Our Expertise

With 25 years experience as Public Affairs Consultants, we have both the experience and expertise to respond to the most complex assignments.

It is an unusual characteristic of Chelgate that we maintain a low profile for ourselves, and we choose not to advertise the great majority of our clients on our website.

Many of our clients entrust us with challenging assignments. They know that we have not only the experience and expertise to respond to these challenges, but also the professional commitment to protect their confidentiality. It is an important principle of Chelgate’s that – in all of our work – the client, and never the agency, should be the only story that matters.

This means we will only reveal the sectors we work in. Never the client. Below are a some of industries we specialise in. We are however extremely adaptable, having built a business that can understand and engage with any sector necessary.

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Array ( [0] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 320 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2016-10-03 17:33:17 [post_date_gmt] => 2016-10-03 16:33:17 [post_content] => From the beginning, Chelgate has operated in construction and the built environment. We have worked for architects and consultant engineers, for building contractors and specialist subcontractors, for project managers, for planning consultants and chartered surveyors, and for estate agents and facilities managers. We have also worked for government agencies, local authorities and industry bodies. We have over 25 years experience in planning PR both through Chelgate and our specialist division, Chelgate Local. Property and construction are two of the UK’s largest sectors, and we know and understand them. We can provide assistance in public relations, public affairs, marketing support, site profiling, project promotion, new business development and presentations, and online promotion. Chelgate Local has been delivering effective community relations programmes to support development and regeneration programmes for over 25 years. With a team of specialists in community, political and stakeholder engagement we take what can be a complex and often contentious issues and work with developers and communities to reach a positive solution. For further information about our services in the construction and built environment sectors, please contact Michael Hardware, Associate Director on 020 7939 7989 or by email alternatively, if you wish to discuss a planning assignment then please contact Liam Herbert, Chief Executive on 020 7939 7937 or by email. For more information about our experience and wide range of services please visit our Chelgate Local website. [post_title] => Planning and Chelgate Local [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => planning-and-chelgate-local [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-02-13 11:33:24 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-02-13 11:33:24 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 198 [guid] => http://chelgate.com/?page_id=320 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => page [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 310 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2016-10-03 17:29:22 [post_date_gmt] => 2016-10-03 16:29:22 [post_content] =>

Public relations and public affairs in the energy sector

Over the last two decades and more, some of Chelgate’s most effective work has been undertaken in the energy and utilities sectors. We have an impressive record, working for the world’s largest oil company, the UK’s leading cable provider, the UK’s largest gas company, the country’s radioactive waste authority, one of London’s waste authorities, and on the UK’s largest renewable energy project, the Severn Barrage. Our experience spans the breadth of the entire sector encompassing oil and gas, nuclear, renewables (wind, solar and tidal), waste, waste to energy, biomass, cable installation and shale rock exploration and hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The work has varied considerably in nature, but almost without exception it has been managed in an atmosphere of intense public and media scrutiny, sometimes hostile, a highly charged and sensitive atmosphere in which the perceived activities of the organisations as much as their communications have had a direct bearing upon their reputations and market valuations. Recent decades have also witnessed a massive rise in the importance of an organisation’s environmental accountability. Our work has embraced contributions to legislation and select committees in the UK, wider political affairs work with the EU and Council of Europe, building alliances of interest, issues and crisis management, and contract bid support, as well as media relations, environmental consultancy, creative services, marketing support and digital services. quotesOur experience spans the breadth of the entire sector encompassing oil and gas, nuclear, renewables, waste, waste to energy, biomass, cable installation and shale rock exploration. We have also undertaken significant planning support work surrounding energy projects. This has included political and community auditing, stakeholder engagement and community consultation work – further details of these services can be found on our Chelgate Local website. For further information about our energy and utility public relations and public affairs services, please contact Nick Wood-Dow on 020 7939 7939.

