Devonia Spring Water Reveals New Branding

Devon's very own bottled water brand, Devonia has taken the decision to develop a new brand identity making sure to inform bottled water fans of their collect, wash, reuse process, which ensures their bottles are refilled an average of eight times. 

Director Fiona Graham said: “Reusing bottles instead of recycling means a longer life for each bottle. 

Our process makes a difference to not us but also to the environment and our customers within the hospitality and catering industry. We help them reduce costs and energy usage, and reduce their impact on the environment, whilst at the same time providing a great product for their diners.

“We're absolutely thrilled with the process we've gone through with leading Plymouth-based brand agency, Upshot. They helped us to develop our new brand identity and establish a solid base to continue our growth, helping us on our mission to inspire other businesses to choose to reuse.”

Upshot, was commissioned to take on the rebrand project, including a new visual identity. Upshot's Creative Director, Owen Jones, said: “Devonia's model makes so much sense. They're absolutely wonderful to work with, they have a readily identifiable clear purpose, strong values, distinctive personality and extremely high standards.

"Together we were able to unpacke and articulated their story, creating an idea and visual language that immediately differentiates their product and beautifully communicates their simple yet impactful narrative. We're proud to see them launch the new branding and excited to see the Devonia brand push forward to bigger and even better things.”

Devonia's long-term PR agency, RAW Food & Drink PR (in the opinion of That's Food and Drink, one of the best specialist PR agencies in the country) was also involved in the process.

Devonia prides itself on being the only bottled water brand in Southern England to collect, wash and reuse glass bottles and offers its solution to hotels, pubs, cafes, restaurants, special events and private customers across Devon. The traditional wash and reuse system dramatically reduces not only its own but also its customers' carbon footprint and improves their environmental impact. 

Bovey Castle Hotel, Harbour Beach Club, Burgh Island Hotel, Sidmouth Harbour Hotel, Salcombe Harbour Hotel, Hotel Endsleigh, Gara Rock Hotel, South Sands Hotel and The Salutation Inn are just a few of the places to enjoy being associated with Devonia. 

Over the past 18 years, Devonia has saved a stunning 180 tonnes of glass from going to landfill, equating to 2.7 million bottles. This approach significantly reduces the use of single-use plastic waste and the need to recycle every glass bottle after just one use.

Available in both still and sparkling and in 330ml or 750ml bottles, the water has a natural soft taste that's proven to be incredibly popular with customers. 

www.devoniawater.co.uk.

Debunking the Myth: The Truth About "Diet Water"

In the relentless pursuit of health and wellness, we often find ourselves bombarded with a myriad of fad diets, miracle supplements, and trendy wellness products. 

One such trend that has gained traction in recent years is the concept of "diet water." Marketed as a healthier alternative to regular, normal water, diet water claims to offer additional benefits such as weight loss, improved metabolism, and detoxification. 

But behind the flashy marketing lies a myth that needs to be debunked.

Let's start by dissecting the very notion of diet water. Water, by its very nature, is already devoid of calories, fat, sugar, and any other additives. It is the epitome of purity and simplicity, serving as the cornerstone of hydration and overall health. So, what exactly distinguishes "diet water" from its regular counterpart? The answer, quite simply, is nothing.

The concept of diet water often involves the addition of various ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, or herbal extracts, purportedly to enhance its health benefits. However, the scientific evidence supporting these claims is sorely lacking. While it's true that certain vitamins and minerals are essential for our well-being, they are best obtained through a balanced diet rather than through artificially fortified water.

Furthermore, the notion of "diet water" promoting weight loss or boosting metabolism is nothing short of a marketing gimmick. No credible scientific evidence supports the idea that drinking water with added ingredients will magically melt away excess pounds or rev up your metabolism. Weight loss and metabolism are complex processes influenced by numerous factors such as diet, exercise, genetics, and overall lifestyle, not by the type of water you drink.

In fact, some variants of so-called diet water may contain artificial sweeteners or other additives in an attempt to enhance flavour without adding calories. While these additives may indeed make the water taste better, they also come with their own set of potential health risks. Artificial sweeteners, for instance, have been linked to adverse effects such as digestive issues, cravings for sweet foods, and even metabolic disturbances.

