Success So far... Birmingham’s most vibrant and diverse district: embracing Hurst Street, The Arcadian, Chinatown and the Gay Village
It has been four fantastic years since the BID began in 2011 and we are especially proud to have achieved so much for Southside alongside our vibrant and diverse business cohort. Here are just some of the successes that wouldn’t be possible without your BID levy contribution. Thank You!
Streets: Over £182,000 raised in additional funding from grants, public and private sector contributors all ploughed back into your BID. Seven days a week dedicated litter picking, clearing over 27 bags of litter each week which the council leave on our streets. 86 man hours of warden cover every week, 7 days a week, 362 days a year. 781 instances of fly tipping and graffiti reported and solved through the Southside Street Team. 1547 Warden attendances to reports of Anti-Social Behaviour in the District, including evidence gathering which has led to over 7 ASBOs preventing problem individuals from returning to Southside for years to come. 735 used needles reported, monitored and cleaned from Southside streets, keeping our businesses and visitors safe. 9 new pieces of public art including the popular Southside Rhinestone Rhino on Wynner House and the Golden Boy "It's all about the glasses" Mural on Lower Essex St. Festive lights throughout the district during the Christmas season with special Chinatown Zodiac lights which stay on until Chinese New Year. 40 Crime Prevention Radios with Leisure, Retail and Night-Time Economy Businesses linking them with the Warden team and with WM Police. Dedicated Southside Group on FACEWATCH, sharing data of crimes and suspected individuals with all Southside businesses who enlist. Free Chinese Language Training to Police, Taxi Marshalls and Southside Street Wardens. The establishment of a City Pastor Scheme in Southside for Saturday nights until 3am with training in Hate crime reporting and LGBT awareness. Free Hate Crime Reporting and LGBT awareness training for Southside Taxi Marshalls and Street Wardens. A successful Pubwatch for Southside, which has led to Southside businesses receiving a number of awards in the Best Bar None Scheme. Match funding for 8 wayfinding totems to assist visitors finding their way around Southside. 82 hanging baskets and 86 flower troughs planted all over the district during the summmer plus wicker planted features on Ladywell Walk as part of the city wide Floral Trail.
For more information, visit
www.southsidebid.co.uk or www.enjoysouthside.co.uk
Scene: Royal Television Society Award winning production of 10 short films focusing on Southside Businesses www.southsidestories.co.uk New Invest in Southside brochure, video and website www.investinsouthside.co.uk designed to attract new businesses and investors to the area. Support for festivals such as Birmingham Pride, Summer in Southside, Eye Candy, Shout, Latin American Festival, Bastille Day and Chinese Autumn and New Year celebrations. £2.2M worth of PR and media coverage for Southside and its businesses. A dedicated business website www.southsidebid.co.uk A dedicated visitor website www.enjoysouthside.co.uk A dedicated Christmas website www.christmasinsouthside.co.uk A pro- active social media strategy promoting your business using Twitter and Facebook with 8000 followers/likes. A new kitemark for LGBT accommodation Rainbow Rooms free for Southside hoteliers. The production and distribution of 60,000 Southside walking maps and 30,000 Chinatown and Gay Village Guides which profile the visitor offer here in Southside.
Synergy: A bi monthly e-newsletter read by over 500 individuals every fortnight. A quarterly print newsletter which is circulated to over 400 businesses in Southside and beyond. A regular Southside Showcase Business Network which so far has brought 580 people from 167 different companies together to share ideas and do business. A total of over £175,000 worth of grants, rebates, new business and other revenue which our businesses have gained thanks to the BID's help and sign posting. The prevention of a number of potentially damaging developments in our role as a statutory consultee of Birmingham City Council's Planning Department. The assistance of over 14 new licenses in Southside in our role as a collaborative partner with Birmingham City Council and WM Police Licensing Departments. The establishment of the Southside BID Office in Gallan House on Hill St which includes a large meeting/training room which is freely available to any of our businesses. Liaison with the Birmingham New St/Grand Central contractors to minimise disruption to nearby businesses, including free window cleaning on Station St and enhanced cleaning for businesses affected by the works. Participation in City Centre Parades for Christmas, Birmingham Pride and St Patricks Day. A dedicated Taxi Marshall service who operate Friday and Saturday nights in Southside with funding sourced from the city council. All this plus the lobbying and attention we give to city wide initiatives that mean we never miss an opportunity to get the best for Southside. Free training for businesses, in counter terrorism techniques, retail loss prevention and social media marketing.
All this from a small team, designed to deliver maximum value for a minimum cost. We hope you approve of all the activity and if there's something you think we should be doing in 2015 and beyond, please let us know.
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CONTACT
BID Manager. Julia Chance | bidmanager@southsidebid.co.uk Chair. Stuart Griffiths | hipchiefexecutive@birminghamhippodrome.com
Southside, Birmingham’s most vibrant and diverse business district