Chelgate has worked as public affairs, public relations and issues management advisers in most areas of energy supply. For one of the world’s leading oil companies, we handled public affairs and issues management including advising on international and UK issues, with emphasis in energy policy in the European Parliament, relationships with special advisors, think tanks and pressure groups within Westminster. For the national radioactive waste advisory agency, we were involved in advice on political issues and government relations. This included intelligence gathering within the European Parliament

and UK government, organisation of events at the party conferences, events with UK politicians, and advising on government strategy on radioactive waste and nuclear power. For the market leader in gas supply in the UK, Chelgate was retained by the business division, which wanted our help and advice on business gas issues. Chelgate handled a long term programme to promote alternative fuels and natural gas vehicles. This included media relations demonstrating ministers driving duel-fueled vehicles and working with the Government Car Service, and working with the Treasury to achieve a tax differential for compressed natural gas in the Budget. Chelgate’s worked as media relations advisors to the newly formed Energy Saving Trust, which was created by the Prime Minister for the 1992 Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro, as public affairs advisers to AEA Technology, and handled assignments for the Combined Heat and Power Association. For more information on how Chelgate can help you in this sector, please contact Nick Wood-Dow on 020 7939 7939 or email.

Chelgate Environment is a dedicated division within Chelgate to deliver environmental public affairs and public relations. It is headed by Nick Wood-Dow who was the deputy chairman of the Environment Council and chairman and founder of the Tory Green Initiative. He is supported by a team of seasoned professionals including Jim McClelland, founder and former editor of Sustain’ Magazine. Relationships between

a company and the environment can present either a threat or an opportunity. They amount to a threat if a company is perceived by its stakeholders to have a negative or damaging impact on the environment. They offer an opportunity if the company’s behaviour demonstrates that the environment matters, to its employees, its suppliers, its shareholders and its customers. Many companies have derived positive benefit from good environmental behaviour and practice. A company with a notably green reputation will find it easier to attract high quality staff, especially graduate applicants. Its shareholder meetings will not be targets for noisy environmental protesters. Its planning applications for new development are less likely to be opposed by local Councillors. Above all, good environmental behaviour needs to be at the heart of corporate communications programmes, so that the key target audiences are made aware that environmental impact is positive rather than negative. To some audiences, and customers, this is more important than sports or arts sponsorship. It must be real, not fake, thought through rather than impulse, and be seen to work. It is also good PR. Only an old-fashioned company completely ignores the environment in this modern world. Most commercial organisations are aware of the thrust of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 – that “the polluter pays”. As cost control is vital to corporate profitability, unnecessary pollution can be expensive in terms of finance and reputation, so it makes sense to keep pollution to a minimum. In its dialogue with Councillors and local residents, Chelgate is able to provide a deep understanding of how local communities function, which can only be gained by working “on the ground”. If you would like to find out more about how Chelgate can help with environmental public relations and public affairs, please contact Nick Wood-Dow, chairman, Chelgate Environment, on 020 7939 7909 or by email. [post_title] => Environmental PR Experience [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => environmental-experience [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2017-06-20 14:18:29 [post_modified_gmt] => 2017-06-20 13:18:29 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 198 [guid] => http://chelgate.com/?page_id=310 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => page [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 322 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2016-10-03 17:33:36 [post_date_gmt] => 2016-10-03 16:33:36 [post_content] => Chelgate has exceptional experience at providing public relations and public affairs services to the education sector, working with a broad range of educational clients including:

A leading national examination board
A major annual educational trade show
Six further education colleges
A national government-backed industry initiative targeting schools, encouraging them to make more use of the internet for education purposes
Four independent schools
The educational division of a major technology company
Two technology companies specialising in ‘thin client’ and ‘cloud computing’ for the education sector

