Subscribe in a reader

Monday 16 June 2008

Street Self Help Centre to change its name

It started off as a place where people who had been put out of work could help each other to get back on their feet. In those days, 'Self Help Centre' described it very well.

Since then, thank God, unemployment isn't such a big problem here, and the centre has branched out into all sorts of good works. You can read about them on their website,
which may not be state-of-the-art, but gives the information. Which is the important thing. Computer training, art sessions, adult education, daily coffee mornings, Citizens Advice Bureau, Mendip desk, room hire - they are all going on, or have gone on there. And the Parish Council have their office there.

So now they are changing their name to The Place 2.

I'll paste their official letter/article below. They also have the beginnings of a new website here, though at the moment it's just a single page.

I wish them well with their re-launch. I do worry slightly that The Place 2 is better as a printed logo than as a name to roll off the tongue. "I'm just popping down to The Place 2." "The what?" But I expect we'll get used to it.

Anyway, here's their letter - a bit too much business jargon for my taste, but see what you think.


STREET SELF HELP CENTRE


Soon to be called



Street Self Help Centre have been a pillar of the Street community for many years providing educational and training services to individuals and businesses alike as well as being a venue for local people to meet, interact and share their interests.

Over time the focus of the centre has evolved though its name hasn’t changed, accordingly the trustees have recently recognised that the name Street Self Help Centre is not at all indicative of what the centre is able to deliver today and in the future. The trustees have called upon the services of a number of local businesses with a view to rebranding and re-launching the centre, the objective being to make the centre a focus in the community though also to ensure that local people and the business community are aware of what the centre can offer.

The first step in this process was to bring centre staff and volunteers together with marketing and creative consultants for a brainstorm session with the aim of defining a new brand name for the centre that is both catchy and recognisable and also dynamic in the way it communicates the centre’s services. The result of this is “The Place 2”, the idea is that to different audiences it will mean different things, i.e. The Place 2 .. meet, The Place 2 .. learn, The Place 2 .. do business etc.

For local people The Place 2 will continue to offer a broad range of educational, social and support activities and will encourage people to volunteer their time and their knowledge to the benefit of others. Likewise the business community will be able to access a wide range of services such as meeting room hire, conference facilities and computer and software training. In this regard there is an essential difference between The Place 2 and other commercial alternatives in that the income The Place 2 receives goes directly to fund the other charitable activities within the centre that support the local community.

The Place 2 will become the new name of Street Self Help Centre as of 12th July and a week of launch activities is planned including a photographic competition with the theme “What my community means to me” and a special business networking afternoon offering business people an opportunity to experience The Place 2’s facilities as well as network with their contemporaries.

Further information:
Denise Boulton, Head of Marketing
denise.boulton (at) theplace2.org.uk
01458-447248

No comments:

Post a Comment