ANNUAL REPORT 2018 –19 A WORD FROM OUR CHAIR A new chapter for Southport BID as one ends. During May, a ballot was held to decide whether Southport BID continued for a second five-year term, from 1st November 2019 until October 2024. 58% of the voting levy payers returned a yes vote, and we are hugely grateful for this show of confidence in us for the future. Ballot papers were distributed to each eligible business, and each eligible property had one vote regardless of size. Landlords and occupiers with more than one property received one vote per site. The vote was conducted independently by the Electoral Reform Service in London. We are grateful for the show of support the levy payers gave us in voting for a second term. We know there have been challenges but we are determined to evolve and build on the achievements of the first five years and make Southport an inspiring place to live, work, shop and invest. Like many UK seaside towns Southport was developed in the 19th Century to serve the expanding tourist market, decline began in these towns in the 1970s and we now face economic and social challenges. I know many levy payers and residents feel that our unique selling points have diminished but our seaside and our coastal heritage are part of our greatest assets. Successful regeneration depends on us all working together on a package of measures involving a public/private partnership to encourage growth and development. Our collective aim must be to produce effective regeneration for our beautiful town and to #standupforsouthport. We will be listening closely to the views of the levy payers to make sure the projects we invest in represent their priorities for the town Chairman Rob Uffendell to give people a chance to talk to us, be heard and be actively involved in our projects and will introduce working groups going forward, please get involved. We want to work harder to talk to our levy payers and the wider Southport Community, constructively and positively. The BID’s website is full of information about projects and how levy money is spent, and we will be ensuring we have full transparency. Signing up to our email updates is another great way to stay part of the conversation. My door is open too, and levy payer wanting to discuss the new term should email me on [email protected] and I am happy to arrange a chat! As someone who lives and works within the town centre, I am accessible and willing to talk Susannah Porter, Interim Chair CONTENT Who we are 4 What we delivered 5 Adding value through events 6 Making southport cleaner, safer and greener 8 Supporting and attracting investment 9 A new chapter: the next five years 12 How we invested in Year Three 14 How to get in touch 15 Chairman Rob Uffendell WHO WE ARE Directors 2018 -2019 The Southport BID Board is made up of representatives from the local business community who offer their time and Susannah Porter, Remedy Alex Hatchman, Fletchers expertise to oversee the activity of the BID. Rob Uffendell, Topping & Co Grant Tindell, Flannels Dave Price, Deputy Chair Neil Mason, Pleasureland All BID Directors are unpaid in their role. Adam Yaffe, Yaffe Photography Agnes Ng, Dukes Folly We are ensuring for the next term, that all Steve Bibby, Karbon Kopy Dwayne Johnson, Sefton MBC Directors are the very best candidates with Enda Rylands, Hotelier the skills, experience and knowledge to help oversee the development of project ideas, drive investment and engagement whilst Management Team ensuring value is delivered to levy payers. This June, BID Chief Executive Hugh Evans took the decision to retire. The The Board are now pleased to announce the appointment of Rachel Fitzgerald Board would like to take this opportunity to extend their thanks to Hugh for as our new CEO. Rachel will be formally joining us in January 2020. Rachel the huge amount of hard work he put into Southport and the BID and wish comes to the BID from a background in business and corporate social him every luck with his retirement plans. responsibility, working with both large and small business in the Liverpool City Region. Rachael Fitzgerald Sarah Rodriguez Itija Ozolina BID CEO Events & Marketing Coordinator Administration Assistant WHAT WE DELIVERED We supported Sefton Councils successful application to bring in Five years of achievements for Southport £2million worth of funding from the Coastal Community Fund. ur dedicated ebsite shocasing a digital directory of shops in Southport lists oer 200 shops and oer We’ve inested oer into 100 bars, cafes & restaurants the lights that add the sparkle to Print radio outdoor social and digital platforms Southport at Christmas and all and a further are promoted on are being used to promote Southports business For yearround lighting improements Southport ndependents eample Over 750,000 people are reached each year through BD eent marketing on Facebook