Chelgate’s work in this sector covers a very wide spectrum, from strategic advice, government relations, research and issues management to marketing support, media relations, advertising and sponsorship. The development of crisis management procedures, and the intensive management of acute issues have also been important elements in Chelgate’s service, and an area where executives have considerable experience and expertise. Please see our issues and crisis section for further information. At the same time, working closely with the PR team, Chelgate’s digital services specialists have developed websites and online marketing strategies for many of our clients in this sector. For school clients we have also conceived and written, or edited and project managed important materials such as videos, prospectus, numerous kinds of other publications and mission statements. We have devised events to meet tactical objectives, and introduced a range of merchandise for affinity groups. Please see our creative services section for more information. For several colleges and schools, we have assisted with planning communications support, stakeholder engagement and community consultation relating to the development of new, or the refurbishment of existing, facilities. These are provided by our dedicated planning communications division, Chelgate Local. For several schools we have assisted with the filming of fly-on-the-wall documentaries for television. This included initial discussions and negotiating the agreement with the production companies and television channels, assisting with issues during the filming, determining likely issues when the series were to be aired, and preparing the school for media following broadcast. One was the BAFTA-nominated series, Educating Essex, which prompted a significant level of media interest. If you would like any more information on public relations and public affairs in the education sector, please contact Terence Fane-Saunders by email or call 020 7939 7939. [post_title] => Education [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => education [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2017-06-20 14:12:38 [post_modified_gmt] => 2017-06-20 13:12:38 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 198 [guid] => http://chelgate.com/?page_id=322 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => page [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ) Array ( [0] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 324 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2016-10-03 17:34:13 [post_date_gmt] => 2016-10-03 16:34:13 [post_content] => Chelgate has provided public relations and lobbying services to a number of different construction and property industry organisations over its 27 years. This has been both retained directly by industry organisations and working with organisations on issues the industry has faced. These have included various planning legislation and guidance reforms, SAP home energy ratings, commonhold tenure, sustainability, localism and neighbourhood planning. This has ranged from public affairs work in the Houses of Parliament and Whitehall, APPGs, to work with the EU and European Commission, through to facilitating debate and discussion across an industry, and engaging with key stakeholders. For more information on how we can help you please contact us. [post_title] => Industry Trade Organisations [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => industry-trade-organisations [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2017-06-20 15:03:07 [post_modified_gmt] => 2017-06-20 14:03:07 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 198 [guid] => http://chelgate.com/?page_id=324 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => page [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 326 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2016-10-03 17:34:41 [post_date_gmt] => 2016-10-03 16:34:41 [post_content] => Chelgate has been involved in the information technology PR sector for over 20 years, during which time we have seen the market grow at a phenomenal rate and it is hardly recognisable from the point where we represented our first client. What hasn’t changed is communication, we may now be doing it using different tools, but the principals have remained the same. Our passion for technology, whether its artificial intelligence, cyber security, the internet or physical hardware, is reflected in the broad range of clients we have worked with over many, many years. We haves skills that range from media relations, public affairs, brand development and social media outreach. This makes us the ideal choice for your integrated technology PR campaign. Our public affairs experience encompasses Westminster, local government and European institutions. We provide broad strategic and tactical resources, as well as guidance. This encompasses, political monitoring, stakeholder mapping, third party programmes, campaign management, political and select committee training, events organising, and party conference programmes. For more information please contact us. [post_title] => Information Technology [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => information-technology [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-08-15 13:53:51 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-08-15 12:53:51 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 198 [guid] => http://chelgate.com/?page_id=326 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => page [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 318 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2016-10-03 17:32:47 [post_date_gmt] => 2016-10-03 16:32:47 [post_content] =>

Public relations and public affairs for the emerging shale oil and gas industry in the UK and Europe

Chelgate has been active in the oil and gas industry for its entire 27 year history, including working for the world’s largest oil company for 17 years and the UK’s largest gas company for over five years. More recently, we have become involved in the promotion of shale exploration and hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’, in the UK and Europe.

