Examples:

 Below are some recent examples of Richard's Consultancy work:
 
The McCain 'Food For Thought' Survey.
The Potato Story is an unbranded educational initiative developed by McCain Foods (GB). Focusing on food provenance, The Potato Story uses the journey a potato makes from 'field to fork' to teach children in a fun, interactive and engaging way.    
In connection with this educational strategy, McCain conducted the Food For Thought Survey, which gathered the views of more than 1500 children aged 7-11 years, about their understanding food. Richard then compiled the following contribution to a McCain press release which attracted wide media interest:
“Understanding about food and about what constitutes “healthy food” is an important feature of any strategy to develop healthy eating habits in childhood. Children need awareness of where food comes from – and how it is prepared – in order to know what to eat. Yet the results of the McCain Food For Thought survey show that many parents have an uphill struggle when it comes to building their child’s knowledge of food provenance. In a time-precious society, family life is hectic, and both children and parents lead increasingly dynamic and independent lifestyles, so it’s not surprising that understanding about food has diminished. Eating experiences have become dominated by the need to produce fast and easy meals – where the food actually comes from and how it is prepared is of less interest. to young consumers The survey found, for example, that almost 1 in 5 of the children who took part don’t know that potatoes grow in the ground – and 1 in 10 actually think they come from chickens! Equally worrying, 7 out of 10 children revealed that they wouldn’t be able to identify a banana if they saw it in a fruit shop. Children should have ownership of their own eating experiences. This can best be achieved through a combination of good food knowledge, awareness of what makes up a healthy diet, understanding of how meals are made, and a practical connection with food preparation. It is never too early – or too late – for you to start developing your child’s healthy eating habits.”
McCain organised a very successful radio day in which Richard was interviewed by a range of radio stations about the Food For Thought Survey.
 
The Duracell European Toy Survey.
The first stage of Richard’s input to this UK-wide promotional campaign was a psychological interpretation of the survey findings, which was then incorporated into the press release below.

UK KIDS ARE THE MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY SAVVY KIDS IN EUROPE
The results of Duracell's annual European Toy Survey, the only one of its kind to ask children rather than adults about their favourite toys and paying habits, reveals that UK kids are the most technologically savvy kids in Europe. The survey also reveals that UK children are enthused by high-tech toys that encourage pretend play and feed their imagination, despite the opinions of various child development experts, who believe today's children are overwhelmed with homework, exams and after school activities. The overall winning toy was the Robosapien V2, a super-intelligent robot which is the closest thing to a real life companion and responds accordingly to just about anything you do. The list also includes futuristic toy weapons, miniature racing cars and make-believe sports games, clearly demonstrating the importance of imagination in child development.
A Child Psychologist's View

Duracell spokesperson and Child Psychologist Richard Woolfson, says, "The Duracell European Toy Survey reveals that children are highly influenced by what they see, hear and read. The high-tech nature of their toy choices reflects this - our children are smart. Technology is a part of their world at home and at school, and they expect it to be a part of their play too," He added, "New technology makes toys highly attractive to youngsters who are raised in a sophisticated world of high expectations. This is why the Robosapien V2 was crowned the winning toy in the UK. By interacting with such toys, children have a chance to gain a degree of control in play that they wouldn't necessarily have in the real world and it also gives them an opportunity to access the adult world through imaginative play."
The Top 10 Winning Toys:
  1. V2 (Character Options)
  2. 1/5 Big Race Ducati Desmosedici (Nikko)
  3. Star Wars Electronic Lightsaber (Hasbro)
  4. Girl Crush Streak & Style (Spin Master)
  5. Ferrari l/12e RC (Smoby)
  6. FurReal Friends Cuddle Chimp (Hasbro)
  7. Pixel Chix House Assortment (Mattel)
  8. Sport Football Set (Lego)
  9. Cella Sticker Maker (Tomy)
  10. Moon Shoes (Vivid Imaginations)
The results also reveal that television remains the number one source for children in the UK to find out about new toys; however the internet is gaining popularity. The UK is now leading the way in Europe in terms of consulting the web for information on toys, increasing from 9% to 13% over the last year and indicating that kids in the UK are becoming increasingly up to speed with technology, now reflected in toy choices. Richard Woolfson explains, "As modern society evolves, so do children's playing habits and the toys they're given, The simplicity and innocence of old fashioned toys such as skipping ropes and footballs are fast being replaced by more technologically advanced counterparts, which suitably prepare them for our high-paced society."
The second stage of the promotional campaign was a tour of UK children’s hospitals. Richard and the Duracell Bunny visited several hospitals, giving the children lots of time to play with the top ten toys. During this time Richard gave many press interviews. You can view some of the resulting press cuttings by clicking here (new window).
The final stage involved a “radio day”, promoting the Duracell European Toy survey through many radio interviews.

 
The Munch Bunch Yoghurt Story-Telling Competition
To coincide with the launch of the “Munch Time” storytelling competition - a nationwide search for the UK’s best children’s story writers – a Munch Bunch survey revealed that the best children’s bedtime story of all time is The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Richard was involved in compiling the following promotional material:

The Munch Bunch survey further revealed that although three quarters of parents read to their children, one in 10 say they have not done so for at least six months. However, eight in 10 believe reading books will help them become a well-rounded individual. Parents blamed household chores (35%), cooking dinner (31%) and long office hours (21%) for getting in the way of spending quality time with their children.
Dr Richard Woolfson commented on the survey results, “As the survey shows, modern life often means families feel they do not have time to indulge in storytelling but it can be so rewarding. It inspires children’s imaginations while strengthening their attention span and creativity. For parents, it is the perfect way to spend precious quality time with their kids.
Jamelia , celebrity “Superstar” mum called on parents to put pen to paper and create their very own children’s story for the competition. She explained how much she enjoys storytime with her children, “The Munch Time campaign is a great way to encourage mums and dads to spend time with their kids and share stories. I know my daughters love being told stories; they’re always thrilled by something I’ve made up for them, and it really seems to help with their reading, writing and creativity”.

In the studio, Richard and Jamelia gave literally dozens of radio interviews about the survey results and about the story-telling competition. There was also extensive press coverage (see here - opens in a new window), as well as radio interviews (available below)
 
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