A coalition of major brands is being created to support the development of Home Advantage – a series of real-world household trials to support UK homeowners on their journey to net zero. The first companies to join the initiative are B&Q, Barratt Developments PLC, Starbucks UK, TSB and Unilever UK, who have been brought together by Hubbub. The environmental charity will develop clear guidance for how to support households to reduce their climate impact, based on in-depth research and testing. Insights from the research will be shared with policymakers, businesses and campaigning organisations to inform their understanding of how they can best support households on their journey to net zero.

Households have a crucial part to play in reducing climate-damaging carbon emissions and reducing waste, alongside government and businesses. 32% of the emissions reductions needed between now and 2035 to meet the UK’s net zero goal are down to the choices made by individuals and households according to the UK Climate Change Committee¹.

The initiative will see in-depth qualitative and quantitative research conducted over the coming months. UK households will be surveyed to understand current behaviours, motivators and barriers to change and to identify what support they need to overcome these barriers. Alongside this, Hubbub will work closely with a sample of homeowners to test behaviour change and messaging approaches, and to test potential policy scenarios.

The businesses involved will be helping to share insights to inform the project, as well as test ideas to help customers save money and live more sustainably.

The household guide to sustainable living developed as a result is expected to provide a holistic view of how households can be better supported by businesses and government, covering a wide range of topics including energy, food, fashion, electronic waste and green finance. It will also provide solutions aimed at helping people to save money, to support both people and planet –and will generate evidence to debunk the myth that sustainability is an unaffordable luxury in a cost-of-living crisis.

Legislation and incentives from government and business will be vital to remove systemic barriers to sustainable living faced by UK households. Insights from the research which will be used to engage businesses and policy makers to support the changes needed.

Gavin Ellis, Director and Co-Founder at Hubbub said: “Recent research from DESNZ found that 80% of people are concerned about climate change. Our experience is that most people want to play their part to protect the planet, but they aren’t always sure what they can do, where to start or whether it will make a difference. By fully understanding the everyday barriers faced by households, Home Advantage will provide realistic steps and solutions that people can easily incorporate into their daily lives that will collectively make a real difference, as well as highlighting where systemic support is required.

“The expertise of the coalition of fantastic companies will be invaluable. We’re keen that we have representation from brands that touch on all significant aspects of people’s lives and would particularly be interested to hear from any energy providers and supermarkets who are interested in joining us.”

Sam Dyer, Head of Sustainability, B&Q said: “At B&Q we want to make a positive difference through tangible action to minimise the impact we, and our customers, have on the environment. By working with Hubbub and other collaborators, we aim to better understand and improve how we engage with homeowners and renters to help them to make more sustainable choices for their homes, for their benefit and the benefit of society as a whole.”

Yvette Edwards, UK & Ireland Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs, Unilever said: “At Unilever, we have ambitious climate targets and we’re clear we cannot achieve these alone. That’s why we’re committed to playing our part in wider systemic change, working with peers, regulators, policymakers, consumers, and other stakeholders. We are really pleased to be partnering with Hubbub and other businesses on the Blueprint for Sustainable Living. It will help us to better understand the barriers households face when it comes to taking action, and using these insights to inform our own work and to advocate for policies which will achieve the transformation we all need to see.”

Companies interested in joining the initiative should email hello@hubbub.org.uk

Fund established to drive innovation in cardiothoracic surgery

International experts from Europe, the US and Asia convened in Paris on 19th and 20th of April for the second EACTS Innovation Summit.

EACTS, the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic (CT) Surgery, launched a brand-new Innovation Hub at the summit, which will champion investment in innovation to support the development of cardiothoracic surgical treatments and improve outcomes for patients. This reflects the fact that innovation and opportunities for improving patient care by implementing upcoming disruptive techniques in CT surgery are of central importance to EACTS.

At the Innovation Summit, engineers, chemists, molecular biologists, AI and robotics specialists, surgeons, industry leaders and policy makers discussed new technologies, pioneering treatment pathways and future surgical developments. Participants heard some of the very latest disruptive ideas in cardiothoracic surgery, including how AI and immersive technology are changing and will continue to change the entire field of CT surgery, including cardiac ultrastructure imaging, the future of robotic surgery and the engineering and distribution of Super-Organs.

Global specialists were also able to discuss other priority topics, including:

Principles of innovation
Leveraging ChatGPT4 in Cardiac Surgery
Heart valve of the future
Extracorporeal circulation (CPB, ECMO, ECLS, hibernation, hypothermia and organ repair)
Artificial Intelligence for CT surgery
Lymphatics in CT surgery.

Speaking at the Innovation Summit, past EACTS President (2022) and Co-Chair of the summit,Friedhelm Beyersdorf,said: “Emerging technologies and artificial intelligence are changing cardiothoracic surgery. We know that innovation often takes place at the borders between specialties and that is why we brought together delegates from across disciplines. Our second Innovation Summit with clear action from the discussion groups alongside the creation of our new Innovation Hub provide a clear message that EACTS is serious about innovation.”

