#LoveStHelens FAQs

Q1. What is the #LoveStHelens campaign?

The Council's #LoveStHelens campaign was launched in May 2025 at Annual Council. The campaign aims to promote and celebrate the people, places and groups of St Helens.

The colour used in the banners is the Council's corporate red colour and is the brand colour for the #LoveStHelens campaign, which has been in use since the campaign launch. The white text on a red background is more visible from a design perspective.

Q2. Why have #LoveStHelens banners been put up on lampposts?

As part of the campaign, the council wanted to promote the #LoveStHelens brand on visible spaces across the borough.

Q3. Who approved the banners as part of the #LoveStHelens campaign?

The banners for the #LoveStHelens campaign were approved by the Leader of the Council, who holds responsibility for Strategic Communications within their portfolio. As part of that role, the Leader signed off on the expenditure for the banners, making them an integral element of the campaign to promote and celebrate the people, places, and groups of St Helens Borough.

Q4. Who has decided on the location of the banners?

The individual lighting columns were identified from structural and highway safety. Testing has been undertaken on lampposts across the borough to ascertain suitability for the installation. The lampposts selected have been identified following the audit and testing work undertaken.

Q5. How many banners are there across the borough?

98

Q6. Are the banners ward specific?

The #LoveStHelens banners are not ward specific.

#LoveStHelens covers the areas of St Helens town centre, Eccleston, Parr, Sutton, and Windle. Some of the other townships and villages such as Billinge, Newton-le-Willows, Haydock, Rainford and Rainhill, have their own specific banners i.e. #LoveRainford etc.

Q7. How long is it intended for them to be in place?

The Council's campaign is currently not time limited. The banners are contracted for 12 months. However, they can be removed sooner and replaced or removed at no extra cost if they become damaged or weather beaten.

Q8. Can the banners be moved to alternative locations?

Unfortunately, the banners are unable to be moved as the specific lamppost columns have been identified from structural and highway safety perspective.

Q9. What was the cost of the banners?

The total cost for printing and installing the banners was £32,446+VAT.

Q10. What council budget did the cost of the banners come from?

The cost of the banners was allocated from the Council's revenue budget. However, the Council is expecting sponsorship from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to cover this expenditure.

Q11. Are there any future costs anticipated?

No

Q12. Who supplied the banners?

The council appointed Bay Media, a nationwide supplier widely used by local authorities for banner installations, to carry out this work. Bay Media has installation teams based in several cities across the UK, and the crew who installed the banners in St Helens are based in Manchester. They were selected because they offered the most cost-effective solution while meeting our quality and safety standards.