Costa Rica named as location for 2019 event

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We were asked to help the World Veterinary Association (WVA) to announce that the 3rd WVA Animal Welfare Awards will be held in the beautiful surroundings of Costa Rica in 2019.

The video announcing the news went live on You Tube – click here to see the report.

Costa Rica – location for the WVA’s 2019 Animal Welfare Awards

The commission followed hard on the heels of a major filming programme for the 2018 Animal Welfare Awards which were staged recently in Barcelona, Spain and featured five of our videos highlighting the work of each of the winners. Good Call Media visited Prince Edward Island in north east Canada, Sao Paolo in Brazil, Senegal, Sweden and helped to compile a report from China. Good Call Media co-owner, Nik Wood also took to the stage in Barcelona to host the event which was sponsored by worldwide animal health company Ceva Sante Animal, one of our major customers.

In the video announcing the 2019 awards the WVA reveal that the veterinary authorities in Costa Rica had contacted them regarding an invitation to stage the WVA’s annual congress in the country in 2019. The Awards highlight the best examples of animal welfare work undertaken by vets from the continents where the WVA operates.

Here is the full list of the winners in 2018 together with links to the individual video reports:

 

Professor Adroaldo José Zanella, DVM, BRAZIL

Professor of Animal Welfare. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo. Dr Zanella coordinates the Centre for Comparative Studies in Health, Sustainability and Welfare, CECSBE, at the University of São Paulo. His team carries out research work on the impact of pre-natal and neonatal environment on welfare outcomes in different species. Their main goal is to develop protocols to improve resilience of the offspring.

Adroaldo is advisor to the veterinary student’s animal welfare group, GEBEA. In addition to his research work the CECSBE currently has two major welfare projects. One centered around implementing a welfare assessment protocol to improve the health and productivity of sheep and the other is developing strategies to mitigate accidents involving stray donkeys and improve their welfare in the Northeast of Brazil.

Click here to watch the interview with Professor José Zanella

Dr Alice Crook, BSc, DVM, CANADA

Coordinator, Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre, Adjunct Professor, Department of Health, Management, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island.

Since 1994, Dr Crook has worked to develop and establish the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre (SJDAWC) at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada. This internationally recognised Centre promotes animal welfare through research, service, and education. This includes supporting research and service projects to benefit animals, as well as multiple initiatives to promote and teach about animal welfare.

Dr Crook has regularly contributed valuable animal welfare information for veterinarians, students, government, media and the general public and particularly enjoys teaching veterinary students and promoting the ways they can be leaders in animal welfare no matter what field of veterinary medicine they enter.

Alice’s particular areas of interest are animal abuse and effective veterinary response, pain management, welfare-friendly veterinary practice (large and small animal), feral cat welfare, and enactment of effective animal welfare legislation (nationally and provincially). For many years, she has been a valuable member of, and contributor to, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) Animal Welfare Committee.

Click here to watch the interview with Dr Crook

Dr Zhijuan Yin, DVM, CHINA

Veterinarian, Nanning Arong pet hospital, Guangxi province, China.

Dr Yin has her own veterinary clinic where since 2008, she highlights the importance of animal welfare during day to day clinical operations. Additionally, she uses her skills and knowledge to provide care and low-cost TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) services for local animal protection groups. As a result, her impact on improving animal welfare standards is enormous.

Since 2010, Dr Yin has worked with a charity, ACTAsia who runs a “Train the Trainer” veterinary program in China, in cooperation with Vets for Compassion (Australia). The project aims to improve veterinary skills at the same time as instilling a deep understanding of animal welfare. Dr Yin recently took the lead in organizing training in a remote area of China called Qinghai.

Click here to watch the interview with Dr Yin

Professor Charlotte (Lotta) Berg, DVM, SWEDEN

Professor Animal Environment and Health, European Veterinary Specialist Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law.

Professor Berg works at the Department of Animal Environment and Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden. She holds a Diplomate certificate from the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine and has been a member of the Animal Health and Animal Welfare (AHAW) panel at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, participating in numerous European projects. Charlotte’s main research and work areas are housing, management, biosecurity and the welfare of farm animals, with special emphasis on the welfare during slaughter. She carries out research on animal welfare legislation and standards control, and is interested in the interface between wildlife and farmed animals, including welfare and zoonotic diseases (One Health).

