COLLEGE students who are working with the council to celebrate one of the town’s most unique landmarks are proud of all they’ve achieved - and there’s still plenty more to come.
Worsbrough Mill is one of the few remaining in-use mills in Yorkshire and this year will celebrate its 400th anniversary.
The landmark’s future was plunged into doubt last year when technical faults nearly caused the mill’s permanent closure, however a funding boost from the council ensured its wheel would continue spinning for years to come.
Now students from Barnsley College are helping the council with anniversary celebrations, as they’ve been tasked with developing a new logo and creating a photography portfolio that will capture its long history.
Graphic design students are each creating their own design for the logo, one of which will be chosen by the council to use in official marketing - and only a month into the yearlong anniversary celebrations, these creative youngsters already have plenty to show off.
Paul Harris, lead graphic design lecturer at the college, told the Chronicle: “It’s not a new logo for the mill itself but it will be used alongside it to officially brand the anniversary year.
“Part of that has included making brand guidelines - it’ll be used for the whole year across the marketing.
“They’re also planning on printing it onto mugs and other bits of stationery to be sold.
“Apparently there’s plans to bake it onto a pie too, so obviously now all students want is to see their work on a pie.
“Photography students are then also working to expand the catalogue of pictures the mill has available.”
Paul believes that the practical aspect of the project - which is essentially being run as a commission they would receive while working in the industry - is beneficial to the students’ education.
“I think they’re really enjoying the live project aspect of it and how big it is,” he added.
“Because it’s a local heritage site they’ve found it really beneficial to develop their CV, but it’s also a really good chance to put their work alongside professional designers.
“Staff at the mill have already said that the work they’ve produced would not look out of place alongside their own official branding.”
While only one graphic design student’s work will be chosen to represent the mill in the end, everyone who’s thrown themselves into this wider project has earned recognition.
As such, the cohort of students have been put up for this year’s Young Champions awards.
“They’ve done so well with it,” Paul added.
“I think that for our students, because it’s a local heritage site they’ve grown up going, it’s struck them how big the project is.
“Everybody around here knows about the mill.
“And for the winner it’s something that will go into the historical context of the site that will be kept forever - in 20 years they could take their kids, show them it and say ‘I made that’.”
