CELEBRATING its 10th anniversary this year, brand agency LazenbyBrown has spent the last decade earning a reputation among both the business and education sectors in York.

Based in The Shambles, the company's directors say they have always been "deeply mindful" of the opportunity the HE sector represents for two way learning and dialogue.

Director Matt Lazenby, who is entering the agency for the Best Business and Higher Education Link award, said: "In 2009 me and my business partner Gary Brown were made Creative Fellows of York St John University as part of the CETL development fund and we embarked on a six month project with their fine art students, running along side our design work we worked with the students to share ideas and practice.

"We looked at ways to encourage the students to monetise their talents as artists and gave talks and set projects around such themes as creative entrepreneurship and understanding transferable skills.

"This period marked the start of us working intensively with the core marketing team at YSJ as well as the Arts faculty."

LazenbyBrown was commissioned to create a wide range of materials for the University, while also working with a set of Media Students on the launch of a magazine named ‘Neutral’, which was written and edited by the students, and has since worked on numerous projects with the university and its students.