PARTNERSHIPS PROMOTING
Getting businesses and other organisations to support your school is easier when you publicise and promote such links. Jane Hughes reports on the use of sponsor ‘walls’ and reciprocity
V
isit the website of Balsall Common Primary School and – alongside the tabs for ‘Parents’ and ‘Children’
– you will see one for ‘Sponsors’. Click on this and you will be taken to an area that not only lists all the organisations that support the school on an ongoing basis, but also gives details of how each works with Balsall Common. Supporters can also pay £150 a year to buy a virtual ‘brick’ featuring their company logo and link to their website on an online sponsor wall (top right). Outside the school there is a
physical wall (above) where supporters – usually parents and former pupils – can donate £25 to have their name displayed on a real brick. Longstanding business sponsors may also be featured on this wall as a ‘thank you’ for their support. These reciprocal initiatives were dreamed up by Balsall Common’s
48 SUMMER 2019 FundEd
director of funding and publicity Howard Rose, who feels that promoting the mutual benefi ts of community partnerships is a vital part of relationship building. ‘Obviously the school benefi ts, but so do businesses because they enjoy getting involved with our projects – and it makes them look good.’ Clearly, he adds, supporters who
simply post their company logo on the virtual wall will have less of an impact than those who demonstrate they are genuinely passionate about working with the school. ‘Paying £150 to be on the sponsor wall
represents fantastic value when compared to straightforward local advertising, but it’s just the beginning,’ says Howard Rose. ‘Many of our ongoing sponsors publicise their involvement with the school themselves, through LinkedIn and Facebook, and also by tweeting and submitting stories to the press.’ Underlying such promotional
activity is Howard Rose’s broader strategy to develop sustainable and meaningful relationships that work for both partners. ‘At the heart of this is how we enhance and enrich learning for the children,’ he says. ‘However, if we’re asking businesses to support our wish list then we need to create ways to thank and promote them. What I felt was important to stress online was just how benefi cial such partnerships can be for business, often in ways that go far beyond a corporate social responsibility requirement. The more our parents see positive publicity involving a sponsor, the more they use their goods and/or services – and this gives sponsors an edge against their competitors. ‘The sponsor pages also help
attract more support for the school, as people can see our track record immediately, and they know that working with us can help generate
‘So far we have sponsored the Balsall Common newsletter, allowing
the school to print it in colour each week. We have also sponsored the Summer Gala, in association with the PTA, attended several other quizzes and events, and we have just agreed to sponsor the new school rugby kit. We look forward to becoming more involved in future events and continuing our relationship with the school.’ Midshire (independent offi ce technology reseller)
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