Investing in Hinckley's future

Client: JOHN CLEVELAND COLLEGE

Project: Awareness raising campaign

Background: In 2003, Hinckley’s community college, John Cleveland College was already known for its achievements in sports and music but was bidding to become one of the UK’s new Science Specialist Colleges. This would enable it to receive extra Government funding for purchasing equipment and employing specialist staff, and would provide Hinckley with its own centre of excellence for teaching science, mathematics and technology. To achieve this status, the College needed to show that it was backed by the community by raising £50,000.

Objective: To generate local business interest in the College to help it achieve Science Specialist College Status.

Our role: As many local businesses were unaware of what Science Specialist Colleges are, Word Association designed a simple flyer, ‘Teaching Tomorrow’s Technology’, which answered the basic questions being asked. It explained the benefits this new College status would bring in terms of creating a more scientifically literate, skilled and motivated workforce for the future, and how businesses could help achieve it. The leaflet was distributed locally and got people talking about the College and pledging support. Word Association’s specialist media relations team then advised the College on a PR campaign which would maintain the interest already generated and encourage even more people within the community to back the bid.

Results: As a result of the awareness raising campaign, the College raised the £50,000 needed and was successful in gaining Specialist College Status. Word Association is currently designing a vibrant new website for the College to reflect its new high profile status.