he will join the Ents team as a client!

Flick and Charlotte from the Arts and Entertainment team are currently tackling freak weather conditions and journalists’ diaries at this year’s annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Generating phenomenal coverage across National, Regional and Online press, the team’s wealth of new and established talent includes Alex Zane, Daniel Rigby, Dead Cat Bounce, Jason Byrne, Jason Manford, John Bishop, Justin Moorhouse, Pappy’s, Pete Firman, Ronna & Beverly, The Golden Lizard and The Sunday Defensive.

Laura Glancy joins The PR Office from Weber Shandwick, after 6 years managing the global reputation of corporate clients within b2b and b2c sectors - from blue chip corporations to innovative start ups, often working closely with US and Asia Pacific markets. Laura’s wealth of experience includes strategic positioning, thought leadership and issues-led campaigns, events planning, product launches and digital PR. To rival Simon’s fondness for sheep herding, Laura has confessed to a stint as a child model.

Welcome to one of our newbies on the Corporate and Professional Services team. Simon Matthews moved to the big smoke from Golley Slater PR in Cardiff. He has worked with a number of corporate and consumer clients, including breweries and industry trade bodies. Though PR is now his main passion, Simon has previously dabbled in amateur sheep herding on his Godmother’s farm in Llanelli, working in partnership with his tri colour border collie, ‘Dempsey’.

Hayley, Penny, Mark, Nikki and Aimee were out in the city of London on Friday helping financial recruitment company, Goodman Masson, break the World Record for the largest number of people dressed as Superman! To help raise money for charity Help for Heroes 180 people gathered at Charterhouse Square in the City to break the World Record wearing the superhero’s renowned blue jump suit, red shoes and red cape. The event successfully managed to raise over £7000 for Help for Heroes.

The inimitable Archbishop Desmond Tutu made his last ever UK public appearance last night in an ‘An Audience with World Leaders’ show by Clive Conway Celebrity Productions. Speaking to 1016 people in Fairfield Halls, Croydon, the Archbishop received a standing ovation as he was introduced by Sir Trevor McDonald. You could hear a pin-drop such was the attention he commanded as he recapped his life’s achievements – it was an absolutely incredible event and we were extremely privileged to have been involved.

The first official NMID 2010 was a resounding success - this year’s launch in Madrid included: a European premiere of Morgan Freeman’s Oscar-nominated film Invictus; launch of the volunteers website; a special performance by BB King at Teatro Circa Price; Adidas auction of FIFA World Cup artworks raising funds for 46664 and a 6.7 km charity ‘walk’ in Retiro Park. This special day was also marked by awareness-creating events in New York and London, as well as an untold number of people everywhere giving 67 minutes of their time to make the world a better place for all…

Flick and Emma were on hand to assist Wagner & Bond at the Veuve Clicquot polo this Sunday. The luxury bespoke diamond jewelers were exhibiting pieces from their latest collection, and visitors to the stylish event flocked to see the stunning display. Whether you want to reproduce a vintage design or create your own modern classic, Wagner & Bond will source you the finest non-conflict diamonds, providing you with a personal design service, you cannot find on the high-street. Wagner & Bond will next be exhibiting at Sir Terry Wogan’s tribute lunch, The Dorchester 5th November.…

Zoe came across this hidden treasure – www.creativeboom.co.uk – an online magazine and networking community for the creative industries. She put The PR Office forward for inclusion in the Directory but one thing led to another and the Editor asked for an interview! Zoe willingly obliged and apart from a dodgy comment about breakfast, the article is not too embarrassing. It can be seen here: http://www.creativeboom.co.uk/london/news/introducing-the-pr-office/…

On Monday Shimon and Aimee joined Mayor of Barnet, Anthony Finn and Mike Freer, MP for Finchley and Golders Green, together with local dignitaries and councillors at the official launch of TrainE-TraidE’s new 2010-11 prospectus. During the launch, Mr Freer spoke passionately about the important role that TrainE-TraidE carries out in helping businesses and individuals realise their full earning potential.

Last week, Aaron and Laura were present at an amazing event at Speakers House in the Houses of Parliament which paid tribute to the Holocaust Educational Trust’s exceptional Lessons from Auschwitz Project which has reached the milestone of taking its 10,000th participant on a one-day visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau. MPs from all political parties including former and current Government Ministers joined student participants and Holocaust Survivors for the event.

