Wythenshawe Town Centre regeneration (St Modwen Properties)

Roland Dransfield Public Affairs was appointed by St Modwen Properties to assist with public relations for the long-term regeneration of Wythenshawe Town Centre and the implementation of a town centre masterplan by St Modwen and Manchester City Council, aimed at establishing Wythenshawe as ‘The Town Centre of South Manchester’.

The goal of the PR programme was to improve St Modwen’s reputation in Wythenshawe, where it has owned the Civic Centre since 1996, and to build on the company’s existing relationship with local residents, businesses and stakeholders by increasing awareness of St Modwen’s long-term investment and involvement in the town. With this in mind, Roland Dransfield devised and implemented a public relations campaign to generate positive local press coverage of the improvements and investments being made by St Modwen to Wythenshawe.

Wythenshawe Winter Wonderland

Roland Dransfield assisted St Modwen with its annual Winter Wonderland programme for Wythenshawe, which consisted of arranging and promoting a number of activities arranged to entertain children and adults in the area over the festive period.

In addition to organising a host of activities (from brass bands to Christmas karaoke and face painting to balloon modelling) and garnering interest from the local press and radio, it was arranged for local celebrity, Kirsty Howard, to kick-start the programme of fun, alongside the Mayor of Manchester. Money received from donations over the course of the activities was given to The Kirsty Club, a charity that raises money for Francis House Children’s Hospice, which cares for terminally ill children.

Roland Dransfield promoted the events through adverts and press releases in the local press and arranged for interviews and promotional slots to be undertaken on the local radio station.

Community art project with Wythenshawe-born artist and local high school

Roland Dransfield organised the production of a piece of community art, sponsored by St Modwen, to liven up hoardings that had been placed up around certain parts of the town centre whilst demolition work was being undertaken as part of the regeneration. The art project was led by local-born artist, Amanda McCrann, who was commissioned to work with local Newall Green High School to produce material that would brighten up the hoardings. The work – based on the theme ‘What Wythenshawe means to local people’, proved so popular with residents and people working in Wythenshawe once it went up on the hoardings, that an extension was commissioned just weeks later.

Roland Dransfield led the management and production of the art project from the outset through to the delivery, including arranging a photo shoot for the ‘unveiling’ of the project and generating press coverage for St Modwen on its involvement in the local community.

Press

Throughout the instruction from St Modwen, Roland Dransfield Public Affairs ensured regular press interest in the regeneration of Wythenshawe by generating stories on a number of topics for St Modwen, from the installation of new CCTV in the town centre to progress on site-specific developments.

Praise from St Modwen