RUN TO GIVE FOR THOSE WHO GAVE!

While most people know Cowan Global as a strategy consultancy, few realise that we also support charity by coming up with, designing and launching new fund-raising events.

We are very proud to be working with the Royal British Legion on the launch of The Poppy Run on 30^th October this year when there will be a number of Poppy Runs dotted around England. In future years we anticipate The Poppy Run growing in size so that by 2015 everyone in the country will have a Poppy Run close to where they live.

The Poppy Run is new national series of 5km fun runs, open to all, which aims to raise funds and awareness for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. You don’t need to be super fit to take part; whether you run it, jog it, walk it or even crawl it is not important as long as you do it!

If you don’t live close to one of our 2011 venues, you can still support the Poppy Run by visiting the Poppy Run store (coming soon) which will stock a range of Poppy themed items for you to show your support.

2011 saw the last surviving British soldier from the Great War pass away and it sees the 90^th anniversary of the Royal British Legion and of the Poppy Appeal. The intervening years have seen countless soldiers, sailors and airman risk and sometimes lose their lives so we could enjoy our freedom.

Iraq is still fresh in our minds and our troops are still serving in Afghanistan. And it is not just military personnel that the Royal British Legion supports, it is their families too.

We don’t think it is asking too much to ask people to give up a Sunday morning in October to run, jog or walk 5km. As we say, Run To Give For Those Who Gave; it’s a small effort and a very easy way to say ‘thanks’.

Visit The Poppy Run website here

Enter The Poppy Run here

Contact The Poppy Run here

Follow The Poppy Run:

Twitter: @poppyrun

Facebook: @ThePoppyRun

© Jim Cowan, Cowan Global Limited, September 2011

Read more blogs by Jim Cowan

info@cowanglobal.net

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WE’RE SHOWING OFF ON MONDAY! WILL YOU JOIN US?

No, not that sort of showing off, the sort of showing off that involves offering free help and advice to businesses, the sort that comes with attending Antenna’s ‘Show Off’ Event in Nottingham next Monday (19^th September). Want to know more? Then read on…..

Show Off at Antenna is a great new business advice and support event which takes place next Monday, 19^th September between 10.00 and 17.00.

It involves over thirty specialist companies offering their time and their expertise free of charge for the day with the idea of supporting other businesses. Companies offering support are from a wide range of specialisms, there is bound to be something on offer which will benefit your business and, for one day only, you don’t have to pay!

Cowan Global are offering a drop-by strategy surgery where we will chat about all things strategy for anyone who wants to ‘drop-by’. What sort of things will we be covering? Well, that’s up to you, it’s about the advice you need. Topics might range from how effective your strategy is to do you even need a strategy? We might help you clear up the confusion between your business plan and your company strategy – and the function of both.

Those are the obvious things for strategy consultant to cover but don’t forget the less obvious. For example, do you tender for public contracts? If so, have you considered the strategies and policies you might need in place if you are to be successful? Increasingly environmental policies and ethics strategies are being requested, not forgetting your health and safety policy.

Public tenders will also require a policy on equality. A lot of businesses view the Equality Act (2010) as yet more red tape but it is to your advantage to understand it and act on it, not just because the law says so but because it is good for business to do so. How? Drop by and see us at Show Off at Antenna on Monday and we shall explain!

Antenna is on Beck Street, Nottingham NG1 1EQ. Tel: 0115 993 2350. Email: hello@antenna.uk.com Web: www.antenna.uk.com

We hope to see you there!

© Jim Cowan, Cowan Global Limited, September 2011

Read more blogs by Jim Cowan

info@cowanglobal.net

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BUSINESS PREHAB 2011 – A GENUINELY GROUND BREAKING EVENT

It seems barely a week goes by without another ‘business event of the year’ being shouted about before disappearing into a sea of sameness. If you are like me, I’m sure you find it  gets a little difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff.

The danger this presents is that when a new event comes along which really is ground breaking your business might miss it.

Business Prehab 2011 promises to be just such a ground breaking event. Read on to find out more…..

Once in a while, a new event comes along which breaks new ground. Business Prehab 2011 promises to be just such an event.

The concept is a simple one, that of ‘Prehabilitation’, which is taken from the world of sport. But what is Prehabilitation?

In elite sport injury used to be considered a necessary evil, an unavoidable part of pushing the limits without breaking them. When the performer did, injury resulted in the inevitable down-time, rehabilitation and time spent regaining fitness. To an extent, injury still is an unfortunate by-product of training for elite sport however not to the extent it used to be.

