Communications competition – 3 first places for Down and Dromore parishes
Down and Dromore has scooped 3 first places in the Central Communications Board’s 2016 Communications Competition. Prizes went to Knock, Carnalea and Bangor Parishes and Mount Merrion was a runner–up.
The winners were announced on the last day of General Synod by the Most Revd Pat Storey, Bishop of Meath and Kildare and Chairman of the Central Communications Board.
The competition was run by the Church of Ireland Press Office but externally and professionally judged. This year, the prizes in each category were very generously sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance.
There was praise for all the entrants for their efforts in communicating within their own contexts in each category, with convincing evidence of communication work of a high standard across the island. Constructive feedback is available for all entrants – please get in touch with the Church of Ireland’s Assistant Press Officer, Peter Cheney.
Print Publications
In the Parish magazines/newsletters category, 1st Prize went to The Columban (St Columba’s, Knock).
The judges described the magazine as having a ‘striking title’ and commended its Thought for the Month feature. The magazine was ‘well designed, informative and professionally produced.’
Highly Commended was St Gall’s, Carnalea, News & Parish News.
Websites
A wide variety of examples were entered for the websites category the external judges looked for innovation, freshness, quality of design and layout and outreach potential.
In the Parish websites category 1st Prize for parish website went to Bangor Parish Church. (Andrew Frame and Press Officer, Paul Harron).
Social media
Here, the competition was looking to see how churches, church organisations and members engaged with innovative developments in social networking.
1st Prize went to St Gall’s, Carnalea Facebook page (with Canon Michael Parker, above right) and a joint runner–up was the Facebook page of the Church of the Pentecost, Mount Merrion, Cregagh.
St Gall’s facebook page stood out because of a post which engaged Northern Ireland Assembly members regarding climate change. There was ‘superb use of tagging to enter into conversation with politicians on a relevant issue’ and this was ‘an excellent example of the potential for social media to engage with the wider community.’
A full list of winners can be found on the Church of Ireland website.