Cambridge Business Improvement District:
Supporting our City and High Street Annual Review 2020/21
Overview Cambridge Business Improvement District (BID) is a collaboration of 1,200 businesses, working together to create a world-class experience for all who visit, live and
Board of Directors Nominated by the local business community and
work in Cambridge, a global city.
representing a cross-section of sectors from within the
Launched in April 2013, the organisation received a mandate in
extended BID Area, our Board of Directors drives forward
November 2017 to continue its work for a second five-year term,
the agenda on which BID Area businesses voted at the
following a Renewal Ballot in which 80 per cent of voters gave their
beginning of the BID term.
backing to the Business Plan for 2018-2023. In the process, the BID
The following directors were in post at the end of March 2021:
Area was extended to incorporate the CB1 area and Station Square; the threshold above which businesses pay a levy was also increased
Roger Allen (Chair)
The Lion Yard
(Shopping Centre)
from £20,000 to £30,000.
Ian Sandison (CEO)
Boudoir Femme
(Independent)
Anne Bannell
Jacks on Trinity
(Independent)
Luis Navarro
Nanna Mexico
(Independent)
Dominic Joyce
John Lewis
(National)
Robert Davey
Metro Bank
(National)
Simon Wallis
Brookgate
(Professional)
Valerie Lambert
HCR Hewitsons LLP
(Professional)
Nick Finlayson-Brown
Mills & Reeve
(Professional)
David Ormrod
The Regal
(Night Time)
Edward Adshead
Gonville Hotel
(Tourism)
Andrew Lloyd
Cambridge University
(Educational)
Glen Sharp
Trinity Hall College
(Educational)
Rosy Moore
Cambridge City Council*
Mathew Shuter
Cambridgeshire County Council*
During this second term, almost £5 million of private sector funding will be invested in the city through Cambridge BID. This will be used to underpin existing projects - delivered under the Welcome, Experience and Support workstreams - and enable new initiatives that will attract new talent and business, while raising the city's profile still further on the global stage.
*Local Authority Appointed This annual report is for the year ending March 31st 2021.
Foreword from the Chair These past 18 months have been unprecedented and turned the global business world upside down. In a time where the world has seen multiple lockdowns, closing, and reopening
Rebuilding Much work has already gone into making the city alive again,
of businesses, all sectors have seen the impact that
with the Cows About Cambridge Trail this summer encouraging
Covid-19 has had.
thousands of people to explore the city and visit places they might
Businesses large and small have fought to manage the
not usually go to. Never has it been more important to encourage
consequences for their own livelihoods, their employees,
our residents to re-engage with their city and enjoy all its offerings.
and their customers. It's been a tough year for many.
With the loss of Visit Cambridge and the Tourist Information
Looking back over 2020/21 financial year, yes Cambridge BID has had to adapt and deliver a slightly different program of projects to
Centre, the role of Cambridge BID has expanded to include Visitor Management and the promotion of the city to a global audience.
meet the needs of the businesses during these times. Being nimble
Roger Allen,
allowed them to do so, and I'm sure you will agree that delivery has
Chair, Cambridge BID
continued at a great pace.
Remaining Positive
"Cambridge is a fascinating city and incredibly well placed to make
Being able to sit back and look over this last year has been an
a strong come back. The team at
important exercise. Cambridge BID is committed to bringing
Cambridge BID are working hard to
businesses together in a community and facilitating them to act and help the city recover. Footfall is already on the increase,
ensure we are part of the recovery and
without the usual oversees tourist numbers, Cambridge is proving
give businesses the tools they need
to be popular with Staycationers and is still very much seen as
to come back bigger & stronger."
World Class destination.
Roger Allen, Chair of Cambridge BID
The Stats
Welcome Working with key stakeholders within the city to co-ordinate, organise & deliver a range of projects to create a welcoming, friendly city for all.
Clean Streets Working in partnership with Cambridge City Council, during 2020/21 the cleaning schedule was replicated as previous years, albeit at a slightly reduced frequency. This enabled some cost savings during the pandemic year. All cleansing undertaken is always in addition to
55 8 80 27
Streets cleaned Hot spots cleaned regularly CAMBAC Memberships paid Streets illuminated for Christmas
Christmas Lights The Christmas lights were installed in November 2020, just as the country moved into another lockdown. They did provide a nice glow during the quiet evenings and once the city reopened in December, they certainly helped consumers get into the festive spirit.
CAMBAC Our work with Cambridge Business Against Crime (CAMBAC)
the City Council programme, not replacing it.
continues and for BID Levy Paying businesses that join the radio
The Rapid Response initiative did continue, however as expected
scheme, Cambridge BID will cover the cost of the CAMBAC
usage was relatively low during this year. The call-out service
Membership. At the end of March 2021, we assisted 80 businesses
continues and enables businesses to call the team between
with their fees. Street Pastors were paused during the pandemic
8am - 11am should the business be faced with a messy shop front.
and Taxi Marshalls were reinstated each time the city reopened.
