Spring and the Community

Spring is a busy, successful and constantly evolving strategic communications agency that works with regional, national and international clients, and our own community really matters to us. Indeed, being a contributing part of a rewarding, strong and wide local community was one of the principal factors behind co-founders Erika Clegg and Simon Hazelgrove choosing to move their careers from London to establish Spring in Southwold in 2006.

At Spring we regularly undertake a sizeable amount of both pro bono and gratis work for deserving causes to whom our input might just make all the difference. This positive, flag-waving attitude to the community in which we live and work is at the very core of Spring’s personality and ethics. Commercial growth is vital to us, but this is not just what Spring is all about. Everyone at Spring actively believes that we have a moral obligation to contribute to society, and we are pleased to support our community with our time, our skills and our facilities. Springers are very regularly involved in regional charity sporting events, and Spring allows employees time to commit to charitable work.

In 2016-17 we have worked in this way with a variety of great organisations and causes across East Anglia.

This year, perhaps our most significant project has been working with Age UK Suffolk on the “There’s More to Me” 2016-2017 Fundraising and Awareness Campaign. As opposed to Age UK Suffolk seeking us out for our support, we approached them with a concept for a campaign that we were keen to see brought to life and make a difference.
Spring’s Co-Founder and Creative Director Erika Clegg came up with the “There’s More To Me” concept back in 2012. Shocked at learning how low down (number 14) this vital charity ranked for support on the list of Suffolk charities, she was moved to develop an idea to stimulate more engagement from the community with those in later life. She recognised the real need to kick down intergenerational barriers that impeded a sense of connection, to demonstrate how each elderly person has compelling stories to tell about their lives and experiences – and to kick start conversations and support.

The script for the campaign film was written by Erika in 2012 after months of working through the issue, and it connects its tellers with the events of their lives that form them as people. Later life is positioned as a rich tapestry of experiences that makes this period of people’s lives the most complex, rich and narrative-packed. Erika’s plan was that this script was to sit behind a campaign of outreach that encouraged children to enjoy rewarding conversations with their elders, supported by a psychologically-led set of conversation starters, which Age UK Suffolk later provided to schools as part of a campaign pack.

Spring approached Age UK Suffolk with the campaign concept and began working with them in early 2015 to develop it as a vehicle to link key advertising and awareness events for 2016-2017 to. The concept for the campaign was donated gratis. Spring’s work with the charity over the course of six months, from the autumn of 2015 to the launch of the campaign in March 2016, included creative strategy, campaign strategy (including a programme of engagement with schools), planning, filming alongside Summer Isle Films (using not actors but Suffolk pensioners as the cast) and post production of a short promotional film, advertising, exhibition materials and questionnaires as well as PR strategy and planning support. This work was also donated gratis by Spring.

Ahead of the campaign launch, Erika was invited to present the concept to the Age UK Suffolk AGM where the film received its premiere, to a packed house of charity supporters and clients. In addition Spring secured a free venue and catering for the campaign launch in March 2016 thanks to the Suffolk Food Hall, and helped with the planning and execution of the event, which led to live broadcast regional radio and strong regional press coverage.

Post launch assistance was also given securing valuable partnerships with Basepoint Ipswich, Willis, the Ipswich & Suffolk Insurance Institute and others, and in ensuring the screening of the film at Ipswich’s Riverside Cinema as part of the ongoing school’s engagement programme.

The campaign launched in March 2016 and ran until March 2017. The KPI was to raise additional income to support 200 older people with core services for a year. End of year figures show that the “There’s More to Me” campaign can be attributed with having met and superseded this target – with the charity now supporting an additional 278 older people. The school’s engagement programme has been so successful that it will continue to be used as part of ongoing awareness and fundraising campaigns and initiatives for the charity.

Working on “There’s More to Me” has been a hugely rewarding process for all those involved at Spring – from strategy to design and PR, most of us have been involved in one way or another.
Jo Reeder, Fundraising Manager for Age UK Suffolk says:

“Having the opportunity to work with an international agency like Spring, on a dedicated campaign, has been hugely advantageous to us as a local charity, both in raising awareness and also in generating income. The team at Spring not only donated the concept of “There’s More To Me”, but also the promotional material and branding to carry this through with a co-ordinated approach and their passion, enthusiasm and dedication has been invaluable.

“Through “There’s More To Me” we have raised enough money to support an additional 278 older people with our core services – this means these people now have access to vital information and advisory service, befriending, a benefits check and access to a lunch or dementia group. These services provide a lifeline to many older people, helping to relieve loneliness and social isolation”.

This year Spring has also worked gratis or pro bono with The Cromwell Museum, the Rural Needs initiative – Flourish and the Southwold Music Trust.

Erika Clegg became a trustee of The Cromwell Museum, Huntingdon in 2016. The museum had come to Erika’s attention as it was in the process of splitting from Cambridgeshire County Council to become self governed and self funded. Erika felt strongly that this delightful museum, which is a small yet highly significant national and regional asset, should be protected and developed for future generations to enjoy and learn from. As a result, Erika offered her involvement as a trustee for the period of transition from public ownership to successful launch as a trust. Spring and Springers donated the rebrand strategy and design, new website design, the design for print and digital publicity materials and PR support and advice.

Spring has a close relationship with the arts in Suffolk. Spring and Springers have always supported the Southwold Music Trust, and both Erika and Project Manager James Gorry are trustees. The Trust is born of the original Southwold Concert Series, which Erika launched with the composer Nathan Williamson in 2008, starting with a gala concert for the Suffolk Community Foundation and continuing with regular high quality concerts bringing some of the world’s brightest and best young musicians from around the world to this Suffolk seaside town. In 2016 our support came in the form of creating promotional materials for their year-round calendar of events, the as well as funding equipment for Southwold Primary School’s choir.

Our work with Lady Clare Euston’s rural needs project Flourish has also been ongoing through 2016-17. Erika, principally, has been involved from the early days, donating their positive-minded brand, including the name and supporting design, and more recently working closely with Mark Pendlington to deliver the consultation. This process will see a series of events across Suffolk, delivered with the support of East of England Co-Op, Access and University of Suffolk. Following these, Erika and Mark will be working together with a steering group on developing the action-led post consultation strategy, which is due to be bold, ambitious and highly effective.