Aimee, Shimon and Aaron were out in Stamford Hill with the Chief Rabbi this week for the opening of the Lubavitch Children’s Centre. In addition to daily activities for children and their parents, the LLC will also provide: healthcare services; information and support advice; a modern nursery school; and is complemented by Vista Education and Training and the largest lending and information Library in the UK on site.

Emma from the Arts and Entertainment team dropped by the stylish Everyman Belsize Park this Wednesday, to welcome press and guests to an exhibition and screening of SATC2. Inspired by the film, the London College of Fashion’s photo gallery transformed the cinema into a lavish setting worthy of Manhattan’s most infamous fashionistas. The vibrant evening kicked off a season of exciting releases and diverse cultural events hosted by the Everyman Cinemas.

Yesterday evening in Madrid, BB King performed at an exclusive concert in honour of Nelson Mandela. Shimon was in Spain to oversee the PR, where he greeted the South African Ambassador to Spain and ten other Ambassadors from other African countries who also attended the performance. The evening was an enormous success, sensationally launching the many musical activities that are taking place in the build-up to Mandela Day Madrid 2010

The PR Offices entertainment, corporate and voluntary teams joined forces last week to work the red carpet for the Reuben Foundation and Virgin Unites Haiti fundraiser event. Welcoming guests including the Reuben family, Holly and Sam Branson, Princess Beatrice and boyfriend Dave Clark, the Goldsmith family, Carol Vorderman, Petra Ecclestone and Estelle, they helped to coordinate the evening with Quintessentially Events. Over £300k was raised for frontline charities working to rebuild Haiti.

The PR Office is now officially one of the top 100 public relations agencies in the UK, as ranked by PR Week. Our Chairman Shimon Cohen said:  “This is a terrific achievement and the whole team is very, very proud”. To see our ranking and our profile, please click here: http://toppragencies.prweek.co.uk/PR-Office.aspx

Laura and Nikki took a break from the elections on Tuesday night by joining Boris Johnson for the evening. As the new Prime Minister walked into Downing Street with Nick Clegg, the London Mayor addressed a 350 strong audience at a WIZO dinner and provided a humorous insight into the state of British politics. He also expressed his admiration for Israel and their avocados but quipped Britain could do without their system of proportional representation and coalition government!

Laura got on her bike for Nightingale last week as she cycled from London to Brighton raising money for Europes largest care home, based in Clapham. Defying last weekends torrential downpour, the fleet of 38 cyclists left South London at 8am to be greeted eight hours later with a celebratory tea in Hove. Altogether, the cyclists raised over £10,000 for the home.

The Corporate & Professional Services Team are delighted that their combined efforts throughout a rigorous pitch process have resulted in The PR Office being appointed by DLA Piper - one of the largest law firms in the world - to handle two of the Firm’s seven EMEA practices: real estate and intellectual property and technology (IPT). A very proud moment for all involved.

A huge welcome to James Harrison who joins us as Head of Technology and Digital Comms. James was the founder and managing director of Harrison Moscow Communications before it merged with Digitalis Media in 2009. Previously the Director of Client Services at Digitalis Media, his wealth of experience includes working with clients such as Intel and Microsoft. James will develop our expertise in technology and social media and will work with the corporate team, managing telecom and software accounts

This week, Keelan went to France to direct a photo shoot for Arik Air’s (http://www.arikair.com) new airplane, which will be rotated onto the Lagos-Johannesburg route. The objective was to capture Business and Economy class products to develop marketing material for a South African audience. After a plane to Paris, a long taxi ride to Austerlitz train station and a two-hour journey to Chateauroux, Keelan arrived at Airbus’ isolated facility in Northern France, surrounded by planes and rapeseed plants.

Flick has been out and about with award winning sketch group, Pappy’s, who popped in to Absolute Radio for a chat with Frank Skinner on Saturday morning and secured their place as “friends” of Shaun Keaveny’s 6Music Breakfast Show on Tuesday. The Arts and Ents team will all be grabbing their last chance to see Pappy’s critically acclaimed show ‘World Record Attempt: 200 Sketches in an hour’ at The Bloomsbury Theatre on Friday 30th April. Pappy’s will be returning to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August with a brand new show.

Flick and Katie from the Arts and Entertainment Team went to see Katy Brand perform her ‘Big Ass Show’ at the Arts Depot on Friday night. From Lady Gaga to Super-Nanny, Katy delighted audiences with an evening of anarchic comedy; previewing some of her most infamous celebrity spoofs as well as a host of hilarious new characters and musical parodies. The British Comedy Award winner embarked upon her first ever UK tour in Brighton this Sunday and will be performing nationwide until 19th June.