Moreover, the idea of "detoxifying" the body through diet water is deeply misleading. Our bodies are already equipped with highly efficient detoxification systems, primarily centered around the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. Drinking water, plain, unadulterated water, is essential for supporting these natural detox processes by keeping our bodies hydrated and our organs functioning optimally. However, there is no need for special "detox" water formulas to achieve this effect.

So, what's the bottom line? When it comes to hydration and overall health, stick to the basics: drink plenty of plain water throughout the day, eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, and engage in regular physical activity. There are no shortcuts or quick fixes when it comes to genuine health and wellness.

In a world inundated with gimmicks and empty promises, it's essential to approach health trends with a critical eye and rely on evidence-based information. The myth of the benefits of diet water serves as a poignant reminder that sometimes, the simplest solutions are also the most effective. So, raise a glass of good old-fashioned H2O and toast to the power of pure, unadulterated hydration. Your body will thank you for it.

The 2023 edition of the annual World Water Week starts today, Monday, August 21st

The 2023 edition of the annual World Water Week starts today, Monday, August 21st. The core of the event happens in Stockholm, Sweden, with chapters taking place in other countries, with the option to participate in the discussions in Stockholm via a remote link. 

Hereford-based clean water advocacy charity, Hope Spring will be participating in the event remotely on the first day of the week-long event.

Each edition of World Water Week focuses on a topic that, it is hoped, could help solve some of the challenges faced by parts of the world which have challenges accessing safe, clean water. 

The topic this year is centred around how to use technological innovations and new ideas effectively to solve the water crisis in more parts of the world, especially those suffering from acute water shortages.

Hope Spring Water will be discussing the low-tech, affordable water borehole system it's developed with its technology partner to make access to water cheaper and more widely available in the part of Africa where it works. 

The innovative collaboration was partly funded by a donation from the WhatsApp charity greetings ecards platform, which raises money exclusively for Hope Spring.

World Water Week 2023, as with previous events, was organised by SIWI. The venue for this year's event is the aptly named Waterfront Congress Centre in Stockholm, their home city. Participation is free. Water professionals from all over the world are invited to participate free of charge.

To participate in person or remotely, you can register at the World Water Week website. Hope Spring trustee Temi Odurinde who is participating in the event remotely, said: "I'm really delighted that I'll be joining other changemakers in some of the discussions that will take place at this year’s World Water Week." 

He went on to say: "A gathering such as this tends to energise our determination to help solve water access issues; it's also a really excellent networking opportunity, too."  

You can read more about Hope Spring's participation in World Water Week and other water poverty alleviation events on their website http://www.hopespring.org.uk.

Water charity Hope Spring marks International Cat Day

Hope Spring eCards, the charity fundraising platform that (innovatively!) raises money exclusively for water poverty alleviation, marked International Cat Day with a series of free cat-themed greeting cards. The Hereford-based charity announced the free ecard offer on their blog, just in time for International Cat Day. The International Cat Day, organised by a cat care charity, is held on August 8 each year.

International Cat Day was created to promote awareness of cats, how to treat them with care and compassion, and how to care for them. The event has been going on for many years and tends to attract the support of cat owners and non-cat owners. The vast majority of organisations which participate in the event tend to be professionals that work in animal health and welfare, such as vets, animal rescues, and animal hospitals.

According to cat owner and Hope Spring trustee Temi Odurinde "You do not have to own a cat to participate in International Cat Day, but for those of us who do, it is a day for us to look at our feeling friends in a new light and learn how to take care of them even better than we do already" He added that "Hope Spring eCards decided to mark International Cat Day this year by putting a dozen new cat-themed ecards online. You can send any of our cat ecards free of charge by WhatsApp or email".

Hope Spring eCard is expecting many of their platform users to send the new cat eCard range to celebrate International Cat Day. To make the range even more popular and widely sent, non-Hope Spring eCard users are also able to send it free of charge. You can find out more about this free ecard offer by visiting Hope Spring website and social media pages.

http://www.hopespring.org.uk

(Image courtesy of bess.hamiti@gmail.com from Pixabay)

Hope Spring Announces a New Clean Water Project Partnership

Hope Spring Water, the Herefordshire-based leading clean water charity, is pleased and thrilled to be able to announce excited to the start of a clean water project in the Atobaje community of Lagos, Nigeria. 

This collaborative effort, due to launch next month in August, aims to provide sustainable access to clean water and tackle the challenges faced by hundreds of women and girls in the local community. At present, people from the community must walk long distances to access safe and clean water.