Night-time Our interim Purple Flag submission was postponed from June 2020 to June 2021 however work has been going on behind the scenes to support the night-time economy to ensure we keep our Purple Flag Status. October 2020 saw the first Purple Flag Month in Cambridge, where working in partnership with CAMBAC, Cambridge BID produced a 4-page article in Cambridge Independent highlighting Purple Flag and the evening and night-time offer.
Case Study:
City Ambassadors The Ambassador team are the face of the BID to many businesses. On street each day, working with the business community and assisting visitors on all things Cambridge the team are a huge asset to the city. Following the closure of Visit Cambridge in March 2020, the City Ambassadors were transferred to the Cambridge BID team. During a turbulent 12 months, the team have had to adapt their duties and assist with a range of business support activities including helping businesses with their social distancing merchandise, supporting the City Council and the Covid Marshal team as well as fulfilling their all-important role of helping visitors navigate the city and the environmental reporting that they undertake. During the three lockdowns, the team were furloughed, and on each return, they were motivated, driven, and keen to get back out
"The team have shown great resilience
there. Throughout Summer 2020 the team continued their visitor
throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
interactions and bearing in mind the city was closed for much of
A difficult business decision had to
the year, they still assisted many people and carried out numerous
be made to furlough the team each
business visits often delivering many Covid Floor stickers and updating businesses on how the City Centre was reopening.
lockdown, but each time they returned full of gusto and ready to start their roles. The Board and Cambridge BID team are incredibly proud of the Ambassadors and how they have dealt with this situation." Ian Sandison, CEO Cambridge BID
The Stats
Experience Visitor experience is an important consideration for ensuring Cambridge remains a world-class destination. Cambridge BID seek to ensure Cambridge remains a fun and vibrant
5,500 30,000+ 50,000+ 40,000
views of Eat Out to Help Out webpage people reached with Support Local Listing during November lockdown tuned into the The Big Switch On at Home event raised for Street Aid
Street Aid In 2020/21 just over £40,000 was donated to Street Aid and 84
city through promotions, events and projects that animate
Grants were given out. Cambridge BID continue to support Street
and entertain.
Aid and during the pandemic, paid for 4 new contactless donation
Marketing & PR When the city started to reopen, a comprehensive marketing and PR plan was put into place. Working with a variety of print and digital
terminals to be installed across the city bringing the total to 15.
Visit Cambridge A consortium of Cambridge BID, Cambridge City Council, Fitzwilliam
media, the message was 'Cambridge is safe and open'.
Museums Enterprises and Kings College have bought the assets
A series of 'Know Before you Go' videos were produced to give
of Visit Cambridge and are working on launching a new model
customers the confidence that businesses in the city were taking
and website to develop the visitor offer for the city. This involves
measures to ensure that they were safe to visit. Working with Star
significant new investment on behalf of our businesses that are part
Radio, Breakfast Presenter Josh visited businesses and walked the
of this economy.
customer journey so viewers could see all the new Covid measures implemented. Over 30,000 people viewed the videos.
Visit Cambridge is committed to ensuring that every visitor has the best experience, and will promote the area regionally, nationally,
A lot of digital and website work has been delivered to support the
and internationally. Due to the popularity of Cambridge as a day trip
National Eat Out to Help Out campaign in Summer 2020 with over
destination (visitors only stay for an average of three hours), a key
5,500 visits to our listings page and the online Support Local Listing
focus is to encourage visitors to stay longer and explore further.
reached over 30,000 people through social media.
Cows About Cambridge
As the old Visit Cambridge website was taken offline, a temporary site was built and made live by the Cambridge BID team (www.visitcambridge.org). This temporary website will be replaced
Cambridge BID are still leading on the delivery of our citywide 'Cows
this autumn by a new high functioning website, which appeals
about Cambridge' public art project which has been delivered in the
to both local and international visitors. Travel is now a hugely
of Summer 2021.
online world, and the website needs to reflect this by being user friendly and mobile ready. The Visit Cambridge website will be the primary resource for all visitors and residents in the Cambridge area, offering inspiration and guidance on how visitors can make the most of their stay.
