Better Start Bradford runs more than 20 projects for pregnant women and families with children aged up to three years old, including reading, play and healthy cooking sessions, English language lessons and more.
The project’s small communications and marketing team, which is responsible for social media and the website, works hard to continually improve its offering by undertaking training in online planning, messaging, audience growth and analytics.
Getting messages and information out to the local community and workforce are key to the programme’s work, so both its online presence and offline marketing materials have a core brand identity and are easily identifiable.
The website is the ‘go-to’ point for information about the programme for families and the early years workforce.
It helps families check eligibility for their projects using the in-built postcode checker, provides detailed project information and contact details, encouraging them to sign up, and a dedicated events calendar with storytime, cooking and play events and more.
It also provides information about available funding and advice on early childhood development, including a dedicated activities page.
The website provides a one-stop-shop for projects and activities for members of the early years workforce, as well as information about training and development opportunities, and dedicated pages for specific initiatives such as Infant Mental Health Awareness Week and Baby Week Bradford.
It also features case studies and blogs from people who have taken part in Better Start Bradford projects.
Social media is also a key component of the programme’s communications, used to raise awareness, educate, promote projects and activities, and interact with key partners.
Social media channels are used extensively to promote campaigns and key messages, family and community events, and learning events and webinars for the workforce, as well as to share information from local partners about their events, and key messages such as days of significance or key health messages.
The team has developed a branded template for social media, adapting the content, colours and text to showcase key messages, case studies, blogs and events within the image.
For a recent Better Start Brushing campaign during the Oral Health Foundation’s National Smile Month 2020, the team used an image of a tooth-brushing crocodile alongside images and key messages from Change4Life and one of the initiative’s partners, the HABIT team at the University of Leeds. The Better Start Brushing social media campaign involved videos, consistently branded visuals, quizzes, stories and fun oral health activities.
The team is currently developing a series of podcasts aimed at the early years workforce for the website, and plans to offer enhanced assistance to project partners with their social media.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Muddy Boots Nurseries
The website provides a central hub for all things Muddy Boots, allowing people to experience the nursery before walking through the doors, as well as providing a space for families to find everything they need.
Social media is used not just as a promotional tool, but also as a resource for families to use and enjoy on a daily basis.
It has blogs including parenting tips and advice, ‘meet the team’ posts to help parents get to know the staff better, and storytime videos for parents to use at home, as well as ‘we miss you’ videos during lockdown.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Shada Lambert
Shada Lambert has worked for more than 14 years as a nanny for families across a range of countries including Nigeria, Oman, Scotland, England and the USA.
So much more than a nanny, Shada acts as therapist, doctor and rock all in one for her families.
She helps to raise children through a combination of a strong focus on education alongside the utmost compassion and love, treating each child in her care as a unique individual.
Her website was praised by the judges for its clear signposting, and her social media presence was singled out as ‘highly engaging’ as well as being informative and helpful.
CRITERION
Open to early years providers (nurseries, schools, pre-schools and childminders) and services whose website and use of social media is informative, accessible and innovative
- Read all about our Nursery World Awards 2020 winners in our digital magazine at https://reader.exacteditions.com/issues/91928/spread/1