Keelan and Penny undertook a UK corporate travel agent familiarisation trip to Lagos in March, highlighting the impressive service offered by Nigeria’s largest commercial airline, Arik Air. A flying-visit (no pun intended) they were in Nigeria for less than 24 hours, but were able to get some rest in the comfort of Arik’s business class  - ‘super flat’ beds equipped with 17 inch monitors and a new generation in-built massage system as well as a bar lounge, sofas...it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.

On 1st April 2010 Team Ents announced that Soo had joined the line-up of newly rebrand girl group the Soogababes! Soogababes projections appeared across the capital, Soo’s audition video went down a storm on youtube, Sooty and Sweep dropped in to see radio breakfast teams and even got papped with DCI Gene Hunt outside Radio 1. Extensive online, broadcast and print coverage was achieved making it a very successful April Fools Day.

Last week’s announcement that Euston has been selected as the London terminus for High Speed 2 was welcomed by our client Sydney & London Properties who act as Project Manager for the Euston Estate - the only landowner other than Network Rail on the Euston Station site. Aaron and Shimon have worked with Sydney & London Properties for several years on the redevelopment of Euston and it is hoped this decision will ensure that the planning for a new station will now begin in earnest.

The PR Office’s Public Affairs & Consultation team were delighted to be involved in a short campaign last week to save a historic school site in Hackney being redeveloped for luxury homes. Aaron was at Hackney Town Hall for the Council’s planning sub-committee meeting which over-turned Officer recommendations to reject the plans in a 5-4 vote on the grounds that the site should remain for educational purposes. At the same time, Aimee was securing some excellent media coverage on the decision.

For two years, our voluntary team has supported the Holocaust Educational Trust in raising the profile of British men and women who undertook exceptional acts of bravery in order to aid or rescue people during the Holocaust. These brave individuals had never been formally recognised in Britain, and the team has worked hard to publicise their courageous endeavours in the press. They were delighted last week when the Government introduced a new award to honour these extraordinary people.

Lucy joined over 180 students from across Wales last week on a one day visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau as part of the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz project.  Lucy was accompanying journalists from the South Wales Evening Post, the Western Mail, the South Wales Echo and the Carmarthen Journal, as well as ITV Wales, who were filming for Wales Tonight.  Although it was a long, tiring and cold day, the emotional impact that the trip had on the students was clear for all to see.

Sandy’s Row, London’s oldest Ashkenazi synagogue, was a perfect venue for Mayoral Advisor on Arts and Culture, Munira Mirza to officially launch the first-ever Open Jewish Culture project. Shahnaz and Katie coordinated the event which was attended by press and many of London’s Jewish cultural providers. The launch was followed by Eprhyme, a cutting-edge New York Jewish hip-hop rapper who received an extraordinary reception from crowds at the historic synagogue.

Last week Shimon and Aimee attended a tour organised by Lubavitch to show Lady Jakobovits around Chabad Lubavitch’s new children’s centre in Stamford Hill.  At the end of the tour Lady Jakobovits took time to join in the celebrations with pupils from Lubavitch Girls Primary School as they learnt about nations around the world at a Geography Fair.

Laura was at the centre of the latest care for the elderly debate last week. As political parties mapped out their plans for elderly care in Britain, film crews descended upon Nightingale care home in South London (the largest care home in the UK) to interview the Head of Clinical services and speak to residents about the Government’s latest revelations. You can view Laura and Nightingale in action by going to ITV and Channel 4 News and following the care debate.

Shimon and Zoe joined Camilla Baldwin Solicitors (www.camillabaldwin.com) this week for the first in a series of networking events at their stunning Mayfair offices. The boutique firm was established to advise on all aspects of family and matrimonial law. Zoe mingled happily, a well deserved white wine in hand, having kept Camilla busy with an FT interview the previous day. The PR Office has focused on enhancing Camilla’s reputation with potential High Net Worth clients and key referrers.

The PR Office were out in force at the TrainE-TraidE Jewish Business Awards this week. Shimon introduced guest speaker Mick Davis, CEO of Xstrata, who spoke to over 350 guests. Jo and Aaron exhausted their business card supply as they mingled and networked, and Aimee and Rafi were delighted to see the event run so smoothly as they coordinated press photos and journalists. The culmination of months of hard work ended with the announcement of the business awards winners – congratulations to all!