Case Study:
Love Cambridge Love Christmas With large scale events an impossibility, it was time to turn
"We were so pleased to work with
to online. The Christmas Lights Switch On event is a staple
Cambridge BID on the Christmas
in the Cambridge calendar, one that is usually attended by thousands of people each year. A community focus with
Lights At Home programme in 2020,
local schools, choirs, dance schools and musicians using it
which enabled us to bring festive joy
as a platform to show off their hard work, it's an important
to thousands of people across the city
event not just for the business community but also the residents and visitors alike.
during such a challenging time. Despite
Working in partnership with Star Radio, an acorn of an idea of
the lockdown, many groups who would
recreating the Switch On moment online, developed into a full day's
normally have joined us on stage were
activity with on air performances from The Rock Choir, Sing Choir,
instead able to perform and showcase
Tom Korni and even Santa Claus himself made an appearance. The show was an all-day affair, culminating in a 2-minute video
their talent on the radio. We were
showcasing the lights across the city and of course the big switch
pleased to have engaged with so many
on moment filmed at Market Square. The video was played out on
people through the programme, giving
Facebook as a live event, which had over 7,000 people watching and approximately 50,000 views over the course of the following days.
a much-loved Cambridge event a virtual
The event took place during the November lockdown so although
home during the pandemic."
the city wasn't officially open to reap the benefits of the event immediately, it did mean that once they could fling their doors open again on 2nd December, the city was ready.
Freddie Scherer, Managing Director and Director of Programming, Star Radio
The Stats 80,000 200+ 2,500 8
£
of Gift Card Sales - an increase of 67% from previous year Businesses accepting the Gift Card webpage views Meet the Owners Footfall count lines across the city Weekly & Monthly Performance Reports Published
Support Covid-19 Response
encouraging employers to purchase for their staff in lieu of
In a year like no other, our focus switched to offering more
December saw the launch of the Love Cambridge Gift Card Pop Up
business support than previous years. From March 2020 weekly
Shop in Lion Yard. This enabled gift cards to be sold in person as
webinars were introduced to help support the business community
opposed to just online and increased the visibility of the Gift Card to
understand the packages of help offered by the Government.
the consumer audience.
Helping with furlough questions, business grants, Cbils, Bounce Back Loans and more, the weekly sessions soon became a wealth of information for many. It was also an opportunity for businesses to reconnect with their peers albeit online.
Christmas parties or traditional gifts.
The Love Cambridge Gift Card has had a bumper year and as it can only be spent in person, it really gives an opportunity to the city to upsell and encourage people in for longer.
distancing merchandise where Cambridge BID floor stickers, posters,
City Performance
signage and queuing guidelines were distributed across the city.
As we start to adjust to a new way of living, understanding how
When restrictions started easing, support came in the form of social
Cambridge is performing is key. Cambridge BID publishes a range
Local Authority Collaboration
of documents to help in this process. Each Tuesday we publish
The relationship with Cambridge City Council has always been
how footfall faired compared to the previous week and year both as
positive and productive therefore Cambridge BID were in a strong
a whole and by counter location. We have seven count lines across
position to work collaboratively with them to implement a range
the city: Sidney Street; Bridge Street; Fitzroy Street; Kings Parade;
of short-term measures to help support the city. These include
Rose Crescent; Market Hill and Station Road. We also publish
supporting the free parking for NHS and Key Workers, the £1 per
monthly footfall data for these seven counters in the few days after
hour parking charge during the autumn to encourage people back
the month finishes.
into the city and the communal seating that was implemented in
Our monthly Cambridge Performance Report brings together footfall
March 2021, enabling more people to sit outside and enjoy food
counter information alongside footfall data from shopping centres,
and drink during a time when eating inside was still not permissible.
car parking usage and both Park & Ride and Guided Busway usage.
Love Cambridge Gift Card The Love Cambridge Gift Card is accepted in around 200 locations across the BID area. Sales for 2020/21 exceeded £80,000 - all of which must be spent in a BID Area business. Strong sales occurred in the run up to Christmas, following a corporate campaign
footfall from the previous week so businesses like yours can see
It also shows the work of our City Ambassadors by indicating how many visitors they have seen, for example. All this information provides a good basis to understand how Cambridge is performing and responding to this challenging period.
Case Study:
Supporting Local As the world started to close, the panic started to set in.
The Hidden Gems Campaign focussed on a series of Meet
Businesses were suddenly faced with a bigger challenge
the Owner interviews and videos, a new consumer website
of how to compete online.
(love-cambridge.com) and Curated Cambridge, a library of themed
Of course, businesses have a loyal customer base and there are some people that will only ever shop locally but the power of the internet meant that more and more people started shopping conveniently and that would usually result in a certain Prime Delivery driver knocking on your door just hours after placing your order. In August 2020, the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme was launched Nationally and was supported by Cambridge BID by driving people to support their local restaurant or bar. An online list and social media campaign followed detailing those businesses that had signed up to
guides and trails. A real community is beginning to grow which is supported by a range of window stickers and merchandise, so the consumer gets a real sense of a joined-up approach across Cambridge retailers. Of course, there's always more we can do to support local, and the Independent Support Fund has increased for 2021 enabling more projects to be delivered to support this vital sector.