Over the last decade leading coaches have looked closely at what measures could be employed in the preparation of sports people which would
reduce the risk of injury thereby opening the door to more consistent, higher quality training and the resulting improvement in performance. The search has been all-encompassing and the modern-day elite performer has not just training but diet, sleep, social life, psychology and more placed under the microscope. One leading football club has even gone so far as examining the positions players sit in when driving!

This whole process of reducing the down-time needed to rehabilitate from injury has become known as Prehabilitation, or Prehab.

So; what is Business Prehab?

It is taking the concept from sport and applying it to business. It is looking now at what can and should be done to avoid problems later. It is
checking the early, often invisible signs, of a sick or merely underperforming business and taking prompt action to return to peak performance. It is also taking healthy companies and ensuring that not only do they stay healthy but they improve that health.

At Cowan Global we are excited by the concept and I am extremely pleased to be among the top quality speakers lined up for the event which takes place at Donington Park on 28^th June.

I will be joining global leaders Lloyds TSB and Microsoft on the platform along with international law firm Gateley, leading accountancy Cooper
Parry as well as leading regional brands Octopus PR, The Alternative Board and Redline Digital.

There will be a range of clinics for delegates to attend and a Q&A session with the whole panel plus the opportunity for follow-up questions post-event.

Taking the concept of learning from elite sport further, in addition to myself* the panel will be joined by double Olympic cycling medallist Bryan
Steel who will also deliver the key-note speech.

And Business Prehab 2011 doesn’t just take from sport; it will also give back with all of the event profits going to support local sporting charities in
addition to holding a draw with some fantastic prizes for the winners.

Donington Park, the venue, has been the scene of some legendary sporting performances over the years and they will be adding to the incredible line up by holding a driver awareness talk and putting on their renowned skid pan demonstration for everyone attending. One of the prizes for our prize draw will even offer the lucky winner the opportunity to sit alongside the driver during the demonstration!

In case that little lot isn’t enough for you a buffet lunch and open networking also feature with all of the days speakers being available throughout the lunch and networking session.

Business Prehab 2011 promises to be a truly ground breaking event for businesses with aspirations of high performance.

Oh yes; before I forget, tickets to attend are only £25 and are already on sale on a first come, first served basis. To book, click on the Business Prehab 2011 logo below.

I hope to see you there!

© Jim Cowan, Cowan Global Limited, 2011

info@cowanglobal.net

Twitter @cowanglobal

Facebook.com/cowanglobal

 *As well as being a corporate strategy consultant I have a long history within elite sport including coaching a world record holder and acting as a consultant to elite sporting organisations around the world as well as advising world-class events such as the Asian Games.

SPORTS MEMORABILIA PRIZES EVERY MONTH WITH LEGENDS TALKING BOLLOX!

It's time to like talking bollox!

Are you a sports fan?

Would you like the opportunity to enter a monthly free draw to win sports memorabilia prizes?

Of course you would!

There are no complicated forms to fill out if you want to take part in the draw. All you have to do is visit the Legends Talking Bollox! Facebook page and click on ‘LIKE’ and as long as you continue to like the page; you’ll be entered into the monthly draw.

At the same time, you’ll be showing your support for the fight to beat testicular cancer and as a fan of the page will be among the first to hear about new Legends Talking Bollox! events and receive ‘early bird’ booking offers.

What are you waiting for? Head over to legendstalking.com/facebook now and click on that LIKE button.

While you’re at it, why not tell your friends? We know you’d like to keep those prize draws to yourself but the more people we get signed up, the more we spread the word; by all talking bollox we can beat testicular cancer!

Legends Talking Bollox! supports Everyman’s campaign to stamp out male cancers

© Jim Cowan, Cowan Global Limited, 2011

info@cowanglobal.net

office@legendstalking.com

Twitter @cowanglobal or @j_talkingbollox

SUSSEX SPORTS AWARDS 2010

Cowan Global Events were proud to be asked by Active Sussex to organise that county’s annual sports awards which took place on 12^th November.

It is rare for us to organise events on behalf of a client simply because our ethos says that a Cowan Global Event must a) be fun, b) be easy to understand and c) benefit at least one charity. Because of this we normally stick to organising our own events. However, Active Sussex (the County Sports Partnership for Sussex) is a registered charity and the event also raised funds for the Parallel Youth Games (an annual event for young people with a disability) so we were happy to take on the task.

The event was a great success with fourteen award winners together with clubs and volunteers also being recognised on the night. Guests enjoyed a three course meal with complementary wine before hitting the dance floor once all of the awards were presented.

Special guests Danny Pike from BBC Sussex and Katharine Merry, the Olympic 400m bronze medallist from Sydney 2000, presented the evening with Katharine Merry’s speech holding sports people and corporate guests alike enthralled. It was a thoroughly professional job by a friendly and approachable pair.

