The BEAR team - Enriching Awakening Reviving Congleton. Photo: i2i Photography

Dawn and the team launch the Beartown re-branding strategy

On 5th August Dawn and her team presented their vision of a strategy for the Beartown brand to the people of Congleton. (see How it all began...)

View Dawn's presentation as a 'turning page' book

Or as a printable pdf download

This is how the Congleton Chronicle reported the meeting:

Congleton could have designated "hug points" and a special "bear hug day" if bold new re-branding plans go ahead.

The town centre could also see a big bronze bear statue offering a welcoming hug.

These are just some of the plans put forward by the town's BEAR team, a group dedicated to the re-branding of Congleton to make the most of its "Beartown" heritage. Entrepreneur Dawn Gibbins, owner of Barefoot Living, heads the team of 12, which includes 10 volunteers. She first proposed the re-branding last year as a way for Congleton to increase its national and international visibility, attracting both tourists and businesses to the town.

Under the re-branding Congleton has adopted the motto "Beartown...where friends are made."
Congleton's bear links date back to a story from the 1600s about the townspeople using the town's bible funds to buy a new bear to take part in bearbaiting - although the team hopes to present a more cuddly bear image.

Congleton is now home to 22 colourful banners that adorn either side of Mountbatten way – truly re-energising the centre of the town. Local businesses have sponsored the banners in order to support the community initiative.

There will be branding manual and a new website to promote the town. Miss Gibbins, who commissioned a feng shui report for the town last year, listed some of her ideas: "We would love to have an eight-foot bronze bear in a hugging position so people can get a nice welcome to the town. "It would be great if we had it somewhere prominent like the town centre near where we have the Christmas tree."

She enthusiastically added: "We have come up with a Congleton bear hug. You hug each other left cheek to left cheek so it connects your hearts. If you do it the other way it only connects your livers. "We would love it if we could get a hug spot in the town centre, an area of special flooring where you stand to get a hug from people walking past. For someone like a little old lady, getting a hug on the street could be the only physical contact they get. I think it could make for some beautiful stories."

On Children In Need Day in 2009 – The BEAR Team organised a Bear Hug Day – which was attended by Pudsey Bear himself - where free hugs were given out throughout the town – which raised over £500 for charity. There was also a Teddy Bears Picnic organised in the park which was attended by many.

The Team also organised a childrens writing and drawing competition, asking all of the primary schools in the town to get involved and encourage their pupils to get creative and submit stories and pictures of what they thought Congletons bear had been up to before he left the town. There were over 300 entries – all of which were of an amazing standard – and all entrants received a special Beartown Boomark. The stories and images are going to be made into a Beartown Book – the funds from which will be ploughed back in to the town to further help with developing our local community.

Since the re-branding was announced, the BEAR team has been organising school events, and asked children to write bear-based stories. So far around 300 stories have been written, and a book featuring the tales should be published by Christmas. Miss Gibbins added: "All of our team's enthusiasm will really rub off on the people of Congleton."