An exciting new approach to promoting the county was unveiled yesterday (18 March), with over 80 stakeholders attending the launch of the ‘Durham story’.

The event, hosted by Durham County Council and Durham University at Gala Durham, was the culmination of a 12-month project which has seen engagement with hundreds of stakeholders form across the region, to identify a compelling new proposition for the county which will showcase Durham on a global scale.

Spearheaded by Durham County Council, Durham University, Visit County Durham and Business Durham, this new approach will see organisations and individuals join forces and unite behind the brand to build the county’s image, identity and reputation, and harness profile-raising opportunities to reach key audiences.

With a clear and consistent approach across multiple sectors, the Durham story will enable the county to engage and inspire potential investors, businesses, students and visitors, whilst instilling pride in our resident and business communities.

The Durham story is an extraordinary blend of beauty, enterprise, heritage, culture and ambition, found in all four corners of the county. It shines a light on what makes us special, the distinctiveness and character of Durham, and the opportunities for the growth, development and promotion of the county. Embodied by four key strands, the Durham story was introduced at the event by private and public sector partners.

Professor Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University introduced the overarching theme for Durham, which sees us confidently championing our regional, national and international role.

Jim Cokill, trust director of Durham Wildlife Trust spoke about the ‘natural lifestyle’ strand - our incredible green and blue spaces, nature and wildlife, and the many ways in which they positively impact residents, businesses, visitors and students. ‘Contemporising and connecting our culture’ is the second strand, highlighting the county’s world-class culture and how it’s brought to life for today’s audiences, which was introduced by Hannah Fox, executive director of The Bowes Museum. The ‘space to innovate and grow’ strand, which focuses on the county as a place for business as well as our strengths within the space industry, was introduced by Arnab Basu, CEO of Kromek. With the final strand of the Durham story, ‘a special city that attracts and radiates’, focussing on the pivotal role the city plays as an attractor for the wider county, was introduced by Emma Gaudern, CEO of EMG Solicitors.

Also announced at the event was the Durham Champions initiative, which will see an exciting new network of individuals helping to shine a light on the county through their own activities, supporting the promotion of the county in a consistent and compelling way.

Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Leader of Durham County Council, said: “County Durham is an amazing place with so much to offer, whether as a place to live, visit, work or invest. And, while we might be tempted to keep it for ourselves, encouraging others to discover what our area has to offer is vital for our future prosperity.

“We want people to think of County Durham when they are looking for somewhere to visit, to know that there are thousands of great job opportunities here and to make us their first choice when looking to set up home. And we want investors to be very clear that we offer a brilliant place to do business.

“The place brand will help us achieve this by cementing the good work that has already been done to develop County Durham’s reputation, through further raising the area’s profile and supporting our economic and social growth.”

Professor Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University added:

“The University works closely with our partner organisations on many projects to benefit the growth, development and promotion of our city, county and region. We very much look forward to strengthening these connections and to highlighting even more prominently all that makes Durham special, telling our powerful story regionally, nationally and globally.”

To find out more about the Durham story, and how to get involved, visit: Durham-UK.com