To launch the country's first pilot project in the Yorkshire and Humber region, in partnership with Yorkshire Forward - the Regional Development Agency - in order to:

Inform all local authorities of the new initiative

Generate enquiries from local authorities and local partnership organisations

Enthuse market towns to form partnerships between public and private sector bodies in order to regenerate these towns

Obtain private sector involvement.

Malton suffered from a decline in trade in the mid 1990s. One company owns most of the town centre properties and a new estate manager was appointed in 1997, with the task of restoring the fortunes of the Estate and town.

In order to do so, the estate company needed to work with local organisations, including the Town and District councils. A planned communications programme was carried out, and support sought from the local council and businesses for the proposition to appoint a town centre manager.

A research programme was undertaken to:

Identify target audiences

Assess target audience views and the reasons for these views

Assess the level of support for the estate company

Identify key messages that needed to be communicated.

Following the research, a communications programme was introduced comprising:

Message creation and dissemination

Media briefings

Town and District council briefings to both members and officers

Organised visits for councillors to other successful towns

Events - Farmers' market

Local press competitions

Articles

A newsletter.