Our thanks go to the entire Active Sussex team – a team in every sense of the word – who offered fantastic support and assistance throughout the preparation and on the night.

We lined up some superb corporate sponsors without whom the event could not have gone ahead. In alphabetical order to avoid preference they were American Express, Barefoot Wine, BBC Sussex, Freedom Leisure, Hilton Hotel, Inspire Leisure, Juice 107.2, Rix & Kay Solicitors, Skills Active, Sussex County FA, Sussex Sport Magazine, University of Brighton, University of Chichester and Wealden District Council.

To everyone involved and who attended, especially the Active Sussex team, thanks for having us along we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience!

More pictures here.

Find out more about Active Sussex here.

 

© Jim Cowan, Cowan Global Limited, 2010

info@cowanglobal.net

Twitter @cowanglobal

£1/4 BILLION AND COUNTING!

That’s a lot of money!

It’s a figure we’re very proud of. Why? 

2010 is the year that events that have been conceptualised, designed, launched and/or organised by Jim Cowan and Cowan Global broke the £1/4 Billion mark in terms of money raised for charities and good causes. 

The Race for Life was conceptualised, designed and launched by Jim Cowan (photo Heart.co.uk)

 

It all started in a small way during the mid ‘70s when Jim was a schoolboy and read about the Stoke Mandeville Appeal and its aim to build a national spinal injuries unit near Aylesbury. 

He organised a sponsored 48 hour cycle ride at his school using other students to raise sponsorship money, teachers to promote and parents to do both. The event was a success and Jim was bitten by the bug. 

Fast forward two decades and Jim was running Sporting Chance UK when he came up with the idea of a nationwide series of 5km runs to raise money for and promote the fight against breast cancer. 

One leading charity actually told him the idea would never work but the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (now Cancer Research UK) loved the idea and in Battersea Park in 1994 the Race For Life was born. 

There have been other ideas both big and small, some ideas raising a couple of hundred pounds, others into the thousands and more until in 2010 the £1/4 Billion mark was reached. 

We’re not stopping yet though. 

We’re launching Legends Talking Bollox! through which we aim to raise funds for the fight against testicular cancer. Nationwide we’ll be running sportsmen’s dinners and pub/club nights aimed and using a great night out to raise awareness of a very serious cause starting with football’s original hard man Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris and comedian Mickey Pugh at Arnold Town Football Club in Nottingham on 10th September. Booking details available here. 

By all talking bollox we can beat testicular cancer

 

We aren’t stopping there either, there are more events on the horizon, watch this space for details. 

And what of your events and fund raisers? If you want a great event organised by a team with a genuine track record of raising serious funds for charity, why not get in touch? Whether you’re a charity, a community group a business or an individual our expertise could make all the difference. All we ask is that you remember our company ethos for an event; it must be fun, easy to understand and benefit a good cause. 

Here’s to another £1/4 Billion before we’re done! 

© Cowan Global Limited, 2010 

info@cowanglobal.net 

Twitter @cowanglobal

RON ‘CHOPPER’ HARRIS TALKING BOLLOX!

Take a look at our flyer for Ron Harris Talking Bollox!

FINAL LTB A5 flyer_Layout 1

Why not help us fight testicular cancer by downloading a copy for your company or club noticeboard or shop window? Or you could ask us to post you an A5, A4 or A3 version.

And don’t forget to tell your friends and colleagues.

It’s okay to talk bollox, your life may depend on it!

LET’S TALK BOLLOX FOR A WORTHY CAUSE!

I beg your pardon?

No, you heard right; I’d like to talk bollox for a worthy cause!

The worthy cause is Everyman, the male cancer charity who we’re hoping to raise significant amounts of cash, as well as awareness for, over the coming years with a new series of events.

The events are called Legends Talking Bollox!

The way we see it, if you’re going to get people to sit up and pay attention it’s best done with a smile on your face.  So that’s what we’re going to do.

Legends Talking Bollox! is going to be an irreverent, entertaining series of events raising funds for and awareness of the fight against testicular cancer with a legend from the world of sport at each event. We’ll be auctioning sporting memorabilia too.

We’ll be talking bollox at sportsmen’s dinners, pubs, sports clubs and night clubs so there’ll be an appropriate night out for everyone so joining in and supporting the cause will be easy to do.

The focus will be on entertainment as we seek to raise awareness around the sensitive area (pun intended) of checking for and discussing testicular cancer. We’ve even coined a phrase;

“it’s okay to talk bollox, your life may depend on it!”

Want to get involved beyond simply buying tickets and joining us for a great night out?

We’re currently seeking partners for sponsorship and venue hosting so why not get in touch; jim@legendstalking.com

Sponsorship packages range from in kind support through to title sponsorship.

