Valleys 2 Coast – Growth for Good
On 22 October 2025, this year’s Orlo Spotlight Awards were presented as part of our BIG Social event in Birmingham.
The annual Orlo Spotlight Awards celebrate the best of the best in public sector comms, across a range of categories. The Community Impact Award recognises exceptional work in transforming local communities. Nominated in this category were: Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, London Borough of Waltham and Forest, and Valleys to Coast.
And the winner is…Valleys 2 Coast for its ‘Growth for Good’ project.
Valleys 2 Coast is a not-for-profit housing association based in South Wales offering secure, affordable homes to local people. And they do so much more than handing over keys and managing repairs. Valleys to Coast aims to create thriving communities where residents feel safe and happy. Alongside its core work, the team therefore runs an extensive social engagement programme.
To contribute to this engagement work, Valleys 2 Coast had a simple – but ambitious – idea. They wanted to transform underused land into spaces where residents could grow their own food. They set up three hubs across Bridgend, aiming to give local people easy access to fresh, locally sourced produce.
But the project was always about more than growing food. Valleys to Coast intended the hubs to bring people together, and connect local communities with nature. To achieve both aims, they needed to engage residents on a deeper level.
The solution
The comms team at Valleys 2 Coast turned to social media as their main engagement tool. They wanted to use their social channels to connect communities, inspire action, and drive long-term change. They set ambitious goals for the project:
- 15,000 organic video views
- 5,000 social engagements
- 10% follower growth
Channel selection
The team focused on different channels for different goals:
- Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp for community connection and reach
- TikTok for capturing transformation and fun ‘behind-the-scenes’ moments
- LinkedIn for engaging professional partners and stakeholders
They landed on four clear themes for their social content:
- Documenting transformation: showing progress from barren land to flourishing community hubs.
- “Meet the communities”: highlighting local people and their stories.
- Profiling characters: celebrating volunteers and their personal journeys.
- Growing for good: promoting the benefits of food growing, sharing recipes and sustainability tips.
The team used a friendly, positive, supportive tone across channels. They also ensured that all messaging was simple, clear and easy for everyone to understand.
Social content for the ‘Growth for Good’ project focused on:
- Weekly updates documenting each stage of transformation.
- Volunteer “day in the life” profiles and interviews that humanised the project and showed community ownership.
- Stories shared from schools, youth groups, and families – bringing local, authentic voices to the campaign.
- Community calls to action, including posts encouraging local volunteers to get involved.
- WhatsApp groups connecting residents and partners.
- Posts celebrating milestones: the opening of each hub and sharing key hub-related data.
- Building awareness of key partnerships with: Keep Wales Tidy, Awen Trust, and Bridgend College, to strengthen collaboration and visibility.
- Information on how hub-grown food would support local food banks.
- Educational content promoting sustainable gardening tips and easy recipes.
- Environmental benefits of the hubs: pesticide-free planting, biodiversity gains, and sightings of new wildlife in previously barren spaces.
The results
The team absolutely smashed their social media goals. They achieved:
- 15,000+ video views across TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.
- 5,000+ engagements (likes, comments, shares, clicks), showing high levels of active participation.
- 10%+ growth in followers, building a stronger online community.
Specific project highlights:
- Over 120 volunteers were recruited, engaged and celebrated via social campaigns. 18 volunteers completed a Productive Garden Course at Bridgend College, with 14 gaining qualifications to help them get future work. Volunteer mentors shared skills with others, building a legacy of knowledge.
- Wildmill Youth Club now has a greenhouse, supported through ‘Growth for Good’ and social content inspired further donations and local support.
- Hubs are fully accessible with wheelchair-friendly paths and raised beds – a fact widely promoted on social channels.
- ‘Growth for Good’ has influenced the wider housing sector. Other housing associations, including Tai Calon and Monmouthshire Housing, are now replicating the model. Presentations at the CHC Annual Conference and One Big Conference reached national audiences, thanks to live-tweeting and LinkedIn engagement.
Nurturing stronger, more resilient communities
With ‘Growth for Good’, not only have the team enabled communities to put healthier food on their plates, but they have also sown the seeds for long-term community connection and engagement. The Growth for Good Community Hubs have transformed lives and neighbourhoods. And social media has been the engine driving visibility, participation, and pride.
The judging panel said “‘Growth for Good’ wasn’t just a social media campaign, it grew a community. Valleys 2 Coast turned online engagement into real-world action which is exactly what the Community Impact Award is all about.”
On winning the award, Lizzie Conway said: ‘We feel amazing. The team have put in loads of work, it’s not just us in comms, but obviously the team who put the Growth for Good campaign together, it’s really great work that they’ve done’
Well done Team Valleys 2 Coast on a truly impactful community initiative, and congratulations on your Orlo Spotlight Award!
Video Views
15,000
Social Engagements
5,000
Follower Growth
10
Volunteers Recruited
120
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