Planting seeds of change

Very much a public awareness event, the primary objective was to engage and educate the general public on timber's potential as a sustainable, low-carbon building material for future housing. At the heart of the ‘Seeds of Change’ campaign was a memorable tree giveaway; hundreds of spruce saplings, ethically sourced and packaged in sustainable ink-branded hessian bags with care and growing instructions.

In 2021, Manchester Piccadilly witnessed footfall exceeding 20 million, equivalent to approximately 112,857 visitors per day. This was key for the event, with the Time for Timber campaign stand and messaging intentionally placed by the overhead departure boards and within a few paces of the main entrance. It was visible for 19 hours; from 5am to midnight ensuring maximum visibility.

The campaign's timing strategically aligned with the pressing need for increased housing and coincided with the critical COP27 UN Climate Change Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh. Greater Manchester's self-proclamation as the 'City of Trees' added significance to our location choice.

The stand, with its invitation to ‘take home the future of construction,’ attracted inquisitive passers-by who engaged with our informed team, all wearing matching message-emblazoned sweatshirts heightening visibility.

Members of the public displayed an awareness of climate change's urgency and sought insights into how they, as individuals, could embrace and advocate for sustainable housing materials. The overwhelmingly positive public response underscored the potential for change and reinforced our conviction that timber construction is the way forward.

Hundreds of spruce saplings were distributed in just 90 minutes during the rush hour period along with over 500 leaflets about the suitability of timber as a net zero, sustainable building material. With interviews, vox pops, time lapse video, photography, press releases and blogs documenting the event, the curated content generated led to a powerful communications programme.

Time for Timber, an initiative by the Structural Timber Association dedicated to promoting timber as a sustainable construction material, seeks to change the construction industry while confronting the climate crisis head-on. This innovative initiative captured the public's imagination and contributed to our vision of reshaping construction in alignment with the UK's net-zero 2050 goals.