Selby College has been awarded the Marketing Excellence Award at the prestigious Goole & Howdenshire Business Excellence Awards 2025, in recognition of its student recruitment campaign which led to a significant rise in applications and enrolments.

The Goole & Howdenshire Business Excellence Awards recognise and celebrate business excellence in Goole and the surrounding area and have become one of the region’s most prestigious events, recognising local success stories.

Following the successful merger of Selby College and Wakefield College in 2022, the two College’s Marketing departments joined forces to create a collaborative, highly productive and results-driven Marketing & Creative Team.

The Team was awarded the Marketing Excellence Award for its keep warm campaign, which transformed how the Group engages with prospective students from their first point of contact in Year 10 through to enrolment.

This resulted in a huge 55.2% increase in applications for 2024/25, a 19% rise in Open Event attendees and a 7.6% increase in 16-18 enrolments – achieving a 9.1% escalation in student numbers, representing a growth of £3.4 million in funding.

At the core of the campaign were a series of touchpoints that kept students engaged throughout their journey, including tailored Year 10 Taster Day follow-ups, interactive Year 11 assemblies, targeted communications based on individual interests and creative post-application materials such as offer postcards that were praised by students and parents alike.

Suzie Doherty, Head of Marketing and Admissions at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, said:

“This award is a testament to the collaborative efforts of our Marketing, School Partnerships and Admissions teams, whose hard work has helped the Group set a new standard in student recruitment and engagement. It recognises the strategic thinking, creativity and innovation that went into developing a campaign that truly puts prospective students’ experience at the forefront - from first impression to enrolment.”

The Marketing & Creative Team were also finalists in the Team of the Year category and the Group was shortlisted for the Environmentally Friendly Business of the Year, highlighting the Group’s commitment to sustainability.

This comes as the Group recently hosted its own Sustainability Week to boost participation and highlight how small changes can have a big impact on the environment.

Taking place across Castleford College, Selby College and Wakefield College, students and staff took part in a range of creative and practical activities from recycling and upcycling workshops to tree planting, clothes swap shops and more. Find out more about the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group here.

Above Photo: The Heart of Yorkshire Education Group receiving the Marketing Excellence accolade at the Goole & Howdenshire Business Excellence Awards 2025