Worcester Stands Tall evaluation

Background

Worcester Stands Tall (WST) was a mass participation public art event that took place in Worcester city centre from July to September 2018. 57 giraffes, large and small, stood colourful and proud in Worcester. It was delivered by St Richard’s Hospice to raise funds for its Build 2020 appeal. M·E·L Research evaluated WST’s economic, social and arts impact on businesses, the wider city and Worcestershire as a whole after the project had finished.

Methodology

Our evaluation aimed to include a wide range of evidence sources, from Facebook metrics to interviews with sponsors, that built a picture of the impact of Worcester Stands Tall. We:

• analysed a wide range of secondary data including local news, social media, city centre footfall figures
• carried out an online survey of app users, capturing the views of almost 600 WST Trail followers
• carried out an online survey of businesses and organisations in Worcester
• did in-depth interviews with five sponsors to explore their experiences of the project.

Outcomes

The fundraising target was achieved, partnerships were formed between St Richard’s Hospice, artists and businesses and a platform for conversation was created for the community of Worcester.   In addition, the following outcomes were achieved:

• Footfall in Worcester and to local businesses rose during the WST trail, with spend in the city from WST visitors boosting Worcester’s economy.
• The hospice itself raised a net total of more than £233,000, in large part from auctioning the giraffes after the trail had ended.
• WST attracted a wide range of people, from young families through to older people, drawing out a pride in Worcester for locals and showing off the city to tourists.
• Almost all sponsors and businesses spoke positively about WST, happy to contribute to a worthwhile, local charity.
• Almost six in ten respondents said they posted an update on social media after seeing WST.
• 71% of app users said that the trail got them visiting areas of Worcester city that they wouldn’t normally visit and 62% said it made them feel part of something special.

The evaluation provided is robust and changes “we think” to “we know” which is invaluable when seeking additional funding and donor support.

Tricia Cavell, Fundraising Director, St Richard’s Hospice