BRISTOLWORKS Helping Bristol’s indies, and the future of farming

It’s the city’s business

BRISTOLWORKS

From Gopal’s to the Galli, to Bristol’s many indie shops: make it a local one this Christmas

Indies rock’n’roll

It’s hardly stop-press news businesses, and has gained a following that we need to support our of around 6k across platforms, with independent shops, restaurants 20k Bristolians interacting with the and cafés more than ever this #actlocalbristol hashtag. Christmas – and to that end, “Indies in Bristol is a really simple dozens of small Bristol businesses have online platform that captures the massively upped their online game,. essence of all the vibrant, diverse

We’ve almost lost count of all the businesses within the city,” says excellent and creative solutions out Konichwa’s Ursula Hutchinson. there. During Lockdown1, for example, With helpful tips for local indies to local wesbite wearebs3.co.uk collated try on social, Konichiwa has forefronted the offerings of many edminster shops affordable and often free ways to help on one handy portal. the Bristolian independent community.

More recently, a social campaign For more: @IndiesinBristol. created by Konichiwa Agency has A retail initiative spearheaded by created an accessible guide to help Beck of ethical Old Market shop Prior Bristol’s independent businesses during has a similar, citywide mission in the the current weirdness. The campaign form of shopbristol.co.uk, in which 23 is centred around championing Bristol independent gift and lifestyle and supporting local independent stores have joined forces to launch a campaign to shop locally, online. For more: shopbristol.co.uk

Thirdly, we have the Bristol Indie Weekend, a festive shopping event taking place from 20-22 November, encouraging shoppers to shop from Bristol’s local businesses when buying gifts this year. 20 shops are involved, each of them offering a special treat for shoppers, from an exclusive discount to a gift with purchases, or ra e tickets with the opportunity to win a prize bundle.

As Joh Rindom of That Thing says, “Shopping small doesn’t just make you feel good; it’s also doing good. When you’re shopping from independent stores, your money goes directly back into the local economy.” For more: inbristol.guide

The big number £3.8M

Landmark art gallery the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £1.37m towards its £3.8m heritage project, Light & Inspiration in Bristol, which will help to preserve the building and transform access to art for all.

“We are thrilled to have received this support,” said RWA director Alison Bevan. “Without this project there was a real risk the RWA would have had to close its doors, not just for lockdown, but permanently, and instead it is now set to achieve its potential as a major regional gallery.” For more: rwa.org.uk

Virtual one hour sessions, all free to attend

Search Bristol Life on LinkedIn for upcoming dates and registration

If you would like to get involved, please email events@mediaclash.co.uk

BRISTOL BACK TOGETHER

he Bristol Life Awards will return to loyds mphitheatre on pril, with the organisers planning a memorable, unmissable e ent for ristol. his year s irtual awards saw thousands watching online, with top uality nominations, a di erse set of finalists, e cited sponsors and winners, and appearances from ristol luminaries. ponsorships are now a ailable for the new season. he wards are already highly-supported, with the initial roster including headline sponsor arsh ommercial; others include nderson inancial anagement, ritish orner hop, runel Insurance rokers, urston ook, ar uees, uro, , paces, riangle etworks, and Bristol Life. he wards are backed by a high profile, all-channels, integrated media marketing campaign, peaking in pril. ominations opening in ecember, and information on how to win an Award will be via the website. e re keen for all companies to put the best possible case forward. ur comprehensi e online tips will guide businesses through what the udges are looking for and e plaining how the wards work, said e ent organiser Claudia Butler. For sponsorship enquiries, please contact Harriette Dixon harriette.dixon@mediaclash.co.uk

Fancy winning one of these? It’s easy and free to enter

COUNTDOWN BEGINS…

to the ristol roperty wards, the largest gathering of property professionals in the city. he wards returns on ebruary as a irtual conferencing e ent featuring thought leadership seminars, structured networking for sponsors and delegates, culminating in the celebration of e cellence the wards itself. nprecedented support means that there is now only one category sponsorship remaining for the wards, which are headline-sponsored by mith illiamson. he remaining category is uppliers and er ices. For more details contact harriette.dixon@mediaclash.co.uk. For more: www.bristolpropertyawards.co.uk

SUPPORT FOR THE SOUTH

new three-year business support scheme is off to a cracking start, with more than 100 applications since it launched in July.

