Studio Resolve win pitch to rebrand 30 year old charity, Middlesbrough Environment City
MEC, who tackle the twin challenges of poverty and climate change, is rebranding to better reflect the scale and ambition of its work.
The charity supports communities to stay warm, eat well and live healthier, more sustainable lives through projects addressing fuel poverty, food insecurity, environmental action and education across the region.
Vicki Putson, CEO of Middlesbrough Environment City, described how the organisation had gone through a rigorous tendering process before awarding the contract to Studio Resolve, after Beccy demonstrated a sound knowledge of the organisation’s history and heritage, as well as how it helps people across Teesside today.
Vicki said: “Middlesbrough Environment City has been in existence for over 30 years after being set up as one of four environment cities across the country, in Middlesbrough, Leicester, Leeds and Peterborough.
“Ourselves and Peterborough are now the only two left and we have evolved significantly in the time we have been in operation.
“We are no longer attached to the local authority, from whom we used to receive core funding, but we are now an independent charity in our own right, improving access to affordable, healthy food, energy efficiency support, active travel, climate action and community wellbeing.”
Vicki added the time is right to change the name of Middlesbrough Environment City, owing to the fact the organisation serves other Teesside communities outside of Middlesbrough, is not just about the environment – and is not based in a town with city status.
“When we look at how our brand and name reflects us, it no longer fits with who we are and what we do,” Vicki says.
“We are writing a new strategic plan with different strategic pillars, so the time is right for us to review our brand and our name, so we are more reflective of who we are.”
After successfully competing for the contract, Beccy, who has worked with Thirteen Housing, The Live Well Centre, British Cycling, Tees Valley Sport and Catalyst Stockton, to name just a handful of recent clients, will soon reveal the new name and brand identity for Middlesbrough Environment City.
She said: “Our values at Studio Resolve are aligned with those of Middlesbrough Environment City and I am very happy to have been chosen for this piece of work.
“I like taking on projects which are about changing the world for the better and working with this charity really ticks that box for me.
“I also do quite a lot of work in health and the NHS.”
The new name and brand for Middlesbrough Environment City is set to be revealed soon.
Beccy gave staff a questionnaire about the brand and is holding brand workshops with the staff, which will enable her to write a new brand narrative for the organisation.
“The work I have been doing so far has been about establishing the organisation’s story so we can create a new tone of voice and personality,” Beccy says.
“There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes before we can create a new logo and brand guidelines.
“It’s an exciting project.”
Beccy set up her business in December 2022 and has packed a wide range of work into her three years in operation.
Supporting Middlesbrough Environment City through a significant moment in its history will enable the organisation, which is in the process of securing a 60-year lease for the 22-acre site from the local authority, to flourish.
Vicki said: “The reason that we went with Beccy to support us with this work was because she demonstrated she knew who we are – the way she pitched, it was really clear that she understood us and the importance of our history.
“Although we are rebranding, we don’t want to lose our history and Beccy understood that and how it can help us to shape our future.
“Beccy is also very personable, adaptable and flexible and when we had a two-hour workshop with her that ran over to four-and-a-half hours, she just went with it because we were getting such good work done.”
Vicki adds working with Beccy is just like working with a trusted friend.
“It doesn’t feel like we are contracting services out as what she provides goes beyond the personal touch,” Vicki says.
“Not only had she done her research and demonstrated that she knows us, it also felt like we’d known her and been working with her for a long time.
“I was also aware of the work she had done with other organisations and got some good recommendations from people who said, ‘she’s fab!’ and that she had worked well with other organisations’ staff.”
Vicki has been in post with Middlesbrough Environment City for 18 months and during this time, she says the organisation has really started to “unpack the needs” of the local community.
This includes supporting people in fuel crisis and educating them about affordable warmth, providing access to affordable food and reducing food waste through eco shops and offering healthy cookery sessions.
The organisation also gives people access to community allotments and orchards, which produce over one tonne of apples per year.
“We are bringing people onto this beautiful site in Middlesbrough to meet others and support their needs within the community,” Vicki says.
“We are creating community spaces and working with community groups, corporate volunteers and Tees Valley Education.
“Discovery Special School are also helping us create accessible spaces, like wheelchair accessible growing areas.
“We are really diversifying what we do while not moving too far away from our environmental roots, offering community development, environmental and health and wellbeing projects, which are not a ‘nice to do’ but represent a critical part of our evolution and our next stage as an independent charity.”
Find out more about the amazing work Middlesbrough Environment City are doing here on their website.