Aberfield Communications: 2025 in Review

It’s safe to say it’s been one hell of a year for Aberfield! We grew to our largest team yet, welcomed new furry office friends, and even celebrated the arrival of an Aber-baby. 

We’ve also had plenty to celebrate on the business front, including being named Small PR Consultancy of the Year at the PRCA DARE Awards and breaking into the Top 20 of Prolific North’s Top PR Agencies 2025 – a recognition of the hard work and dedication of our brilliant team. 

This year, we’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with some fantastic new partners across a wide range of sectors, including Powerleague, Muse, Moda, and William Hare Group (with more announcements coming in 2026!), while continuing to work with our wonderful existing clients. Every project has brought new challenges, exciting campaigns, and plenty of opportunities to get creative and deliver positive influence for our clients. 

Some of the highlights this year include Powerleague’s media relations and influencer campaign, She’s Got Game, encouraging more girls and women to get involved in football ahead of the Euros; Leeds Beckett University’s Hall of Fame, celebrating alumni achievements; and Econ Engineering’s Grit & Glory Awards, searching for its first-ever Gritter Driver of the Year and recognising those who keep the country moving through winter. We also enjoyed supporting our property clients Wellington Place, Muse, and Moda with their UKREiiF activity, and helping Aire Park open the first phase of the public park and bring Leeds Light Night to life. 

Award-winning Campaigns

It was also fantastic to see our campaigns recognised across the industry. At the PRCA DARE Awards, we took home awards in both the Media Relations Campaign of the Year category for Econ’s Spreading Joy campaign last Christmas, as well as the Public Sector Campaign of the Year Award for Wakefield Council’s Our Year celebration of culture, alongside Small Agency of the Year! 

Meanwhile, at the PRmoment Awards, our Spreading Joy campaign for Econ Engineering, which saw its iconic Goldie the Gritter dressed in a hand knitted Christmas jumper, was again recognised this time in both the Low Budget Campaign and Stunt of the Year categories. 

Individual achievements were celebrated too, with Senior Consultant Erin Hobbs named Young PR Professional of the Year at the Yorkshire Young Professionals Awards hosted by Yorkshire Business Insider. 

Out and About

Beyond the office, Team Aberfield has loved getting out and about, attending industry events, meeting clients, and even (the bravest amongst the team) taking part in a Hyrox-style challenge, raising £1,945 for Cancer Research UK while supporting Business Beats Cancer. 

Tim Downs, Director at Aberfield Communications, said: “It’s been a very strong year for Aberfield, continuing the momentum of recent times.  That this has been achieved against quite an uncertain backdrop makes it even more satisfying. It demonstrates the value our clients place on the strategic consultancy, advice and creative executions that our team is providing, rooted in insight and a deep commercial understanding of their organisations.  

“What’s most pleasing is doing it in such a relaxed and positive environment and seeing the team flourish. All of this has been capped off with an Agency of the Year Award and our rise up the league tables. Long may it continue into 2026 and beyond.”  

Ian Briggs, Director at Aberfield Communications, added:
“From food and drink to professional services, manufacturing to property regeneration, and the visitor economy to engineering, we’ve delivered outstanding award-winning campaigns across a range of sectors. Our results speak for themselves, and we are hugely proud of what we have achieved in what has been a landmark year for Aberfield. We look forward to the future with confidence and optimism.” 

As we reflect on 2025, we want to say a huge thank you to all our clients, partners, and industry peers for their continued support. Here’s to making 2026 another fantastic year!