Press Release Archive

Press Releases 2001

• Chris Griffiths CEO Meets Prince Charles
• Experienced Non-executive Board Established
• Research Shows Teachers Will Buy More Birchfield Products
• Birchfield Donates One Million Pounds Worth of Software to Primary Schools

 

Press release navigation - Latest Press Releases | 2006| 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

 

24-10-2001
Chris Griffiths CEO Meets Prince Charles
<back to top

Chris Griffiths, CEO of Birchfield Interactive, met Prince Charles today after pledging £20,000 worth of work to the Princes Trust.

Thanks to their reputation for producing innovative, engaging software, Birchfield have been asked to create an interactive learning tool to teach about the work of the Princes Trust. Birchfield plan to contribute £20,000 worth of development time to the project for free.

10-05-2001
Experienced Non-executive Board Established
<back to top

Birchfield are proud to announce the names of three newly appointed board members. These individuals bring with them a wealth of experience and business knowledge which will no doubt prove to be invaluable as Birchfield continues to expand. The new members are as follows:

PAUL J TWAMLEY - Non-Executive Director
Paul Twamley is the current Chairman of Harris Pye Marine, Chairman of Red Dragon Radio, Chairman of First Motorway Services, Non-Executive Director of The Chepstow Racecourse Plc, member of the Executive Committee of the Institute of Welsh Affairs, Vice President of Coleg Harlech and a Governor of the Welsh College of Music and Drama. His career started in 1969 when he joined Deloitte, Haskins and Sells, later to become Coopers & Lybrand, and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1970. He went on to become the Corporate Finance Partner responsible for Wales and the West of England. Appointed in 1992 as Group Finance Director of Welsh Water, later Hyder Plc, he was actively involved in the development of the Group from a water business employing some 3000 people in Wales, to an international operation with 9000 employees, operating in 20 countries.

STEPHEN R JONES - Non-Executive Director
Stephen Jones has spent over 18 years in both stockbroking and equity fund management and is now the Managing Director of merchant bankers, N M Rothschild & Sons (Wales) Limited, based in Cardiff. He is a member of the investment committee for the University of Wales College of Medicine and is the Hon. Treasurer and Membership Secretary of the Cardiff Business Club. He is also non-executive Chairman of Galaxy Radio and a Director of Chepstow Racecourse plc.

KEITH JAMES - Consultant to the Board
Currently Chairman of Eversheds, Keith James was educated at Queens College, Cambridge where he gained a BA in 1966 followed by an MA in 1970. Qualifying in law in 1969 he became a partner with Phillips and Buck, became Chairman in 1987 and Chairman of Eversheds in 1995. He also holds Directorships of Bank of Wales Plc, HTV Group Limited and is Deputy Chairman of the Institute of Welsh Affairs. His main areas of expertise are in Corporate Finance and Corporate and Commercial affairs.

 

05-04-2001
Research Shows Teachers Will Buy More Birchfield Products
<back to top

A study of 865 teachers who are using Ace Monkey® products, representing a focus group of approximately 20,000 children aged 5 to 11, returned the following excellent results:

    * 91% rated the products overall as being Good to Excellent
    * 90% rated the graphics as being Good to Excellent 91% said that they would definitely use an Ace Monkey product again within the next year
    * 96% of teachers said that they would consider buying future Ace Monkey products

These results are outstanding, as teachers are generally highly critical of educational products. Also, not all teachers have access to the specification of machine required to show Ace Monkey''s® graphics at their best.

Here are just some of the comments we received:

"Cool - the highest accolade." (J Alexander - Abbots Farm Junior School)

"They loved him to bits." (J Smithers - Newington Junior School)

"They really enjoyed him and found him funny." (Mrs B Amba - West Denton School)

"They thought he was very funny but he put the point across well." (Mrs A Shepherd - St Laurence in Thanet Junior School)

"He has a serious side to him, excellent and suitable for the task. A loveable character." (Mrs H Provis - Cwmlai Primary School)

"Children love Ace Monkey. Funny, friendly and colourful." (Mrs B Woosey - Mosspits Infants School)

"Excellent, funny and cool. They wanted to stay in at playtime to play on the computer." (D M Davis - Ysgol Bronant)

"Pupils like the interaction." (Ryan Dobson - Goosewell Primary School, Plymouth)

"Very popular with my year three class." (Susan Randerson - Dame Dorothy Primary School, Sunderland)

 

11-03-2001
Birchfield Donates One Million Pounds Worth of Software to Primary Schools
<back to top

This week Birchfield issued 24,000 CD-ROMs at no charge to primary schools covering the subject of "Stranger Danger". Due to this initiative, it is anticipated that by the September 2002, Ace Monkey will be in use in half of all primary schools, reaching over two million children.

The bright and colourful Stranger Danger CD is fun for children to use and carries the serious message "say no and go!" The program encourages users to think about what they might do if approached by a stranger. Pupils guide Ace Monkey along a virtual street, interacting with video scenarios along the way.