For venues, as long as you’re in the UK and don’t mind a good time in support of a great cause, we’d love to hear from you. If you’re not in the UK, drop us a line anyway. We’d like to talk bollocks everywhere!

© Jim Cowan, Cowan Global Limited 2010

jim@legendstalking.com or jim.cowan@cowanglobal.net

www.legendstalking.com or www.cowanglobal.net

PS. DID YOU KNOW BOLLOX IS NOT AN OFFENSIVE WORD?

Didn’t think so! It’s actually the only word in the entire English language which the Court has declared not offensive; and that’s not Bollox!

LEARNING FROM THE MISTAKES OF OTHERS – a handy lesson for event organisers (and others in business)

“Good job I checked my emails before leaving,” said my partner Beth this morning as she prepared to set off for a conference about 100 miles away.

“Oh, why is that?” I asked. 

“They’ve changed the venue,” came Beth’s response.

 Yes, it was a good thing Beth checked her email before leaving but why did she need to? Not everyone has access to email 24/7, indeed not everybody wants access to email all day every day, and there will be those travelling to the same conference from further away who did not check their email before leaving and who are now obliviously on their way to the wrong place. The conference has not even started and already those attending are forming negative views of it.

A couple of years ago I was less fortunate than Beth. I was attending a conference in central London and set out early from my Nottingham home without first logging on. When I arrived at the venue I found myself among a group of about 30 disgruntled individuals all trying to find out why the venue was locked and what had happened to the conference. 

Using my mobile, I eventually got through to the conference organiser who told me that they had emailed me the previous afternoon to let me know the change in location. The inference being that it was my fault I didn’t know the venue had changed at the last minute. I passed on the news to the rest of group and we headed off in search of cabs not without a few grumbles and moans. 

The business community has become so reliant on email as a communication channel, it sometimes forgets that just because an email has been sent does not mean it has also been read. 

What are the lessons for event organisers (and others in business) from the above examples? 

Let’s start with a very simple (and hopefully obvious) one; ensure you have a contact mobile phone number for everyone attending. The mobile phone is the one business tool everyone attending your event will definitely bring with them and definitely check for messages on a regular basis. Even if the phone is switched off, you can still leave a message. 

Of course, you can also still send the email but only as a back up to the phone call, and always request a read receipt so you have an idea who did not receive the message. 

Also, why not place a member of staff or leave a notice at the (now wrong) venue apologising for the late change and giving directions to the new one?

The real mistake by the above two event organisers was not one of failing to communicate the change; it was one of assumption. Assumption that everyone checks emails when out of the office and assumption that no one had already left for the conference and could not check emails. 

Then there was their assumption, probably unrealised because they had assumed an email was enough, that people would figure it out for themselves when they arrived at the, now wrong, venue. That’s a lot of assuming!  

Yes, one email to a few hundred delegates is easier, more convenient than making several hundred phone calls to each delegate. Yes, not placing a member of staff (or a sign) to apologise to and redirect delegates from the wrong venue to the right one is less hassle. 

But, and here’s the real lesson; if you organise events or operate in any other business it is not your convenience that is important. It is that of your customers. That is, if you want them to keep coming back.

Introducing Jim Cowan and Cowan Global

Hi. I’m Jim Cowan and my company is Cowan Global based in Nottingham in England’s East Midlands. The company has three principal strands of operation; 1) a consultancy specialising in sports and leisure provision and in strategy, 2) event concept, design and management and 3) education and training designing and delivering workshops and seminars in both sporting and corporate worlds.

I am a former athlete (800m runner) who moved to coaching then to business. As a coach I have worked with all abilities from beginners to world record holder/champion as well as coaching performance fitness in professional sports including football (soccer), rugby, motor sport, surfing, basketball, hockey among others.

I have worked with sporting organisations including national governing bodies, clubs, local government and more in the UK and in the Middle East, Africa, Australia, Japan and Europe as well as with services including the Royal Air Force and Police Sport UK.

Our events have ranged from small, local events through to large mass participation events and have included grass-roots and elite sporting events as well as sportsman’s dinners, corporate fun days and charity challenges. Our ethos is that an event should be a) fun, b) easy to understand and c) should benefit at least one section of the community. I’m very proud that, to date, my events have raised over £1/4 Billion for charities and good causes.

Our workshops and seminars include those aimed at coach development and at supporting talented performers realise their talent as well as catering to corporate clients on a range of topics including strategy, time management, team building and more. We also offer a bespoke design service for specialised client need.

My interests, not surprisingly, centre on sport especially athletics, football and motor sport. I am a lifelong Chelsea supporter and follow the McLaren Formula One team. I’m not entirely one-dimensional and also enjoy music, travel, reading, cinema, theatre, dining out, walking and, above all, time with Otis my dog.