As part of the new Innovation Hub, launched at the summit, EACTS members will be able to apply for grant funding to stimulate research and advance innovation in cardiothoracic surgery. Grants will be awarded from a fund that EACTS has recently established. The grants will be available to EACTS members only, through a competitive process over a five-year period. EACTS will be particularly interested to see applications that focus on the priority topics from the Innovation Summit and that are likely to create real-life opportunities to improve patient outcomes. The grant application process is set to launch in October 2024.

The grants will be overseen by EACTS’ new Innovation Committee made up of research, academic and industry experts. Past EACTS Presidents Friedhelm Beyersdorf and Mark Hazekamp have been appointed Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. Recruitment for additional members is underway.

Past EACTS President (2021) and Co-Chair of the Innovation Summit,Mark Hazekamp, said: “The Innovation Hub will stimulate new concepts and support inventors and creators to bring their ideas to clinical use. Using, implementing and further developing these upcoming opportunities is a priority for us at EACTS in order to further improve outcomes for patients with heart and lung conditions now and in the years ahead.”

Interest in innovation is high with EACTS members submitting 55 high quality abstracts for presentation at the Innovation Summit. Fourteen abstracts were selected alongside four exciting ‘wild card’ submissions.

Due to the number of high quality submissions, a further ten of the highest rated abstracts will be shared with delegates during one of two innovation sessions at the 38^th EACTS Annual Meeting, taking place in Lisbon, Portugal this October. Four keynote presentations specially selected from this year’s summit as the most innovative and thought-provoking will be presented in a second innovation session.

£1.9 billion worth of repairable items binned & £3 billion squandered on replacements in past year

Amidst the continuing cost of living crisis and the ever-deepening climate crisis, the London Recycles campaign is championing affordable and accessible repair services across the capital with London’s fourth Repair Week running from 11th to 17th March 2024.

Censuswide research, commissioned by London Recycles, reveals a staggering figure: Londoners discarded an estimated £1.9 billion¹ worth of repairable items last year, an average of £269.42 per adult in London, marking a £100 million increase from a similar survey commissioned by the campaign a year ago.

The financial toll is significant, particularly considering that Londoners also forked out an average of £459.80 to replace damaged or broken items that could have been repaired. Extrapolated across all Londoners, this amounts to a jaw-dropping £3 billion[1] spent replacing repairable stuff!

In more positive news the desire to change is palpable: 73%[2] of Londoners express a willingness to repair items themselves if the process is straightforward, while 71%² express a desire to acquire repair skills to save money. However, accessibility remains a hurdle: 65%² of Londoners lament the scarcity of nearby repair shops, while 63%² feel that there’s not enough support for repair businesses to keep them afloat on the high street.

In the words of Ali Moore, head of campaigns for London Recycles:“The fact that so many people are getting involved in Repair Week again shows what an appetite for repair there is in the city – and there are lots of simple repairs we can undertake ourselves to prolong the lifespan of bikes, clothes, furniture, and electronics. But for more complex repairs, repair experts usually offer services at a fraction of the cost of buying new – and these need to be accessible, which means we need to help the repair sector to thrive across the capital.

“We really hope that Repair Week inspires people to mend their own things but also leads to more support for organisations offering repair services to their community – for instance by landlords offering access to vacant shop premises, or financial institutions providing more business support, or simply through local people setting up or making better use of their community repair hubs or cafes. There’s a clear role for repair as people continue to struggle with cost of living pressures, because it can save us money by keeping our stuff in use for longer.”

To help bridge the skills gap, London Repair Week returns from 11th to 17th March 2024, featuring over 70 partners hosting events and workshops across the capital. These initiatives aim to empower Londoners with the knowledge and skills to repair their belongings, save money, combat climate change, and rekindle affection for long-neglected possessions!

Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Shirley Rodrigues, said: “We must continue to do everything we can to minimise waste and tackle the climate emergency.

“Repair Week is a fantastic way for every single Londoner to play their part and I hope it will inspire us all, as we keep building a fairer, greener and more prosperous London for everyone.”

With Repair Week promising to be bigger and better than ever, the lineup includes a diverse array of events, from bicycle and textile repair workshops to electrical repair sessions – many of which are free of charge. ReLondon has also unveiled a series of free mini repair hack videos on their website, offering practical guidance for budding repair enthusiasts.

Confirmed event hosts for #RepairWeekLDN include UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, Fabrications, Makers Cabinet, and Hackney Fixers. For a comprehensive list of workshops, repair hacks, and a directory of professional repair services, follow the links below:

Join us in transforming the way we use our stuff, one repair at a time. Together, we can save money, protect the planet, and rediscover the joy in our cherished possessions!

The brief

The Eurekas is an annual physics competition for students aged 11–16 across the UK and Ireland. It forms part of the Institute of Physics’ (IOP) Limit Less campaign, which aims to diversify the young people who continue with physics after 16 and to encourage students to see physics differently.Following the successful 2022 launch, IOP reappointed Barley to promote the 2023 competition. Our objectives were to reach more of the campaign’s diverse target audiences and increase the number of submissions from the previous year.

