The Campaign

You might have spotted our posters around town. Had a look at the new website or maybe you've heard us on Radio Newquay. If you're wondering what's going on, here's the story of how we got here.

It started with a question we couldn't shake: we have some of the largest crowds at our level turn up at Mount Wise every Saturday, but why doesn't a lot of Newquay know we are here?

We've been here for 136 years. We've survived wars, economic destruction and pandemics. We've just reached the highest league position in our history. Katie Robinson went from our local pitches to the World Cup. And yet, walk down Fore Street and ask someone about Newquay AFC, and you'll mostly get blank looks.

We knew something had to change.

Finding Our Voice

Before we did anything, we looked at clubs who'd figured this out. Wrexham's story is everywhere now. Hollywood owners, documentary series, global following. But strip away the celebrity, and what actually works is the storytelling. Real people, real stories, the town woven through everything. They don't sell football. They invite people into a community story.

FC St. Pauli in Hamburg takes it even further. They call themselves "a way of life" rather than a football club. Despite modest success on the pitch, they fill 95% of seats. People don't go for the football. They go because the club represents something they believe in.

The clubs that connect with their communities aren't selling match tickets. They're giving people a way to express who they are. So we asked ourselves: what could Newquay AFC represent?

Testing With The People Who Matter

We wrote four different messages to test. One focused on heritage and resilience. One on community gathering, Mount Wise as a place where neighbours come together. One on achievement, the historic promotion. And one tried to blend all three.

Then we took them to Newquay. We ran focus groups across different parts of town. Families who've been here for generations sat alongside newer residents from Nansledan and people from the creative and surf community. Different Newquays, different perspectives.

They ranked the messages. Told us what felt true and what felt off. The community message won clearly, and heritage was overwhelmingly important.

The achievement-focused message? People pushed back. Success mattered, they said, but leading with it felt like only part of the story; what about the other teams at the club? What about the history?

Words like "neighbours" and "different people, different backgrounds" landed across every group. People said those phrases captured something true about Newquay. "136 years" gave us credibility without having to argue for it.

But when one message called Mount Wise "the heart of Newquay," people bristled. That felt presumptuous, they said. What about the surfers? The families on the beach? We don't get to claim we're the heart of anything until it's earned.

Someone pointed out that both the club and the town share something: being underestimated by outsiders but loved by people who actually know the place.

And people kept coming back to wanting evidence, not claims. Show us the youth coming through. Show us the ground improving. Show us the heart. Don't just tell us you matter.

What Emerged

We took all of it and wrote something new. Not a slogan from a meeting room, but something shaped by Newquay voices.

The result: This Is How We Rise.

"Every Saturday at Mount Wise, you can see what Newquay looks like when we come together. Neighbours supporting neighbours, different people united by the same pride in this place. We've been here for 136 years, through good times and tough times, always building something lasting. People don't always see what this town is capable of, but we do. Our youth coming through. Our ground improving. Our community growing stronger. Now we're at our highest level ever, and this is just the beginning. This is how Newquay rises."

It opens with community because that's what people responded to most. Heritage earns credibility. Evidence instead of empty claims. And it looks forward, not just back.

Come See For Yourself

The posters are up around town. The radio spots are running. The new website is live at newquayafc.com. But a campaign is just words and pictures. What matters is whether it's true.

So, if you've never been to Mount Wise, come see for yourself. The change, the growth, the clubhouse is open, the welcome is warm, and there's always room for more.

This is how we rise. And there's room for you in the story.