The Atobaje clean water project is a joint initiative between Hope Spring and the local community association. The association made a number of efforts to create a borehole for their residents. The effort wasn't a success, due to several issues including a lack of technical knowledge and inadequate funding. The partnership with Hope Spring meant the technical expertise and the funds required for a successful project are now available.

By bringing clean water closer to the community, this project will not only alleviate the burden on women and girls but also enhance their productivity and reduce late arrivals at school. Even more important it will contribute to the reduction of waterborne illnesses prevalent in some parts of the community.

Hope Spring raises funds for projects like the Atobaje clean water project, from its innovative eCard charity eCards platform. This platform provides individuals with the chance to send greetings and love to their loved ones through electronic cards, while simultaneously supporting essential clean water projects. By using the Hope Spring Water eCard platform, donors can make a meaningful impact on communities that are in desperate need of assistance.

In line with its commitment to increasing the project's impact, Hope Spring Water recently launched the Gift of Water Charity eCard, along with a complimentary free eCard. These offerings allow donors to choose from an array of gift cards and personalize them with heartfelt messages.

Once selected, the experienced Hope Spring Water team handles the rest, ensuring these contributions facilitate access to clean, safe water for communities lacking this vital resource. Celebrating loved ones' anniversaries or milestones can now be a way to extend the gift of clean and safe water to those who need it most.

As part of its mission to make a significant difference, Hope Spring Water aims to extend its reach to more communities, individuals, and schools in dire need of safe and clean water access. By expanding their efforts, the organisation strives to create sustainable solutions and empower communities through reliable access to this basic human necessity.

For more information about Atobaje clean water and other Hope Spring projects, please visit their website or any of their social media pages.

http://www.hopespring.org.uk/

(Image courtesy of Hope Spring)

Charity urges supporters to send Eid eCard to raise funds for clean water

Clean water advocacy charity, Hope Spring, has urged its supporters, Muslim and non-Muslims alike, to send Eid Adha electronic greetings cards, to wish people celebrating the Islamic festival a happy Eid. 

The lunar calendar based annual festivity, is expected to be on the 29th or 30th of June 2023. It is the second most important festival in the islamic calendar, after the Eid Kabir, celebrated at the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Hope Spring eCards raises a significant part of the donations Hope Spring Water is used to fund their clean water, sanitation and hygiene advocacy projects. Such donations have helped the charity to build five boreholes, they have also run a number of menstrual hygiene workshops. Communities in West Africa with strong clean water and sanitation challenges tend to be Hope Spring beneficiaries.

The charity hopes the Eid Adha fundraising campaign will raise enough money to build a borehole or a well for one of the communities they hope to help with clean water later this year. Significant religion linked celebrations such as Eid Adha and Christmas tend to be the most successful fundraisers for Hope Spring. A significant portion of the funds used to complete their projects this year came from funds raised by their corporate charity ecard campaign last year.

According to Hope Spring eCards platform manager, Seun Olonade her organisation had a great Eid Fitr fundraising campaign, they are looking to top it off with an equally successful Eid Adha campaign. She urged their supporters and visitors to their website to send Eid Adha eCard and make a donation. She added that people may also send an Eid Adha card without making a donation via their free ecards page.

You can find more information about Hope Spring Eid Adha, their projects and other information about the charity on their website and social media page.

hello@hopespring.org.uk

http://www.hopespring.org.uk

Reduce Your Bills By Up To £500 Per Year - Hard water and the little known trick to reducing your energy bills

With inflation high, many people are wondering what they can do to reduce their household bills. 

For 60% of the UK, there's a little known trick which can cut energy bills immediately and for the next 30+ years, and it comes down to solving one simple problem in the home: hard water. Hard water affects millions of homes in the UK and while you may not think it has any effect on your energy consumption, it really does.

For many, the limescale caused by hard water is simply an irritation and another minor issue in the home. Dealing with blocked shower heads, unsightly scale on your taps and in your kettle, and cleaning soap scum are relatively low on most people’s list of priorities, especially when many of us are dealing with escalating prices and inflation. However, the by-products of hard water are causing more harm than you could ever imagine, and costing you money in the process.

Treating hard water can save you money in your home by reducing energy consumption, increasing the lifespan of appliances, and minimising the need for aggressive cleaning products.

So, how does hard water increase energy bills?

