Media releases
Release date: July 2003
European recognition for ARKive manager
The manager of the Bristol based ARKive project, Harriet Nimmo, has been named as the Professional European Woman of Achievement for 2003, receiving her prestigious award in front of 700 guests at a gala award ceremony in Grosvenor House, London.
The European Women of Achievement Awards are given to women for outstanding achievement, having been recognised for work that must have a significant European dimension. The judges look for achievement where the individual has been a pioneer or an instigator of success with strong personal commitment, determination and the ability to overcome obstacles.
Harriet leads the Wildscreen Trust’s initiative to develop ARKive, the world’s first centralised library of films and photographs of endangered species, freely accessible via the Internet for scientific and educational use – the Noah’s Ark for the Internet era. Since its launch by Sir David Attenborough in May this year the site has been receiving over 12,000 hits a day from all over the world.
“I am thrilled and delighted to have been singled out for this award,” says Harriet. “It is not something I ever expected to win and the honour must also be shared with the incredibly talented team we have working on ARKive. This award will help raise the profile of the project and the important work that the Wildscreen Trust does in increasing public understanding and appreciation of nature and urgent need for its conservation.”
Harriet who studied zoology at Bristol University joined the Wildscreen Trust in 1997 and has turned the idea of ARKive from a single A4 sheet of paper into a £4m project with a team of 23 people.
“All the nominees are worth celebrating. They are a very accomplished group of women,” says Peta Payne, Chairman of the Awards. “And, they are a small sample of the excellence and the achievement of women who work in all sectors of business and the community. Each of our Award winners has made a large contribution in their respective fields. They possess the same determination to succeed, belief in their own abilities, the courage to overcome often huge obstacles and the willpower ‘to make it happen’. They are also an inspiration as role models to others who are making their own mark in a fast changing world – a world in which talent and the ability to get the job done are increasingly what really counts.”
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Media enquiries:
Hamish MacCall, Communications & Marketing ManagerTel: +44 (0)117 328 5952 Mobile: 07919 115 133
Or email: hamish.maccall@wildscreen.org.uk back to media releases
Notes to editors
1. ARKive is an initiative of The Wildscreen Trust, a registered educational charity. Other initiatives of the Trust include WILDSCREEN, the international festival of moving images from the natural world.
2. ARKive is widely supported by the worlds leading conservationists and environmentalists and was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and New Opportunities Fund, with Hewlett Packard providing technical research, support and hardware.
3. The Awards are organised by the European Union of Women – British Section. The European Union of Women is an independent pan-European organisation which believes women should be encouraged to play a full and active part in all aspects of political, civil and professional life. The aim is to increase the influence of women on European affairs for the benefit of all.
Now in its 13th year, the EWAA has a stellar list of 57 celebrated winners – among them Angela Rippon (2002); Ellen MacArthur MBE (2001); Kate Mosse (2000); Dame Felicity Lott CBE (1999); and Ann Gloag (1992). Since the launch of the Awards in 1991, an estimated 300 women have been shortlisted.
