I was a stranger and you invited me in

Crypt’s incredible success at awards

Design Week 2010 logo

The Crypt scooped three separate awards, including the much coveted “Best of Show” award, during the 2010 Design Week Awards at the Park Lane Hilton Hotel in London on March 2nd.

After already collecting the award for Best Annual Report and then being admitted at the Design Week Hall of Fame, Crypt supporter Adam Cooke was astonished to hear the Crypt’s name read out as the “Best of Show” at the end of the evening.

The night was a tribute to the work of Leeds based B&W Studio, who produced the designs. Lynda Relph-Knight, Editor of Design Week, said the decision to award The Crypt with Best of Show “demonstrates how a blend of great design and storytelling can succeed when cash is tight.”

The judges said: “B&W Studio created a report aimed at corporate partners who may contribute to the cause. It focuses on six people connected to the charity. Hard-hitting factual accounts are supported by large portraits taken by photographer John Angerson.”

St George’s Crypt was admitted to the Hall of Fame along with The Guardian newspaper, GF Smith and Selfridges. The judges paid tribute to the honesty of the designs and the collaboration between client, designer, photographer and copywriter before adding: “We hope that St George’s Crypt’s entry into the Hall of Fame will encourage more charities and their designers to be bolder in their work.”

Adam Cooke admitted that the final award (Best of Show) came as a great shock: “I couldn’t believe it when our name was read out. It is a tribute to everyone at B&W Studio, to the work of Fundraising Director Martin Patterson (whose vision has brought these creative people together) and, mostly, to all who work or volunteer at the Crypt. It also highlights our desire to help the service users whose stories are so powerful and who each teach us something about ourselves.”

Many of the larger companies offered their congratulations to The Crypt and B&W Studio after the event and were keen to know more about the charity.
Mr Cooke was joined by photographer John Angerson and public relations adviser Revd Rob Marshall at the awards on behalf of the Crypt.

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  • BBC Radio Leeds

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