Growing strategies that work

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Projects: The Hidden Gardens; Tron

‘ … Without joining Culture Sparks and receiving this support as an organisation, we would to have had the knowledge or capacity to progress …’

Amanda Patterson, Director, The Hidden Gardens

We welcomed the Hidden Gardens as new members of Culture Sparks in 2011, and worked closely with them to develop effective new approaches to their profile raising and management activities.

The Hidden Gardens is an award winning and unique public greenspace and community development organisation based in Pollokshields, one of Scotland’s most diverse communities. The organisation exists to promote understanding between people of all cultures, faiths and backgrounds, and provides a beautiful space where people can relax away from the city streets. From strategic support to hands-on implementation, we supported the organisation in a full review of their marketing communications activities.

Through workshops with the staff and board, we helped the team develop clear goals to direct their work in profile raising, and we went on to provide them with increased capacity and guidance to support them through a successful Meadow launch event in September. In the digital sphere, we helped develop and curate their fledgling twitter account, now boasting a healthy and engaged following from within and beyond their target communities.

We worked with the Hidden Gardens team to develop appropriate marketing messages and a strategic marketing plan, and supported them through the process of outsourcing freelance support to help them translate their objectives into reality.

Culture Sparks strategic intervention was also instrumental at the Tron, where the Senior Management Team asked Director, Julie Tait to facilitate two group sessions to create a business plan.

“The 2 group sessions we had with Julie on the Business Plan were invaluable. The sessions focused minds and provided the organisation with the tools to move the planning forward. To date The Tron has put together a draft plan which is evolving and hopefully will be complete within the next couple of months. Julie’s understanding of the organisation and the marketplace were a huge asset to the workshops we participated in. All in all it was a worthwhile and constructive experience for us all.” Anne McCluskey, Executive Director, Tron