Local Face: Ben Glazier Ben is the person behind the #CarryUsThrough postage stamp campaign issued by the Isle of Man Government; so how did a set of stamps for the Isle of Man, and a publicity campaign that seems to have been adopted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, start in Wendover? Ben studied law, then worked in PR and now runs a creative agency in London, creating branding, graphic design and strategic campaigns for global firms including Xerox and Nestle; designing stamps is a pleasant distraction from more commercial work. Ben’s agency is known for the intricate detail they include in projects and this caught the eye of the Isle of Man Government, for whom he has created several issues, including ‘100 years of the RAF’, which was included in RAF Halton’s events. The story behind the Carry Us Through stamps relates to how the Coronavirus Pandemic has changed our lives. On a Saturday evening in March, the GM of Isle of Man Stamps and Coins rang Ben and asked a simple question. “How can we support our Doctors, Nurses and Key Workers with a stamp issue?” Ben spent Sunday thinking about how to thank those who had contributed: nurses, doctors, healthcare workers, paramedics, bus drivers, shop-workers – the list was endless. Was it enough to just say thank you? Ben came up with #CarryUsThrough, a campaign concept that had a distinct aim – get people through this period. It was built around a message of hope that Love, Faith, Care, Compassion, Work, Community, Science and Words will Carry Us Through this crisis and our recovery. Ben had the concept approved and briefed his designers that they were going to create a set of stamps in a day (rather than six months). HM Queen Elizabeth gave Royal Approval in record time and the stamps were sent to every household in the Isle of Man as lockdown started.
That was March. As we A major part of Ben’s life is move into a tough winter, involved with supporting the message is as true charities and community now as it was then. Some projects. For a long time, of us have lost friends, Ben was better known jobs, businesses, some to many in Wendover as their homes. Ben feels the ‘Barbecue Guy’ at the need for us to support Wendover Junior Cricket each other very keenly; Club – along with Richard Ben with his family at the memorial as lockdown developed, service for Stephen Hawking in 2018. Peck and Werner Van Ben was supported by Rensburg, Ben kept the Wendover Dementia Action Alliance as his kids and parents fed. There are many more mother became progressively incapable of parts to Ben’s charity work; as well as caring for herself. He believes that the only being a member of Barbican and Hampden way for communities to survive is for every Lodges, who do so much for charity, he person to support everyone around them – is a Trustee of Action Against Abduction there is no place in this time for negativity. where he has helped deliver the ‘Clever Never Goes’ campaign, the replacement for Wendover News arranged for large blow- Stranger Danger that runs in more than 1000 ups of the stamps so that we could celebrate schools and was recently adopted by the our own ‘local heroes’ and in his address to Metropolitan Police. He is also an adviser the nation on Tuesday 22 September, Prime to The Stephen Hawking Foundation and Minister Boris Johnson said “Now is the Across, the charity for critically ill people time for us all to summon the discipline and who wish to go on pilgrimage. the resolve and the spirit of togetherness that will Carry Us Through”. An intentional There have been some memorable reference? Ben hopes so. moments in Ben’s work and charity life, Stamps are just a small part of Ben’s life (ha but along with meeting Buzz Aldrin and ha); his work has seen him work on a project going onto the floor of NASA ISS Mission with Professor Stephen Hawking, meet all Control in Houston, perhaps his favourite the living Apollo Astronauts, receive the was presenting a limited-edition book of Flight Director’s Medallion from NASA and his gravitational theory stamps to Professor has taken him on trips to far flung places, but Stephen Hawking in the Governor’s study at it was meeting his wife Angie that took him the Bank of England. It was an impromptu to Australia. In December 1998 Angie had presentation, so not expecting Professor a short working holiday planned in the UK, Hawking to say anything, Ben started to just three months away from the Australian leave. The Professor’s voice computer made political scene, where she was a ministerial a noise and the carers said that he wanted adviser. Three months became two years and to say something. Professor Hawking used after getting engaged at the top of the World his face muscles to control his computer Trade Centre in 2000, Ben and Angie married and after what felt like an agonising amount in Melbourne. They have three children, all of time, said four words: “Thank you very of whom attended John Hampden School; much”. two now go to John Colet, and their eldest is at Sir Henry Floyd. When he gets a chance Ben would like to point out that although to relax, Ben likes to be outside, either on most pictures show him clean shaven, at his allotment or building hives for his bees; the start of lockdown he grew a beard and these are not hobbies shared by his children, said he would shave it off “when things got so they do give him some peace and quiet. back to normal”. The beard is still there.
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Wendover News November 2020
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