South Bristol Enterprise Support (SBES) is a partnership led by ristol ity ouncil and a deli ery group consisting of nowle est edia entre, he rinces rust, chool for ocial ntrepreneurs and td. he scheme co ers a range of industries, from pri ate sector, youth and social enterprise to creati e and digital manufacturing, and is open to e isting businesses and entrepreneurs based in South Bristol he entire pro ect is funded to the tune of . million by the uropean egional e elopment und and est of ngland ombined uthority. he scheme offers a range of support to entrepreneurs and small to medium-si ed enterprises, including training packages; bursaries and grants; access to workshops and business coaching, and much more. ntrepreneurs from engineers, bakers and wine retailers are already benefiting from their in ol ement in . ristol is facing the deepest economic depression since the s, and it is imperati e that we work together now to do all we can to keep businesses open and thri ing, said ar in ees, ayor of ristol. chemes like outh ristol nterprise upport are absolutely ital in our path to reco ery, and in helping businesses and entrepreneurs to put in place foundations for the future. I m encouraged to see so many businesses sign up for support already, but I want to remind e isting and new businesses in the south of the city not to miss out. It could make all the difference in steering them in the right direction. For further information and to apply: sbes.org.uk

BRISTOL LIFE AWARDS 2020 In a pleasing example of nominative determinism, Jack Farmer is the co-founder of LettUs Grow. He's also the company’s chief scientifi c offi cer and the head of the commercial team

LettUs Grow build aeroponic irrigation technology for vertical and greenhouse farms, alongside developing their farm-management software, Ostara. Both of these are combined in their new aeroponic container farm, Drop & Grow – “essentially, vertical farming business in a bo , says ack.

“An indoor farm works by mimicking the most productive forms of agriculture – creating an optimum environment for plants by using technology such as LED lights and irrigation systems. Growing vertically means we stack grow beds on top of one another, so you can grow more in the same footprint.

When and why was the company founded? I co-founded LettUs Grow with engineers Charlie Guy and Ben Crowther back in 2015. We all wanted to tackle the same environmental challenges: carbon emissions, environmental pollution and food security.

What innovations have been unique to LettUs Grow?

• TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION AWARD • PLATINUM AWARD

We have developed a nozzlefree aeroponic system. Growing aeroponically means we suspend plant roots in a nutrient-dense mist, which gives the plant all the water and nutrients it needs while also providing access to o ygen. raditionally, no les in an aeroponic system can become clogged and break. Our system is far simpler and more low-maintenance.

Tell us about a few recent triumphs and achievements. Completing the build of our research facility at Avon Valley in the middle of the Covid pandemic was a huge achievement, as was launching our new product line, Drop & Grow. Plus our double Bristol Life Award win!

How has 2020 been for you? We received £2.3 million in funding at the beginning of the year, which allowed us to build our research facility in Bristol. We have also taken on 11 new hires, allowing us to really scale and push our product lines to market. Of course, there have been challenges with Covid forcing us to change our operations, but we were lucky that our farms could be largely operated remotely, or with only one grower on site at a time.

What marketing tools do you use? As a small company, we’ve never had much of a marketing budget, so we’ve relied on talking to people – engaging with the community and like-minded businesses. While borne out of necessity, I think it might actually have been a blessing in disguise. People are often really interested in what we're up to, and being so open has led us to some amazing opportunities.

Why is your company ethos such an ideal fi t for Bristol? Our vision for the future of climateresilient, resource-e cient farming is central to our success. When it comes to environmental activism, Bristol is leading the way, and we’re glad to be a part of it. There are also a large number of other great food tech projects in Bristol, doing incredible things for the city, and we’re proud to be working alongside them.

Our mission and work consistently refl ects and contributes to ristol s commitment to nature, wildlife and a better quality of life for all residents. Our company ethos and the way we treat our employees also mirrors the diverse and neighbourly spirit of Bristol. We are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, encouraging our staff to work fl e ible hours and engage with side or passion projects.

How else does the company benefi t the city? LettUs Grow is creating dozens of jobs for young and local people in many areas. We work with companies such as Babbasa, a Bristol-based social enterprise who work with less advantaged communities to help young people move into work or education. We also have internship and graduate programmes at the University of Bristol, Pershore College and the MOD.

During the Covid outbreak, we switched up our focus to growing and donating food for local charities. We believe that in the future our technology can benefi t the local area by creating job opportunities, supporting local farmers and creating a consistent, climate-resilient food supply to the local community all year round.

Why do you think the judges chose you? Our Technology & Innovation award really is a credit to our incredible engineering team – they work tirelessly to produce industry-leading technology. We were very honoured to receive the Platinum award in such prestigious company. There are some incredible businesses working to improve our city, and winning the Platinum Award has spurred us on to keep pushing to make positive change here in Bristol.

For more: lettusgrow.com