To Help with This I Am Using the E-Mail Trail from Anton Draper of 21Stjuly

From: Phil Redmond Merseyfilm [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, July 23, 2010 6:27 PM To: Bert Provan Cc: Francis Davis; Donna Smith Merseyfilm; Charlotte Corrie Subject: CONFIDENTIAL: Following on... RE: Vanguard Areas: agreed script

Hi Bert,

I thought it might be useful if I tried to crystallise where I think we are in all this as I am conscious that for me and us here in Liverpool we seem to be playing both a role as vanguard and tail gunner! And while doing that we are creating policy as we go on telephone calls and emails and television interviews but what else is new?

To help with this I am using the e-mail trail from Anton Draper of 21stJuly.

As you may know, we came late to the project so that by the time the PM stood up on the platform in Liverpool all that was in place was a strong willingness to pull together what we now deem the COW Coalition of the Willing that already existed in the City, worked informally and was a legacy of ECoC 2008. That period really established a new spirit of confidence and collaboration. I have said elsewhere that it was and is, Big Society in all but name.

What excites both myself and the rest of our own coalition is the opportunities offered by Big Society to;

 formalise what we do  find fast-track pathways  seek small amounts of seed/organisational funding  but above all provide the badge of authority to quicken the pace.

The latter is particularly welcome and necessary bearing in mind the political landscape we operate across in the Liverpool City Region.

Having said that, there is much we have already achieved through our collective action, which gives me the confidence to take on the project, and it is through developing those collective initiatives that we will make progress. So, exactly what are the ideas and how do we seek to achieve them?

The two outlined below in Anton Drapers note NML and Open Culture come from a summary document prepared for Rohan Silva and copied to Neil O Connor, David Prout, PS Greg Clark, PS Eric Pickles on July 13th 2010. It is an extract from a note I hastily put together for Francis Liverpool Collaboration Lab on same day. (Copy attached.)

This was later refined in a conference call to the meeting of reps from Cumbria, Maidenhead and Sutton, chaired by Gregg Clark at No 10 on 15th July. I couldnt attend as we were launching UK CoC that day in Liverpool . I was asked for bullet points from that meeting which I sent on Friday 16th to Tim Chatwin after returning from Derry-Londonderry so perhaps between the typical conference call drop out and compiling on the move, they may not have been as succinct as required! (Copy attached.)

All of this has obviously has been distilled by the art of the possible, which is understandable, but, perhaps typically, the use of language around NMLs pre-existing volunteer scheme set off some unnecessary hares about volunteers replacing public sector jobs! Still, I think we are managing that now and I would still like to pursue the triple track approach of the original strategy:

1. NML - existing volunteer model is developed to see:

 if we can extend or change our opening hours to provide better access for public and tourists  if the training attached to it can become an employer recognised qualification especially for NEETS

2. Open Culture - develops into the social enterprise Creative Capital - that will:

 build a sustainable investment fund as a film finance fund to provide loans to support large scale city-wide projects like the 2008 Spider, Tall Ships and/or large art exhibitions like Art in the Age of Steam at the Walker, or Klimt at the Tate but only when the business case provides pay back and royalties on the original loan.

 Encourage better commercial collaboration between the existing arts and cultural partners to not only take advantage of the above but create commercial content for the developing digital outlets like iPad etc.

3. Merseyside Fire & rescue: to incorporate its brand, experience and community trust to

 stand alongside NML to demonstrate innovative thinking and extend public services on existing resources e.g.: initial discussions have already taken place with the CEO of MerseyTravel about the potential/possibility of extending late night bus/train services

 add support and value to extending the volunteer principle across other public sector organisations

 to develop their existing Fire Stations as 24/7 community hubs to help promote

The above was the basis for the private meeting with the PM and Greg Clark with representatives from the COW on 19th.

