We’re proud to have won two awards from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR).
In a ceremony to celebrate outstanding communications work during the last year, we collected a Gold Award for Best Public Sector Programme. This was for our work, in partnership with urban designers Rummey Design Associates, for south coast regeneration body Sea Space.
The award-winning campaign was an extensive public consultation to involve the community in plans to revitalise a run-down section of Hastings, the most deprived town in the south east.
The six-month project involved ten workshops, a series of interviews and a three-day exhibition to identify the feelings, hopes and aspirations of all segments of the community – from residents to young people, councillors, council officers, business people, sports clubs, arts forums, environment groups and the disabled.
Through the consultation, the community formulated a vision of a revitalised commercial and entertainment quarter of town, which client Sea Space is now taking steps to make a reality.
The judges said the work was “an outstanding example of extensive involvement of local people” in a town development project.
We also won a Silver Award in the category of Community Campaign for our work with the south coast regeneration programme.
The judges’ verdict in more detail:
“A very good campaign that delivered strong results against the difficult objective of securing local support for a 10-year government plan to regenerate the most deprived town in the south east of England .
“The judges were impressed by this programme, which really engaged local residents and businesses, generating significant support for a government regeneration plan to breathe new life into the town. In an environment in which opinion has not often been sought, TK Associates showed confidence and creativity in staging a series of structured workshops to find out what local stakeholders really feel about Hastings – and how they would like to see it in the future. This tactic reaped rewards and, combined with a public exhibition and sustained media coverage, helped to deliver impressive support from 82% of the local community for the plans.”
