Flow Creative, the Manchester based creative studio, is the creative team behind the new brand for Bolton Family Hubs.
The Family Hubs are places where families with children and young people 0-19 years, or up to 25 with SEND, can share the joys and challenges of parenthood. The centres offer a range of activities and integrated support services to help with every aspect of parenting and beyond, so every child in Bolton gets the best possible start in life. There are a number of professionals available to support parents-to-be and families around a whole range of topics including supporting each child’s development and learning, and also work closely with a wide range of other agencies to support wider family needs.
The brand is filled with character and playful energy, designed to reflect the vibrant diversity of Bolton’s families, and be accessible to as many people in the local community as possible. A system of simple geometric shapes, and illustrated characters using these shapes, form the building blocks of the brand. The gentle colour palette helps to make the brand friendly and welcoming, encouraging families to get involved and access the support they need.
Flow Creative director, Karl Doran said: “Family support services, and particularly SEND provisions, have been decimated over the last 12 years, so it’s amazing to see a return of this vital support for families that need it. It was a joy to work with the Bolton council team, the volunteers and hub team members, who are all doing incredible work to help the families of Bolton to feel welcome and included in this. The brand was developed very collaboratively with the professionals and public of Bolton, and will hopefully help the families to feel like this is a place for them.”
Chantelle Brown, Children’s Reform Programme manager, added: “We really enjoyed working with Flow on this important project, and are very happy with the new brand for the Family Hubs. It was crucial for us that it felt connected to the local community, and was as welcoming as possible to remove any barriers to access support. Through public consultation and a very collaborative process we’re happy that the brand is inclusive, accessible, and feels right for the hubs. It’s already been really well received and we’re excited to see it in use going forward.”