As the official sponsor of South Manx A, the newly promoted team to the JC Maccabi Southern Football League, The PR Office was delighted to see the team’s terrific result in the Cyril Anekstein Cup winning 4-0 against Woodford Wanderers at their home pitch in Borehamwood. Currently sitting in eighth position, The PR Office have big hopes for South Manx A this year and feel that the squad has the strength and depth to carry on the great results from their impressive pre season campaign.

Keelan and Penny had a whistle-stop trip to New York this week with Arik Air, Nigeria’s largest commercial airline. Arik launched direct flights from Lagos to New York -  its first transatlantic route - on 30 November 2009, providing the only direct flight available between the two cities. This major milestone for the airline has provided many exciting opportunities for promotional activity in the US and Keelan and Penny are working hard to ensure that they are well-utilised.

The PR Office joined nearly 200 guests at Bank Hapoalim International’s reception last week, to welcome the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr Yair Seroussi, to London for the first time since his appointment. Aaron and Alys, who were planning the event, were very pleased to report that it was a great success! The reception, which was held at the Mayfair Hotel, was also attended by Israeli Ambassador to the UK, Mr Ron Prossor.

Shimon, Aimee and Rafi had a great time at the Side-by-Side dinner on 9th Feb helping the special needs school based in Stamford Hill raise hundreds of thousands of pounds. Shimon presented guest speaker, Mayor of London Boris Johnson, with a ceremonial wine cup. Aimee and Rafi had the challenging but rewarding task of taking photos of the over 750 guests in attendance at the Park Lane Hilton event. The highlight was seeing Boris off on his bicycle with the silver cup stashed in his backpack!

The PR Office were back in Madrid this week for the announcement of Nelson Mandela Day Madrid 2010. A press conference was held at the Circulo de Bellas Artes which was attended by Tim Massey, International Director of 46664, H.E. Vusi Bruce Koloane, the South African Ambassador to Spain and Mayor Pablo Rodriguez Sardinero representing the Comunidad de Madrid. Some 50 journalists, dozens of photographers and lots of TV crews attended and enormous coverage was delivered.

The UK Jewish Film Festival celebrates its 13th year in November, marking this ‘coming of age’ with special Bar-Mitzvah themed events leading up to the West End Gala and the festival. Gang warfare, sumo wrestlers, forbidden love, anti-Semitism vs. anti-Zionism, friendship though food, award winning documentaries, unique war footage, world class feature films exploring memories of the Holocaust, relationships across the Jewish/Muslim divide and the solidarity of female friendship are just some of the themes that make up the UKJFF 2009’s fantastically diverse line-up of films…

Tim Minchin is to appear on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on 23rd October to talk about his smash hit UK tour, his performances at the Hammersmith Apollo on 23-25 October and the release of his special edition DVD – So F**king Rock, Live.

King of the one-liner and star of BBC1 ‘Not Going Out’ Tim Vine is to embark on a UK tour in 2010, with a brand new show – the Joke-a-motive, with support from John Archer. “No one else will give you as many gags for your money.  Vine is superb, as clever as anything being done today” (The Guardian).

Celebrated UK actor John Hurt CBE, in conversation with award winning news presenter Angela Rippon OBE, brought home the reality of a future without Holocaust Survivors at the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET) appeal dinner held at RIBA. Speaking to a packed audience they hailed the tremendous courage demonstrated by Holocaust Survivors, and called on the next generation to take up the mantle of their legacy in the future. The 300 guests at the dinner included The Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, as well as actor and HET Trustee Sir Antony Sher.

For once it was Israel’s environmental stability rather than political stability which was on the agenda at a breakfast briefing last Friday morning with the Technion’s geotechnical expert Sam Frydman. The stability of the Temple Mount Area, the emergence of sinkholes in the Dead Sea area and the threat of earthquakes in the region left guests captivated at the event which was hosted by Bank Hapoalim International at their offices in London.

More than 1,150 guests attended Jewish Care’s Fundraising Dinner 2009 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, with special guest performer James Morrison.  A record £3.6m was raised on the night. Guest speaker David Cameron, MP, delivered a moving speech, drawing on his own experiences and warmly praising Jewish Care’s services that he had previously visited.

Leading Jewish non-profit training and business incubator, TrainE-TraidE, have announced a Summer Placement Scheme to match those seeking unpaid work opportunities with opportunities within the business world. The scheme is designed to offer placements within a wide range of industries so that prospective candidates at all stages of their working life – students, graduates, returning mothers and those looking to make career changes - should find something engaging.