Higher temperatures cause limescale to form more readily, meaning heating elements in expensive equipment such as your boiler, dishwasher and washing machine are especially susceptible to limescale build-up. For every 1mm of limescale on a heating element the amount of energy required to heat water increases by 7-10%. 

Just look inside your kettle to see how much limescale build-up there is – we’re willing to bet it’s more than 1mm if you live in a hard water area. And, if like many homes you have just 3mm of limescale built up on your heating elements, the cost of your energy to heat your hot water can be as much as 25% higher than they should be. For as long as your hard water remains untreated, limescale will continue to accumulate and bills will continue to increase.

Eventually this build up will also damage your appliances. In hard water areas you can expect to replace equipment such as your boiler twice as often as someone in a soft water area. So not only are your bills going up throughout the lifespan of this equipment, but you can expect to undertake expensive replacements and repairs more often as well.

How can you treat your hard water?

Your hard water treatment options can be put into three categories: Water Softeners, Water Conditioners and Scale Inhibitors. They all work in different ways and with varying results, so it’s important you do your research before making a decision.

In a nutshell, here are the differences:

Water Softeners – These large units use ion exchange and need power and regular salt top-ups to remain effective. Users often install a separate drinking water tap to avoid consuming the salt-softened water.

Cost - £299 to £1,800

Lifespan – 10 to 20 years

Water Conditioners – These in-line devices treat water as it enters the home and require no chemicals, salt or power. Water treated in this way is safe for consumption and for your pets and plants.

Cost - £450 to £999

Lifespan – 4 to 30+ years

Scale Inhibitors – Scale inhibitors protect one piece of equipment, for a short period of time and are typically fitted when boilers are installed.

Cost – up to £120

Lifespan – 1 to 10 years

Halcyan Water Conditioner’s CEO, Samantha Mant, sums up the effects of hard water on energy bills: “As energy prices continue to soar, households are running out of ways to save money on their bills. However one way to achieve a more energy-efficient home is to install a sustainable water conditioner which can save households hundreds of pounds per year. 

"The Halcyan is a small device which takes under an hour to install and requires no additional cupboard space. It not only prevents future limescale but also removes existing limescale in your system. For a £770 investment, customers receive a 30 year warranty and can expect to achieve a potential saving of up to £15,000, on energy bills at today’s prices, savings on appliance maintenance and replacement, and a reduction in detergents required, over the lifetime of the device.”

Incidentally, That's Food and Drink is based in a very hard water area so are interested in anything that can help reduced limescale in our kitchen and our home. 

halcyanwater.com

Holywell Water Company Brings Malvern Water Back to Life

New Holywell 'Malvern' Spring Water

The original Malvern water will be quenching thirsts once again as The Holywell Water Company Ltd gains the right to use the famous township in its branding.

The Holywell Water Company is now delighted to announce the subtle yet highly significant rebranding of its bottled still and sparkling spring water to Holywell Malvern Spring Water!

The Holywell Water Company has produced Holywell Spring Water, which is sold in some of the top hotels, restaurants and castles(!) in the country, since 2009 from the original spring in the heart of the Malvern Hills, Worcestershire, but has been unable to use the word ‘Malvern’ in any branding until now.

Water from the original Holywell spring in Malvern was first commercially bottled by Schweppes in 1843 and continued there for 54 years until the company moved production to a different site in 1897. Coca-Cola took over Schweppes and continued to produce Malvern Water from this site until the brand was dropped in 2010.

The Holywell Water Company took ownership of the original Malvern spring and 19th century buildings used by Schweppes in 2009, but despite bottling fresh spring water from this source the company was unable to use the iconic town in its branding.

Rhys Humm, Director of The Holywell Water Company, said: “I’m hugely excited about our subtle name change. The Holywell spring is indisputably the original source of Malvern water so it is fantastic that we can now include the prestigious Malvern name in our branding.”

He added: “It’s important that water from Malvern is still bottled and that the name and association is not lost forever. Our solicitors have done some fabulous work in registering this trademark and I hope the public will be as happy as we are that we can use the term Malvern in relation to our pedigree water.”

The Holywell Water Company will be showcasing its newly branded bottles for the first time at the Hotelympia trade show at ExCeL, London, from the 26 February - 1 March.

The company has also taken this opportunity to include a QR code on its labelling which will take users on a video tour of the Holywell spring.

For more information visit www.holywellspringwater.co.uk