From all this then I would say our Big Society project remains a holistic vision to eventually:

1. extend or develop public services by looking at the roll volunteers could play in changing the nature of the way organisations are operated 2. provide the seed finance to promote better use of our existing cultural assets to generate greater cultural activity that brings the same levels of economic impact through tourism and commercial activity seen in 2008: c £125m investment resulting in a C£800m return excluding savings to public purse through increasing well-being bringing about a resultant lower demand for health and social costs elsewhere.

To do this we will focus on two publicly facing projects:

1. Volunteers: exploring the potential for extending NMLs existing volunteer programme something already well established and accepted in the cultural sector

2. Creative Capital: the social enterprise (aka Open Culture) that will develop the commercial model to provide the seed funding that allowed all the cultural organisations to develop and thrive in 2008

The shopping list:

The asks remain largely as set out in the bullet document sent to Tim Chatwin on the 16th July. These are:

Volunteers: National Museums Liverpool (NML), of which I am Chair, already has a sophisticated programme of volunteer recruitment. It would be relatively easy to make a start by expanding the existing procedures and most importantly the willingness to try and open up the Museums and Galleries for greater access, an ethos and culture already in place. This would require:

1. Small amount of funding for co-ordination, organisation and management of scheme

2. Expected regulatory intervention in regard to issues associated with qualification accreditation; employment and transition from Benefits trap by exploring the idea of allowing any Benefits received during training, or establishment of a small business, to be converted to a repayable loan once full- time employment or self-employment has been attained.

Creative Capital: A new social enterprise that would work with existing regional arts and cultural organisations to nurture, develop and promote talent; and work with existing private/funding bodies to build a sustainable model from which SMEs should grow. This would require:

1 & 2 as above

3. any unforeseen issues surrounding public procurement and VAT on charitable activity, to the potential for specific tax relief on investment and returns.

4. Rights of access to publicly funded media channels or outlets.

5. £1m initial investment from Big Society Bank to act as catalyst for matched funding.

Beyond that though, as outlined in our telephone call, there is a larger concern, something I also outlined to PM on our way to our private meeting on Monday, which is that while we have great models that play well in to Big Society, the two major institutions that have developed and are delivering this strategy are National Museums Liverpool (NML) and Mersey Fire and Rescue (MFR) both being asked, alongside every other public body to model for up to 40% cuts. While we accept our responsibility to share the pain it seems counterproductive to try and achieve a significant step change in what I think is now a genuinely shared vision, by reducing the capacity of two of the key organisations that can deliver that vision both in Merseyside and as an exportable model. The PM took the point.

With that in mind, what I would like to suggest, as part of our Big Society offer, and perhaps part of my personal remit to be innovative and challenge, is that NML and MFR could be designated something like Charter Public Bodies that while not being exempt from the PSR, would have their current grant levels frozen for the next round. So, no increases and in effect year on year decreases. That would allow us time to re-engineer our operating models while at the same time retain the resources to demonstrate that Big Society can deliver better public value, by extending public services for the same or less money. (Perhaps we could then also develop the Charter Status, almost a Big Society Kitemark, to other public bodies who matched similar levels of innovation?)

If we dont do something like this, I fear that both organisations will, inevitably, have to cut back to the core activity and shed the people and resources that have started to make the real gains. I appreciate this is a big ask but not in the overall vision I think we are all striving to deliver.

I have written to Greg Clark and the PM direct on these points.

The Delivery Structure As this has been a rapidly developing project there has not been time to determine the best vehicle for this, although my view is that we would carry on pretty much as we are with me acting as main facilitator, using Charlotte and Open Culture as the local contact and facilitation agent, while expecting those working with us, as those in the COW, to utilise their own in-house resources hence the concern outlined above about NML and MFR.

There may be some small additional costs as listed under the asks above as and when workload increases, but assume that there will be some back-office support coming directly from GLG(?) as and when necessary to overcome unexpected barriers?

For the moment though I think we can stagger on as we are, until I can pull everyone together in September and review how best to move forward.