Shale opportunities

The UK faces a huge opportunity – there is potentially more oil and gas in shale in various parts of the country than there was in the North Sea. Other countries in Europe have even greater opportunities. However, shale and fracking has attracted significant opposition across the UK and Europe with both politicians and the public and has an uphill PR struggle in terms of the environment, safety, economic benefits and other issues. We have been working with several clients in this emerging sector to address these issues, and also to assist them participate in the political debate surrounding shale.

UK and EU public affairs

Our public affairs work in the UK has primarily involved helping clients engage with MPs and Peers at a national level, and with MPs and councillors on a local level. There is a great deal of interest in shale in government circles both to support its development and concern in terms of the impact on local communities. We have helped clients with presentations in the Houses of Parliament, with fringe events at Party Conferences, with events involving All Party Parliamentary Groups, and we have assisted clients in advance of giving evidence at Select Committees. On mainland Europe, where attitudes to shale and fracking are more negative, we assisted organising an event at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg to highlight the impact shale has had on the US economy and on local communities across the country, and how that experience may set a precedence for European countries.

UK public relations

More general public relations work has involved organising debates and panel discussions between the industry and environmental groups such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, engaging directly with protest groups both online and face-to-face, and running a series of road shows. We have undertaken extensive media relations activities covering national and regional radio and television, national and regional newspapers and the oil and gas trade media. Associated activities have included the launch of a book on Fracking, and a television documentary of the impact of shale exploration on communities in the US.

Project communications and PR support

We also offer site-specific planning support and community engagement services through our planning communications division, Chelgate Local. Any energy company considering drilling activities faces significant PR challenges which will require careful planning including strategy development, communications and contingency planning, and crisis management preparations. Chelgate Local can provide political and community audits, to ascertain the nature of the local environment, and then help develop strategies and communications programmes, and contingency and crisis management plans. We can also assist with on-the-ground implementation support throughout the planning and drilling process, such as door-to-door contact, local forums, exhibitions, national, regional and local political briefing, leaflets and newsletters, and online and social media. Further information is on the Chelgate Local website. If you wish to discuss shale or fracking please contact Michael Hardware by email or on +44 (0)20 7939 7989. [post_title] => Shale and Fracking [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => shale-and-fracking [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-02-28 11:28:28 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-02-28 11:28:28 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 198 [guid] => http://chelgate.com/?page_id=318 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => page [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 121 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2016-09-14 17:21:01 [post_date_gmt] => 2016-09-14 16:21:01 [post_content] => Chelgate have provided public affairs and public relations services to a broad range of trade associations, trade bodies and industry groups over the last 30 years.

We have represented a broad range of sectors, ranging from manufacturing and construction groups through to professional services. We have also worked with groups of all sizes, ranging from multi-national groups with thousands of members through to boutique groups, representing a small number of specialist professionals. Work for our clients has included offering political guidance and advice; running All Party Parliamentary Groups on their behalf; organising large scale conferences; and undertaking public relations campaigns and crisis management. With our team bringing a broad range of expertise, we are able to tailor programmes to best suit our clients’ needs. [post_title] => Trade Associations, Trade Bodies & Industry Groups [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => trade-associations-trade-bodies-industry-groups [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2017-06-21 11:46:50 [post_modified_gmt] => 2017-06-21 10:46:50 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 98 [guid] => http://chelgate.com/?page_id=121 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => page [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ) Array ( [0] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 316 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2016-10-03 17:31:56 [post_date_gmt] => 2016-10-03 16:31:56 [post_content] => Chelgate was instrumental in the development of alternative road fuels, working with British Gas Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV) during the late 1990s to promote the adoption of this alternative fuel in its compressed (CNG), liquefied (LNG) and petroleum (LPG) forms. The long term programme involved both public relations and public affairs elements. We worked with The Treasury to achieve a tax differential for road fuel gases, a differential which still exists on the forecourts today. This created the environment for the widespread adoption of road fuels, although this has tended to favour LPG. We also worked with politicians to promote the wider adoption of these fuels, including with the Government Car Services, which provided bi-fuel cars for Ministers and others to use. Working with the car, bus and LGV vehicle manufacturers such as Volvo, Dennis, Scania and LDV we also undertook significant media relations activities. We worked with early adopters, such as local authorities, bus companies, refuse collection firms and the Government Car Service, to help promote the refuelling facilities and new fleets of vehicles. We helped highlight the practical application, as well as the economic and environmental benefits, of using alternative road fuels. For further information about our public relations and public affairs services in the alternative road fuels sector please contact Michael Hardware by email or on +44 (0)20 7939 7989. [post_title] => Alternative Fuels [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => alternative-fuels [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2017-06-20 14:35:25 [post_modified_gmt] => 2017-06-20 13:35:25 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 310 [guid] => http://chelgate.com/?page_id=316 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => page [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 312 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2016-10-03 17:30:36 [post_date_gmt] => 2016-10-03 16:30:36 [post_content] => Chelgate has an enviable track record in the promotion of new technology, including exciting developments in the world of artificial intelligence, and modern business practices. Clients have ranged from British Gas Natural Gas Vehicles to Segway, and from UK NetYear to Work Wise UK.