Insights and approach

Our campaign focused on parents and teachers who would support students entering the competition, while also directly engaging young people aged 11–16 — particularly those from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in physics.

To keep the competition inclusive and open to a wide range of interests, we developed the 2023 theme: how does physics power your passion?

Using insights from the 2022 evaluation, we refined our strategy. This included bringing in influencers to extend reach and credibility. Charismatic teacher Bobby Seagull encouraged his students to think differently about physics, while engineer and mother Dr Samira Ahmed created warm, engaging videos that introduced her audience to the competition.To reinforce scientific credibility, we secured physics communicator Alom Shaha and Eurekas ambassador Shivani Dave as judges, alongside campaign creator Ray Mitchell.

Results

We doubled the number of submissions from 2022 and increased participation from students and schools by around half.

Our organic social campaign generated strong engagement, achieving half a million impressions and 10,000 interactions. Paid social activity reached 200,000 people.

Influencer activity performed well too, with 19 posts generating 50,000 video views, 112,000 impressions and 2,000 engagements.Local media outreach amplified the winner announcement in Leicester, securing interviews on BBC Radio Leicester and Capital FM Leicestershire, broadcast coverage on ITV News Central, and an article in the Leicester Times.

The brief

Physics is still widely perceived as difficult and dominated by white males – a view backed by data and lived experience. This lack of diversity means the physics community misses out on talented young people who do not see themselves reflected in the subject.
To shift perceptions and encourage more young people to continue with physics post-16, the Institute of Physics asked Barley to promote Limit Less – its diversity communication campaign championing girls, students from disadvantaged backgrounds, young people of Black Caribbean descent, disabled students and LGBT+ young people.

Insights and approach

We wanted to show that physics can be creative, collaborative, practical and fun.
We set out to reframe physics as creative, collaborative and relevant to everyday life. Early interviews with IOP members and students revealed that many young people felt more confident in subjects such as art, design, sport, humanities or languages. This insight shaped our central idea: meet young people where they already feel strong.
We proposed launching The Eurekas – a UK- and Ireland-wide competition for 11–16-year-olds answering one question: what’s the point of physics? To widen participation, entries could take any form, from videos and performances to poetry, artwork or baking. Cash and voucher prizes were included to motivate students, teachers and parents or carers.
To bring the campaign to life, we:
Created The Eurekas sub-brand and a dedicated website
Recruited science communicator Shivani Dave as an accessible and inspiring ambassador
Engaged amplifier audiences – teachers, parents and carers – to reach young people appropriately
Ran paid and organic social campaigns
Activated IOP’s database via newsletters
Delivered national and local media outreach
Convened a judging panel including Shivani Dave, physicist and author Femi Fadugba, and IOP Deputy Chief Executive Rachel Youngman

Results

Students across the UK and Ireland embraced the challenge, exploring physics in unexpected and imaginative ways. As a pilot year, The Eurekas exceeded expectations, attracting more than 100 submissions from almost 200 young people – with most shortlisted entrants coming from the underrepresented groups at the heart of the campaign.The entries demonstrated powerful creativity and a growing confidence in the subject. Several winners shared how taking part reshaped how they see physics and what they believe they can achieve. The competition has laid strong foundations for future engagement, giving young people new permission to see physics as something that belongs to them.

The brief

Good Things Foundation asked Barley to boost awareness and use of Make It Click — an online platform designed to help people build confidence and competence with everyday digital tasks. With digital centres closed during COVID-19 lockdowns, there was a growing need to support individuals who were offline or struggling with essential skills.Our brief was clear: promote digital inclusion, inspire people to take action, and signpost practical resources for individuals and small business owners looking to increase their digital skills.

Insights and approach

We set out to raise the profile of Make It Click at pace, combining strategic insight with targeted delivery across content, paid media and PR.

We began by developing detailed audience personas — including NEET young people, furloughed workers and small business owners — to understand motivations, barriers and opportunities for digital skills behaviour change. Using channel planning tools, we identified the strongest media mix for each group and deployed tailored ad cycles across TikTok, Facebook and Google. This ensured efficient reach and maximised relevance.

To humanise the campaign, we created video case studies featuring people already benefitting from Make It Click. Their real stories provided authenticity and helped demonstrate how digital skills can unlock new opportunities.

PR added a further layer of impact. Our polling of furloughed workers revealed that seven in ten feared for their job security and were actively seeking ways to improve their skills. This insight underpinned our first news story and generated strong national interest. For small businesses, we spotlighted the launch of the new Make It Click digital hub, offering timely support as they navigated the challenges of the pandemic.

Results

Our combined programme of organic content, targeted paid activity and earned media drove significant uptake. We delivered more than double the original target for website visits, ensuring thousands more people could access high-quality digital support when they needed it most.

Extensive national and trade coverage strengthened Make It Click’s credibility, while our tailored messaging helped individuals and small businesses feel confident in taking their next step online. The campaign made a tangible contribution to promoting digital inclusion during a critical moment.

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