Contacts for business case

You wanted the names and contact details of those I will be working with: apart from Charlotte , who will act as co-coordinator/facilitator if required the best people to speak to are:

David Fleming Director of National Museums Liverpool- …………………….

PA Christine Corcoran Tel. 0151 478 4553

Tony McGuirk Chief Fire Officer Mersey Fire Service

PA Sandra Wainwright - Tel. 0151 296 4102

John Belchem Director of Institute of Cultural Capital

PA Sarah Gartside Tel. 0151 794 2220

Neil Scales Chief Executive Merseytravel

PA Carole Perkins Tel. 330 1101

Claire McColgan Director Culture Liverpool

PA Sandra Fogarty Tel. 0151 233 1360

Andy Hull Director of Stakeholder Engagement Liverpool PCT

PA Louise Sinclair Tel. 0151 285 4624

Alan YatesChief Executive Mersey Care NHS Trust

PA Barbara Welch Tel. 0151 285 2237

All of the above are expecting your call although some may be away at various times over the holiday season. They are also acutely aware of the needs and sensitivities surrounding this rapidly developing project and all are committed to supporting awareness raising and /or myth dispelling event(S) at the ICC in September. Those will be co-ordinated by John Belcham. The news story

Could I suggest we adopt the following summaries for journalists:

National Museums Liverpool : as Chair of NML I have been hugely impressed by the way staff and unions have worked alongside each other since 2003 to develop a volunteer programme that adheres to the TUC Volunteering Charter. That Charter is worth reading as it reminds everyone that the Trade Union movement itself was founded on volunteers, still relies upon them and that there are 22 million volunteers in the UK contributing £23bn to the economy.

At NML our volunteers, distinct from current Members and previous Friends, enhance what we do for the public, while at the same time offer opportunities for people to make their own contribution to public services. Faced with an extremely challenging culture we need to explore every avenue. Could, our volunteers help extend our existing opening hours, not cut them back, nor replace staff and if so, perhaps offer a model for other public bodies to also extend, not reduce their services?

Creative Capital: A new social enterprise that would work with existing regional arts and cultural organisations to nurture, develop and promote talent; and work with existing private/funding bodies to build a sustainable model from which SMEs should grow. A key part of this would be to establish a sustainable fund to act similarly to a film finance fund that would provide loans to underwrite large scale events and/or exhibitions that had a firm business case that meant such loans were repaid with royalties.

It would build on the experiences and talent developed since ECoC 2008, using the cultural networks within the city to promote both traditional and digital skills while encouraging more community/neighbourhood based media organisations. At the same time it would adhere to lessons learned from both the numerous trials that have gone on over the past 10 years to make Liverpool one of the most digitally literate cities in the UK . The biggest lesson being that short term project- based funding does not deliver sustainable skills or markets.

Hence, Creative Capital will be developed and operate only on its own robust viable business case and it will only offer loans to commercially viable projects. One methodology for increased viability is to create a mechanism through which those businesses that benefit from public investment in large scale, crowd pulling events like the 2008 Spider, i.e.: restaurants, hotels, travel etc become investors or contributors to the project finance fund on a dividend earning basis. In other words, they provide future finance once they experience the economic return.

Sorry its a lengthy note but thought it would be useful to have everything in one place.

Hope all that makes sense, but I will be around until around noon on Monday if any immediate queries. After that I will away until early September, but I will check in with Donna and Charlotte in mid-August just to see how things are going.

Best, Phil

From: Anton Draper [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 21 July 2010 15:42 To: Phil Redmond Merseyfilm Cc: Bert Provan; Elin Jones; Francis Davis; Susie Turner Subject: Vanguard Areas: agreed script Importance: High

Dear Phil

I work with Bert Provan who is leading on CLG support to vanguard communities.

We are starting to get queries about what the vanguards propose to do. It would be helpful to have an agreed script so we are all saying the same thing. With that in mind, could you have a look at the text below and let me know of any changes you would like to make.