For Segway, pioneer of the unique self-balancing electrically powered scooter, we assisted with public affairs to help properly categorise and regulate this innovative form of transport. For British Gas, Chelgate helped raise government awareness of the environmental advantages of natural gas as a road fuel as well as conducting a highly effective media campaign, achieving significant media coverage. Head of the British Gas Natural Gas Vehicles division said: “Chelgate has brought a depth of political understanding and access, robust strategic advice and delivery across key audiences, not least the national media, which has added a measure of scale to our activities that has been of real value and at modest cost.” More recently, Chelgate has been helping Work Wise UK, a not-for-profit organisation promoting modern working practices such as remote working, mobile working, flexible working and working from home. We secured exceptional levels of quality media coverage for Work Wise and its strategic partners BT, the TUC and Transport for London. In a two week period during the the launch of Work Wise Week there were more than 60 broadcast interviews, including BBC News 24, ITN and Sky News, and non-broadcast coverage totaling an advertising equivalent value of £375,000. During the same period the following year, print coverage increased to a value of £703,000. We also helped in the launch of UK NetYear, aimed to encourage schools to fully utilise the internet for education purposes, the launch of gas air conditioning, the launch of the first all-in-one screen-back PC, the early development of solar in the UK and in promoting early adoption of combined heat and power (CHP). There are few other agencies that can rival our Environmental PR experience. [post_title] => Environmental Technology and Innovation [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => environmental-technology-and-innovation [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-08-15 13:56:42 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-08-15 12:56:42 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 310 [guid] => http://chelgate.com/?page_id=312 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => page [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 314 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2016-10-03 17:31:36 [post_date_gmt] => 2016-10-03 16:31:36 [post_content] => Reducing waste that goes to landfill through increasing recycling and using what is left more productively has been Government policy for a number of decades. Huge progress has been made in reducing the amount of waste going to landfill, with the ultimate aim of reducing that to zero within the foreseeable future - Waste to Energy!

Chelgate has been involved in numerous campaigns and programmes aimed at minimising waste and increasing recycling, as well as in waste to energy projects. We worked for one of the UK’s largest waste authorities handling not only general waste and recycling programmes but also plans to develop two of Europe’s largest waste processing plants: one to handle up to 200,000 tonnes of waste per year using non-burn technology to produce fuel, and the other as a replacement for the UK’s largest incinerator plant, currently generating 54MW of electricity, enough to power 26,000 homes. For further information on our work in the waste to energy sector, please contact Michael Hardware on 020 7939 7989 or email. [post_title] => Waste to Energy [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => waste-to-energy [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2017-06-21 11:53:08 [post_modified_gmt] => 2017-06-21 10:53:08 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 310 [guid] => http://chelgate.com/?page_id=314 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => page [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) )