"Cambridge has a fantastic independent
the campaign.
offering which contributes vast amounts
During the November lockdown a lot of work was put into an online
to this city, in terms of the rates they
directory of which businesses were trading online or were offering a
pay, the people they employ, all the
click and collect service, this was invaluable to some as their online presence was not comparable to the big high street names. The Independent Support Fund has always been there to support
money they return to the local economy. Cambridge BID does a great job
the independent businesses in the city and 2020 was no different.
celebrating and showcasing independent
It continues to deliver a range of projects designed solely to
businesses and encouraging supporting
promote the wealth of unique businesses Cambridge has to offer.
local. They especially help those businesses not in clear view, operating
THERE’S
a story behind every product in Cambridge
BRINGING UNIQUE &
thoughtful
.c o .uk
advertising."
GIFTS TO CAMBRIDGE
Alex Signorelli, Business Owner of Signorelli's Deli, MEET THE OWNERS
l o ve-cambridge
on small margins or unable to invest in
La Piazza and Il Mercato
2020/21 Income BID levy
£975,168
Voluntary BID contributions Sponsorship
Finances
£0 £5,662
Fold out maps
£750
Interest receivable
£305
Other income
Total
£150,110
£1,131,690
Over 95% of businesses that remained trading paid their
Expenditure
levy in 2020-21 and since our project delivery was reduced
Operating and other costs
£191,141
our Board agreed in January 2021 to allocate £150k of these
Welcome
£327,782
savings to our Business Support Grant that we launched in
Experience
May 2021. We are also allocating some of these savings to
Support
further support for the Visit Cambridge brand, a 12-month PR campaign for Visit Cambridge and to boosting our team to support our work. The extent we can support the city going forward is wholly dependent on our levy being paid and we thank those that are up to date with this. Over the past twelve months, the Board of Directors has ensured that both levy payments and voluntary contributions were used efficiently by Cambridge BID, to meet the stated aims of promoting and improving the city of Cambridge for businesses, organisations, visitors, and residents.
Total Pre Tax (deficit)/surplus for the year
Reserves carried forward*
£69,005 £133,168
£721,096 £410,594
£490,981
*The reserves shown will be invested in the delivery of BID business proposals.
What Does the Future Hold Remaining positive and consistent are what will get us through this year and ones to follow. Cambridge is a very resilient city, and just looking at the high street now proves that the demand for the city is still there. Footfall remains consistently above the national average and new stores are moving in all the time. Just this year we have seen large brands such Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters moving in and several new Independents including Freckleface, Cambridge Bee, Fredericks, Cubitts, The Wine Rooms, Middletons Steak House, Fantasia, Yellow Korner, Iris and Velvet, and La Latina Bustaurant all adding to the eclectic mix we have in the city. This summer has already seen glimpses of life as we know it with the screening of the Olympics near the Station, our film nights have returned, our Mystery Shop programme has started once again and we have successfully delivered the fantastic Cows about Cambridge art trail. The team are planning a full year of activity to support our BID business community.
projects and the team to deliver these. All BID Directors represent businesses and organisations in Cambridge. We understand the
As mentioned earlier we did not deliver a full project programme in
pressures that individual businesses are facing because we too are
2020 so in May 2021 we launched our Covid-19 Recovery Grant.
experiencing these on a personal level. In October 2022 we will be
This £150k grant scheme is using savings we made to support levy
holding a ballot for our third term and over this coming winter and
payers. The grant can be used to improve your premises, product
spring we will be inviting businesses to engage in our consultation
offer or online presence. The application process is very simple with
process to shape the next 5 years. That's why I would encourage
full details on our website or email ian.sandison@cambridgebid.co.uk.
you to connect with us. We are here to help your business succeed,
As you can see Cambridge BID is essentially a community business
and we can achieve more if we all work together towards the
fund, which supports businesses, makes the city vibrant, promotes
common goal of seeing our high street and city thrive.
the city, supports many cultural events, and works with other agencies to make our city safe and clean. Your BID levy funds these
Ian Sandison,
projects. We are a not for profit, so all your levy is invested in these
CEO, Cambridge BID
Keep in Touch To tell us what else you would like to see Cambridge BID deliver, or to comment on any of our projects, email
becky.burrell@cambridgebid.co.uk To receive regular email updates from Cambridge BID on issues relevant to your business, send your preferred contact details to info@cambridgebid.co.uk
Connect with us on social media
Contact information
For consuming-facing projects and events, where we regularly
Cambridge Business Improvement District (BID)
support social media campaigns run by BID businesses and
Dashwood House, 185 East Road
organisations, visit:
Cambridge, CB1 1BG
@LoveCambridge_ @LoveCambridge_ @LoveCambs #LoveCambridge For B2B messages, shared for and on behalf of businesses within the BID area, visit: @CambridgeBID Cambridge BID #CambridgeBID
01223 903 300 info@cambridgebid.co.uk www.cambridgebid.co.uk