Click here to watch the interview with Dr Berg

Dr Mactar Seck MSc, DVM, SENEGAL

Programme Director, Brooke, West Africa

Dr Seck has been a member of the Senegalese Council of Veterinary Surgeons since 1992. Mactar leads a team that trains veterinarians in Senegal and Burkina Faso to improve their knowledge and skills in equine medicine. He also trains farriers and helps them redesign tools to ensure that the physical integrity of working equine animal is not hampered.

Click here to watch the interview with Dr Seck

 

At the international level, Mactar currently leads the International Coalition for Working Equids (ICWE), which brings together Brooke, SPANA, World Horse Welfare and the Donkey Sanctuary, whose major objective is to help OIE implement their global standards for working equids in developing countries

 

 

Namur Belgium location for latest filming

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Good Call Media has been filming in Belgium for our latest project with Volition RX and we were able to carry out video filming and photography using our company drone.

Historic Namur, Belgium

The project involved filming with Volition’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) made up of leading scientists and medical experts who are helping to shape the way the company is developing simple, easy to use, cost effective blood tests designed to help diagnose a range of cancers. The tests are based on the technology platform of Nucleosomics®, which is the practice of identifying and measuring nucleosomes in the bloodstream or other bodily fluid – an indication that disease is present

Drone shot of the facility

Volition has developed a large state of the art facility close to Namur. Belgian Volition acquired the 19,000 square foot property for EUR 1.2 million, of which EUR 1.12 million was financed pursuant to a Real Estate Capital Lease Agreement with ING Asset Finance Belgium S.A.  As part of the transaction, Belgian Volition granted
ING a right of emphyteusis (a form of leasehold) on the property and ING granted Belgian Volition a 15-year lease over the property with an option for Belgian Volition to purchase the property outright at the end of the lease upon payment of EUR 33,600. The investment was further supported with the financial backing of Preface S.A./Namur Invest.

As cancer screening programs become more widespread, Volition’s products aim to help to diagnose a range of cancers quickly, simply, accurately and cost effectively. Early diagnosis has the potential to not only prolong the life of patients, but also to improve their quality of life. Volition’s research and development activities are currently centered in Belgium, with additional offices in London, Texas and Singapore, as the company focuses on bringing its diagnostic products to market first in Europe, then in the U.S. and ultimately, worldwide.

Video Supports New Test Kits

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We produced a video to support our client VolitionRX when they announced that they had entered into a Global Sales and Distribution Agreement with Active Motif for a range of Research Use Only (“RUO”) kits, that are based on its proprietary Nucleosomics® technology.

Click here to see the video

Founder and Chairman of Active Motif, Joseph M. Fernandez commented “We are continuously looking for innovative products in the field of epigenetics and believe Nucleosomics® is a breakthrough technology. We are delighted to announce our strategic relationship with Volition and believe their Nucleosomics® technology will complement our current range of products and should sell well. These RUO kits will provide researchers throughout the world with a new way to explore epigenetic modifications in circulating cell-free nucleosomes across different diseases from clinical samples. We aim to have the first kit available for sale by the end of June this year and are working with Volition to develop a broad range of assays focused on important targets.”

VolitionRX – developing a simple and affordable blood test for cancers

The RUO kits are based on the same Nu.Q™ immunoassay technology as Volition’s cancer screening panels and may be used to investigate a variety of clinical questions beyond Volition’s core focus in cancer biomarkers. The range of the RUO kits will allow researchers to explore patterns of epigenetic modifications in circulating nucleosomes in disease models, pre-clinical testing and clinical trials across a broad spectrum of clinical applications including cancer, inflammatory and infectious diseases and trauma.  The RUO kits will offer a complete profiling solution from cell to serum.

Chief Executive Officer of Volition, Cameron Reynolds, commented, “We are very happy to be working with Active Motif, who are key players in the field of epigenetics kits. This is a fantastic opportunity for Volition and we expect that it will provide an additional revenue stream beyond that from the expected commercialization of our blood-based tests for cancer. If the assays are developed as a companion diagnostic for another company’s therapeutic, this could also potentially result in further future revenue through a licensing or similar arrangement.”

Dr. Mark Eccleston, Volition’s Business Development Director, commented, “Active Motif is an ideal partner for us, given its great team that has already established relationships with our target customers across the world. Not only will the sale of the RUO kits generate revenue, but such sales will also broaden potential applications of our technology and generate further validation of the Nucleosomics® platform.”