alone The Christmas light sitch on has become the biggest eent to take place in the ton attracting around people to the main sho P ith around in ton oer the course of the afternoon 30 minutes The 30 minute parking option is back thanks to careful negotiation ith the Council Big ur Business Against Crime Christmas netork no has a membership of Switch On oer 200. s ell as organising to maor eents Christmas and Southport Halloween Festival e support the Southport Festival and Southport Comedy Festival Monthly meetings take place The ton is blooming ith ith representaties of Merseyside Police as part of 5,000 flowers our Business gainst Crime bringing colour and pride to Southport initiatie 65 Southports eening and nighttime Thousands of people are lamppost banners are no promoting economy has been aarded a Purple Flag reached each month hats taking place in Southport only one of tons across the nation through our dedicated Southport ndependents campaign giing ital eposure to small businesses ADDING VALUE THROUGH EVENTS Southport BID organises three large- marketing channels. Combined with scale events across the year designed to the events organised by Sefton Council, extend the season beyond the summer the result is a vibrant, colourful and and keep the town’s profile and footfall impactful annual programme. up year-round. These are the Southport The impact also comes from the strong Festival, Southport Halloween Festival profile-raising opportunities for the and the Christmas Light’s Big Switch On. town that the events offer, particularly as Each of these events offers a creative a way of influencing and attracting many way for businesses to engage with more people through social media. visitors to festivals, get involved and gain additional exposure through dedicated Southport Festival Southport BID provided funding and marketing support for the annual Southport Festival for its fourth year. Over 100,000 visitors enjoyed three days and nights of art, theatre and performance throughout the town centre. 1,000,000 Reached Over 1,000,000 people reached annually through online marketing 100,000 Visitors Over 100,000 more people in town each year as counted by independent cameras Southport Halloween Festival Ice Rink Each year our Spooky Southport event draws people Our first fully open-air ice rink provided a stunning Christmas in from throughout the region in the out of season attraction underneath the digital tree. half term week. Our festival grew again in 2019 with Over 10,000 seasonal skaters and families enjoyed the rink over a six- our unique purpose-built haunted street. Sitting week period. over 3.5 metres high, this one of a kind installation brought visitors in from around the region. The rink was backed by a campaign, delivered in partnership with Marketing Southport. Over 1,000,000 listeners heard four weeks of Christmas advertising across Radio City and Rock FM. Estimated 5,000 visitors to Trick or Treat Street Christmas Lights Our 2018 Christmas light switch on was our biggest yet. An estimated peak audience of over 7,000 enjoyed a line up including Livin’ joy, 911 and S Club 7. A full day of entertainment, street theatre and fairground rides ensured that over 50,000 people were recorded in the town centre for the day. The day was topped off with a countdown on our new LED tree installation and fireworks from the roof of The Atkinson. Over 7,000 people at peak, enjoyed our 7,000 switch on concert and event MAKING SOUTHPORT CLEANER, SAFER AND GREENER Year-round planting Putting sparkle into Southport Business Against Crime We have continued to invest levy money into Your BID levy continues to fund the town’s The Southport Business Against Crime network, several initiatives designed to make Southport Christmas light installations, with over half a is funded and managed by Southport BID brighter and more attractive, extending our million lights sparkling around the town centre and backed by Merseyside Police and Sefton flowering and introducing out spectacular new tree. each December. Council and connects over 200 town centre businesses. With assigned radios allowing The eye-catching displays of summer and winter This year we introduced a spectacular new tree fast communication of crime reporting and planting enhance the visitor experience and installation as a first for Southport. The huge alerts, the scheme has proved a valuable tool to demonstrate our collective pride for the town. new tree gathered huge amounts of attention, security teams both in the daytime and night- To create this visual spectacle over 20 three tier with both Milan and Liverpool requesting a time economies. Petty crime and anti-social displays and almost 200 barrier or hanging baskets similar installation after seeing images on line of behaviour are just two of the areas where real are installed containing nearly 4,000 flowers.