The in-house magazine produced by Hills, the Marlborough-based waste, recycling and housebuilding group, has landed a major regional PR award.
intouch won gold in the Best Internal Publication category in the 2013 South West Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) PRide Awards, staged last Friday in Bristol.
More than 220 guests attended the black-tie dinner when 23 awards were handed out to 13 recipients.
Hills group communications officer Monique Hayes, pictured, right, collecting the award on the night, said: “This is a proud moment for our small team and it is extremely rewarding to have our work acknowledged in this way.” 
intouch was described by the judges as “an engaging and readable internal magazine, well written and thoughtfully produced, with interesting and relevant content. Innovative use of social media drives reader engagement”.
intouch had already been described by the Institute of Internal Communications as a “really nice reader-friendly magazine with a focus on the business and its people”.
It beat a strong challenge from First Great Western’s WesternLines staff newspaper to claim the trophy.
The awards, which this year celebrated their 10th anniversary, showcase the cream of the region’s public relations agencies, in-house teams, individuals and campaigns. They are widely regarded as the most prestigious and rigorous awards of their kind.
CIPR South West chair Sarah Pinch said: “On behalf of the CIPR and the whole South West region I would like extend huge congratulations to The Hills Group for winning the category of Best Internal Publication.
“We had a large number of entrants from some very talented organisations, and The Hills Group should be extremely proud to have taken the top spot. The PRide awards enable us to celebrate the wealth of talent in the region. Judged by leading industry professionals from across the UK, they are an important benchmark for professionals across the South West, and allow us to formally recognise outstanding contributions to Public Relations.”
Swindon-based Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Trowbridge-based social homes provider Selwood Housing went head to head in the Best External Publication category. GWH was shortlisted for its Horizon newspaper while Selwood was in the contest with its Working Together magazine.
Sophie Quartley, internal communications and performance manager at Devizes-based affordable housing group Aster, was nominated for the Outstanding Young Communicator award.
The full list of the 2013 South West PRide Award winners is:
Corporate and Business Communications – Creating a local hero – Geometry PR
Not-for-Profit Campaign – Moving a Hospital: The Royal Eye Infirmary – Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Internal Communications Campaign – Fridoids for TGI Friday's – Octane
Community Relations Campaign – The T-pylon project – Camargue
Public Sector Campaign – Moving a Hospital: The Royal Eye Infirmary – Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Low Budget Campaign – PR for Norland College – Highlight PR
Consumer Relations Campaign – Royal Mail's Golden Olympics – Royal Mail South West
Best Use of Media Relations – Colourology with Rainbow Club – Octane
Integrated Campaign – Polo on the beach 2013 – Barefoot Media and Watergate Bay Hotel
Best Use of Social Media – Dr Martens Stomp West – Octane
Best External Publication – Hop – Stagecoach South West (Astley Media)
Best Internal Publication – intouch – The Hills Group
Best Event – Dr Martens Stomp West – Octane
Issues and Crisis Management – Securing Justice for small businesses for bank mis-selling – Bully-Banks Ordinary People in Business
Best Use of Photography or Design – Sweet Eve Strawberry – PamLloyd PR
Regional Campaign of the Year – Building confidence in the bid – Geometry PR
Outstanding Freelance Practitioner – Shelley Fletcher-Bryant MCIPR
Outstanding Young Communicator – Lisa Hale, JBP PR & Parliamentary Affairs
Outstanding Small Consultancy – Barefoot Media
Outstanding In-House Public Relations Team – Gloucestershire County Council
Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy – Octane
Best Use of Planning, Research, Measurement and Evaluation – Polo on the beach 2013 – Barefoot Media and Watergate Bay Hotel
Outstanding Contribution to the CIPR South West – Sarah Pinch FCIPR
Photography by Peter Alvey www.peteralvey.com/