This is what we will make available to journalists and others who ask for more information on the specifics of your work so its important to have something you're happy with.

Many thanks

Local name: Liverpool Collaboration Dock

Local Innovation Champion: Phil Redmond

The work

Liverpool wants to build on the huge success of the Year Of Culture which has given us a new confidence and sense of new potential. The focus of the Liverpool project will consequently be (a) cultural industries and (b) the spin off impacts of volunteering and job creation within and as a consequence of the cultural sector.

1. National Museums Liverpool

Museums account for nearly 250,000 visitors to the City representing half the citys visitors. A pioneering volunteering model has been developed increasing the number of volunteers and strikingly reducing their average age. 50% of volunteers are under 26. Many are NEETS, while many are graduates without employment.

The project here would be to:

o get the volunteer programme properly accredited as an employer recognised qualification, to increase the employability of those who have volunteered, o To significantly increase the volunteer numbers further. o To work with another Museum in the North West or further afield to replicate the Liverpool volunteering model.

2.Open Culture

This is an existing but new scheme seeking to grow. It is supported by an alliance of the local media for which it has generated a lot of readers and listeners.

The aim here would be to:

o use the cultural networks within the city to create a social enterprise (and thus jobs) to produce films and content for digital platforms like the iPad. o To use the citys media and cultural networks to develop neighbourhood based media and cultural activities and enterprises which would build digital inclusion in poorer areas.

______From: Joan Pollydore On Behalf OfBert Provan Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 1:04 PM To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Cc: David Prout; Neil O'Connor; Francis Davis; Nick Burkitt; Claire Cooper; Anton Draper; Arianna Haberis; Bert Provan; Joan Pollydore

Subject: Vanguard Areas ~ Next Steps Importance: High

I met some of you on Monday in Liverpool at the Big Society event but for the others may I introduce myself as the CLG senior contact coordinating the initial work on the vanguard areas and big society. I will be working alongside Francis Davis who most of you know, and a team in CLG which we will be building up in response to your needs, and in line with the Ministerial commitment to turn the civil service upside down in the service of the community. For each area we will seek to listen and understand what your needs are, take a steer from you about the priorities and approach you wish to take, offer an individual (whom we can jointly select) who will spend time really getting to know you and your areas, and be the key point of regular contact, and put in place a back office support team here who will be able to drive through the issues that emerge and report back to you.

We are keen to kick this work off quickly, to discuss the big ideas you have, to identify the people here who have the right skills and approach to make this work, and generally to establish good relations and joint work. One way to do this might be for me and some of the team to meet with you all this week - probably individually, or if you like in pairs or collectively, and do some initial planning. Then we could get cracking on the work you need done, and then, if you like the idea, (and bearing in mind the August holiday season) come to see each of you late August/early September for maybe over two days when we could participate in a range of meetings with you and your partners around the key projects. This would also be an opportunity for you to meet more of the team and agree what work you needed from whom. We could also then plan the medium term work, including if appropriate embedding someone in your team for longer periods.

But the first thing is getting round the table in the next 10 days. I'll be in Bradford on Thursday morning next week, so could be in Preston/Liverpool/Manchester for the afternoon if that would suit (individually or jointly) - or maybe the Friday? As for the South East, I'm sure we could fit something in at a time to suit, and Friday looks good this week, or one of the days next week when I am not up north. But happy to be flexible - and I can get to Preston/ Manchester by about 9am if that suits. Joan Pollydore, my secretary here (see contact details below), can assist with the arrangements, and maybe you could all give her some contacts of people at your end who could help sort this out. We could do this by phone conference if you like, though I'd prefer to meet in person

Look forward to further discussions with you all in the next few days.

Dr Bert Provan Deputy Director - Communities & Neighbourhoods Directorate Communities Analysis & Migration Division

 0303 44 41262 Mobile0787 960 3164  Zone 7/F8, Eland House, BressendenPlace , London SW1E 5DU