 

 

Videos help raise £220,000 at event

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We had great feedback and a big “thanks” from our partner client Variety the Children’s Charity after our stable of videos helped to raise no less than £220,000 at the glittering Yorkshire Property Awards which attracted over 1000 people to Rudding Park in Harrogate for the region’s premier property networking event.

Good Call Media produced a series of videos highlighting everything from the Property Personality of the Year to the Gamechangers – a dynamic series of videos profiling the three major projects that attracted the attention off this year’s judges.

Click here to see our Gamechanger video highlighting The Platform project in Leeds which won an award.

Leeds skyline

A message from Variety praised our work with the charity and highlighted the “excellent” feedback on our video reports. Bob Taylor, of Leeds-based DLA Design, was named Property Personality at the event held at Rudding Park in Harrogate. Taylor, who picked up his award in front of a 1,000-strong audience, retired in December after more than 30 years masterplanning, designing and implementing projects in Yorkshire and around the world.

The Platform won a Gamechanger Award

Other winners included Bruntwood’s Platform building in Leeds city centre, the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, and Goole 36, one of Yorkshire’s largest and most high profile industrial/distribution sites, which were all named Game Changers. The Game Changer award, which was introduced in 2017, considers projects or deals which have had a material effect on the surrounding environment or on the market. Craig Burrow, Bruntwood director, said: “Expectations of how we would modernise this building were very high and this fantastic accolade reflects a truly dedicated team effort with all our partners making hugely successful contributions to ensure that we could deliver radical change.”

Henry Boot won the new Export award for the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre and Gateway 36 in Barnsley was named Industrial Deal of the Year The Best Innovation Project award went to Citu Developments for the Climate Innovation District in Leeds. Network North Portfolio won the Investment Deal of the Year and the Office Deal of the Year went to the Burberry letting at 6 Queen Street in Leeds. Lucy McDowell, of Lambert Smith Hampton, was named Rising Star. This is the 6th year that Good Call Media has worked with Variety on the Awards. We also work with the organisation on the Yorkshire Residential Property Awards, the Yorkshire Business Awards and a series of Variety events in London.

 

 

 

 

Swedish Winner of WVA Awards

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We are proud of our video featuring the work of the European winner of the World Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Awards, Lotta Berg from Sweden as we used our new drone to create some stunning sequences..

We filmed with Professor Berg in her home University town of Skara in Sweden and the drone was used to get shots of her with animals in the field.

Click here to see the video

Professor Berg receives her award.

Sweden was the backdrop for the Awards video

Professor Berg works at the Department of Animal Environment and Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden. She holds a Diplomate certificate from the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine and has been a member of the Animal Health and Animal Welfare (AHAW) panel at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, participating in numerous European projects.

Charlotte’s main research and work areas are housing, management, biosecurity and the welfare of farm animals, with special emphasis on the welfare during slaughter. She carries out research on animal welfare legislation and standards control, and is interested in the interface between wildlife and farmed animals, including welfare and zoonotic diseases (One Health).  The Awards, sponsored by Ceva Sante Animal, were handed out at a ceremony staged in Barcelona, Spain in front of an audience of international vets.

Our client’s new partnership with leading university

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When our client,Ceva Santé Animale, which now operates in over 40 countries, forged a new partnership with one of the world’s leading universities, they asked Good Call Media to be there to record the event.

Our video reports were used on You Tube, Linked In, Facebook and on the website of both organisations within minutes of the partnership being signed in the Netherlands and helped to beam news of the event around the globe.

To see our video report click here

Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR) and Ceva Santé Animale (Ceva) announced the collaboration to develop veterinary vaccines for the control of (re)emerging infectious animal diseases, such as Rift Valley fever and Influenza. With an estimated 75% of emerging human infectious diseases originating from animal reservoirs, this new research and development platform provides an excellent example of how the public and private sectors can work together.

Reinforcing this point Professor Dr. Ludo Hellebrekers, Director of WBVR said: “This Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in the animal health field is a great opportunity to further strengthen our ‘One Health’ approach in controlling emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Both partners have real expertise in the selected projects and we believe this will bring strong benefits to public health authorities around the world.”

Ceva’s Chairman & CEO, Dr. Marc Prikazsky said after the signing ceremony: “We are delighted to form this strategic alliance with Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, whose reputation is so well respected in the field of animal infectious diseases. The control of emerging diseases goes beyond the scope of any one company, institution or even government. Cooperation is the key to ensuring better global health. We are committed to sharing the expertise we have developed within Ceva to improve the health and welfare of all.”

