Growing Greenhill

To grow successful places, we need to start with the people who live in the communities that we are helping to grow.

Our recent venture with the Greenhill community demonstrates this belief, showing the effectiveness of what happens when a whole community comes together. Through comprehensive market research, community insight, and strategic collaboration, we have crafted a shared vision for Greenhill that promises to propel its high street forward, enrich local lives, and help foster a sustainable future.

Our journey began by looking beyond Greenhill's borders, seeking inspiration from successful high street and village regeneration projects across the UK and internationally. By understanding what has worked elsewhere, we aimed to infuse local ideas with a broader perspective, which also falls inline with the vision of the people of Greenhill.

Examples such as Stockton on Tees, which has re-imagined its town centre, provided valuable insights. Additionally, resources like Town Centred offer and A-Z guide of ideas for high streets and the Local Government Association's research on resilient high streets post-pandemic informed our approach, ensuring we leveraged tried and tested best practices.

Armed with insights from our research, we engaged the ‘Greenhill project steering group’ in a development workshop.

The session was pivotal in shaping our research question:

  “How do we turn Greenhill into a thriving neighbourhood centre, full of vitality and deeply connected to the local community?”

Together, we identified key stakeholders, mapped out community assets, and ensured our approach was inclusive and representative of Greenhill’s diverse population. We then co-created a set of questions designed to delve deep into the community’s needs, aspirations, and ideas, ensuring every voice had the opportunity to be heard.

With a clear plan, we embarked on a period of intensive community engagement. We used a mixture of online surveys, focus groups, and on-the-ground interactions, we reached out to residents, business owners, and visitors.

Our approach included:

• Online Surveys: Using social media channels and key community groups to maximise reach and participation.

• Focus Groups: Engaging with existing groups at key locations such as the local library to gather detailed insights.

• Loitering with Intent: Being present in the community, whether on the high street or local streets, to engage with people in their daily routines.

• These interactions provided a wealth of information, painting a vivid picture of what Greenhill's community values and visions are for their neighbourhood.

The culmination of our efforts was an indepth report that shared the community’s feedback and hopes. Presenting this to the steering committee, we laid out clear recommendations on how these insights would shape the holistic marketing campaign and overall strategy for Greenhill. This report not only informed our strategic direction but also served as a testament to the power of community collaboration.

In partnership with OD Create, we have turned the community insights into a strategic marketing plan. This plan is designed to:

• Boost awareness and footfall: Highlight local businesses and encourage more people to spend time and money on Greenhill High Street.

• Create a brand image: Develop a strong brand voice and visual identity that resonates with the community.

• Engage through creative content: Use video, imagery, and storytelling to capture the essence of Greenhill’s vibrant community. Our community engagement efforts have promoted the project widely at a local level, resulting in fantastic feedback and generating great content for the next stage of marketing assets. To ensure the place marketing effort becomes independent of Greener Greenhill, we will suggest a tagline for Greenhill in the upcoming phase, creating a unifying brand that resonates with the community.Our community engagement efforts have promoted the project widely at a local level, resulting in fantastic feedback and generating great content for the next stage of marketing assets. To ensure the place marketing effort becomes independent of Greener Greenhill, we will suggest a tagline for Greenhill in the upcoming phase, creating a unifying brand that resonates with the community.

Many businesses reported that their operations are thriving. We reviewed their current marketing strategies and provided individual recommendations to enhance their reach. Additionally, the engagement process sparked ideas for new businesses or product lines that existing businesses might pursue. We will also connect businesses with support from Business Sheffield, including training on social media to boost their capabilities further.

The community shared some wonderful ideas, with particular enthusiasm for developing local play spaces for children and creating a community arts trail. If funding is available through this project, it would be fantastic to bring a couple of these ideas to life, demonstrating that community voices can indeed shape their surroundings.

Our collaboration with Greenhill is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when a community comes together with a shared vision. Through the combined efforts of local residents, businesses, and our dedicated team, Greenhill is on the path to becoming a thriving, connected, and sustainable neighbourhood.

 At Growing Circles, we are proud to be part of this journey, supporting a community to create a future where every member feels a sense of belonging and pride in their local high street.