The 12 Months of Mindfully Wired
With the highs and lows of 2020 nearing an end, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on another crazy, fin-tastic year at Mindfully Wired, as well as thank all of our brilliant partners, before we hibernate with a pile of mince pies and a bottle of something!
It really has been a huge year, and despite many challenges along the way, we’ve had the pleasure of working on COUNTLESS diverse, inspirational and incredibly important projects. We couldn’t have done it without all of our hard-working colleagues, collaborators and clients, so an ENORMOUS thank you to you all.
We’ve decided to wrap up the year with a festive Twelve Days of Christmas-esque summary of our 2020 highlights!
PROMOTING FISHING LIVELIHOODS & SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD
We’ve helped fishermen to weather the pandemic and navigate Brexit, with Seafood Cornwall‘s #FishToYourDoor scheme, by keeping fishermen in the loop through helpful CFPO digests, and by connecting the Youth Board with the Fisheries Minister. And we’ve even launched a new seafood and heritage hub over in Leigh-On-Sea!
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AWARD-WINNING CAMPAIGNING
This year we ran a UK-wide fishing safety awareness campaign, with the Fishing Industry Safety Group. We approached a challenging topic with creativity, positivity and a human tone. The uplifting messaging at the heart of #HomeAndDry was not only impactful, but also won the Public Service Communications Award of 2020!
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PUTTING OUR POLICY & DIPLOMACY HATS ON
It’s been a big year for policy. We’ve run no less than 7 events for the APPG on Fisheries – free, inclusive and transparent events that bring UK policy-makers and fishing communities together. Not to mention our role as rapporteur for the North Sea Advisory Council, and Interim Executive Secretary to the Pelagic Advisory Council!
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TAKING THE DIGITAL EVENTS WORLD BY STORM
Our events team have run 36 digital events this year for over 3000 attendees, including a whopping 3-day exposition on natural capital in the South-west, numerous workshops and webinars, and Blue Marine Foundation’s landmark ‘Rewilding the Sea’ conference!
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WORKING TO REDUCE WILDLIFE BYCATCH
We’ve worked alongside Cefas, Defra and JNCC this year to help reduce wildlife bycatch in UK fisheries. In our role as Secretariat and Comms lead for Clean Catch UK, and in facilitating and report-writing for the ‘Soaring to Solutions’ seabird bycatch workshop – we’ve brought together fishermen, policy-makers, NGOs and scientists!
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BUILDING THE UK’S 1ST INTERACTIVE SEAFOOD PORTAL
Data, data, data. This was a huge project with Octophin Digital, amassing a lot of spreadsheets, beautiful illustrations and piles of local stories. On the Discover Seafood map, you can explore which species are available and when at your closest port – as well as dive into an archive of enchanting, coastal blogs, interviews and photo-stories.
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SUPPORTING RESEARCH FOR EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY
Supporting evidence-based policy is key to our work at MWC. This year, we facilitated a multi-stakeholder workshop on mariculture, to produce a policy brief and inform regulation. We also support interdisciplinary research for two funds – SMMR and UK Treescapes – that will drive UK policy on marine resources and woodland expansion.
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MINDFULLY WIRED GOES INTERNATIONAL
The International Pole and Line Foundation (IPNLF) work to promote socially and environmentally responsible tuna fisheries around the world, and this year we’ve refined and designed their strategic plan, along with other key documents and launch parties. And a website is just around the corner!
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ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS TO CO-MANAGE COASTAL RESOURCES
Here at MWC, we pride ourselves in our ability to bring together diverse stakeholders in one (virtual) room, to facilitate knowledge-sharing and productive dialogue. This year we’ve worked on a communications strategy for the Coastal Partnerships Network, along with running webinars on small-scale fisheries co-management for Cabfishman.
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SWIMMING THROUGH THE AIRWAVES WITH THE FATHOM PODCAST
It’s been a busy year for Fathom, with 30 episodes recorded. We’ve spoken to the experts and broken down complex fishing regulations in an easy, conversational format. We’ve also chatted to guests about everything from innovation to mental health and women in fishing, to over 4,250 listeners!
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ADAPTING TO THE #WFH LIFE
Our team are nothing if not adaptable. We’ve sailed through multiple lockdowns, by scheduling time for strictly non-work ‘buddy chats’, morning workouts on Zoom, and becoming patrons of the BEST online drawing game ever, Broken Picturephone. We needn’t mention poor internet, awkward delays and endless shouts of ‘YOU’RE ON MUTE!’.
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HARRIET BECOMING ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR!
From way-back-when Mindfully Wired was just two #KeenMarines, Katrina and Harriet, to a team in 2020 that barely fit on one screen in a Zoom call… Harriet’s role in nurturing MWC into a ‘ballsy, punchy and creative consultancy’ has been integral, hence her stepping up to fill even bigger boots (wellies?). Congrats!!!!
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AN EVER-GROWING TEAM!
We’ve welcomed SIX new team members this year, whose skillsets, ideas and dungarees are as diverse as our portfolio here at Mindfully Wired. It’s been brilliant to see our family of bubbly, like-minded #KeenMarines grow, and despite two lockdowns and most of our socialising going virtual, we’ve managed to grow closer than ever!
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