Brussels Conference Roundup

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As part of our year-long contract with the group AnimalhealthEurope we produced a colourful news roundup video highlighting the main aspects of their annual conference held in Brussels presented by our own Nik Wood.

As usual we turned the video round in double quick time allowing the organisation’s communications team to post on Twitter and other social media outlets including You Tube. To see the report click here.

The video was on Twitter in quick time following the conference

The news report included interviews with keynote speakers, EU politicians and also an insight into a media visit to two highly innovative farms, one dairy and the other poultry, which took place the day before the conference. Good Call Media is producing a video each month to support a major campaign by AnimalhealthEurope to raise awareness about their involvement with animal health. ‘Voices Of Animal Health’ involves interviews with people from different walks of life and different areas of Europe talking about what animal health means to them.

AnimalhealthEurope is the association representing manufacturers of animal medicines, vaccines and other animal health products in Europe.

Farm visits with media feature in the video

It is a not-for-profit body representing both corporate members and national animal health associations in Europe. It represents both innovators and generics alike, as well as large, medium-sized and small companies. AnimalhealthEurope’s membership covers 90% of the European market for animal health products.

They stand for

  • Availability – Animal medicines will always be an essential part of any veterinarian’s toolkit, and through a harmonised licensing process and single EU market, we can make more solutions available across Europe to help prevent and treat disease in many different animals.
  • Reliability – Farmers, pet owners and other animal guardians rely on the animal health industry to provide the tools needed to help control and manage disease and to protect animal welfare, while promoting their responsible use to safeguard their efficacy in the future.
  • Sustainability – Innovation in animal medicines and vaccines is vital for ensuring a more sustainable way of life, supporting more efficient agricultural practices, helping to ensure that our pets remain healthy members of our families, and contributing to the general well-being of all of Europe’s citizens.

The “Props” Lifetime Achievement Award 2018

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We were commissioned to produce a video highlighting the work of Paul White, Chairman of Frogmore, for the 2018 ‘Props Awards’ held in London.

Paul White – Lifetime Achievement Award 2018

He was given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the event, which brings together property professionals in the capital at a lunch to celebrate the best and most innovative projects in the property sector.

To see the video report click here

“the PROPS” Awards lunch took place at the London Hilton Park Lane and was staged by our client, Variety, the Children’s Charity who used the event to raise vital funds to purchase electric wheelchairs for disabled and disadvantaged children and young people throughout the UK.

Variety’s 27th Annual “the PROPS” lunch is real estate’s premier fundraising event. Since its inception in 1992, “the PROPS”, dedicated to the UK’s property industry, raising nearly £10 million and funded more than 2,000 custom-made electric wheelchairs. This year’s awards was hosted again by England and the British & Irish Lions Rugby Legend Martin Bayfield.

Martin Bayfield hosted the event

“the PROPS” Awards spans a wide range of categories, from Deal of the Year, to Property Lender and Development of the Year. The list of recipients of PROPS awards over the years reads like an industry ‘who’s who’ including Trevor Hemmings, Gerald Ronson CBE, Tony Pidgley CBE, Sir John Beckwith CBE, Sir John Ritblat, Sir William McAlpine, Richard Caring, Irvine Sellar,  Michael Slade, Sir Stuart Lipton and Irvine Sellar.

For the past 27 years, “the PROPS” Awards has recognised individuals and companies in the property industry who have excelled.

Paul White joined Frogmore in 1995 as Managing Director.  He set the Company’s vision and delivered its sustained performance over the past 21 years.  Under his leadership in changing market conditions, the listed company’s profit before taxation more than tripled from approximately £15 million to £55 million (1996 – 2000).  He then led the privatisation of Frogmore Estates plc in January 2001.

Since 2006, Frogmore has evolved into an established real estate investment manager.  Paul spearheaded the raise of close to £1bn in equity capital globally across three closed-end funds.  He has been involved in the origination, underwriting and financing of over £7bn transactions at Frogmore. Paul moved from being Chief Executive at Frogmore to his current role as Chairman in April 2016.

Paul is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a member of the Investment Property Forum.  He is a strong supporter of the Willow Foundation, a charity for seriously ill young adults. In 2016, Paul was awarded the MBE for his services to charity.