What can Southside do for you?

Julia ChanceSouthside BID Manager

Southside BID• Business Improvement District who look after

Chinatown, Gay Village & Theatreland.

• Southside is non profit making and led by a volunteer group of local businesses

• Southside collect a levy from eligible local businesses, levering in additional funds and using this budget to improve the area for the benefit of businesses, customers & employees

Who?

• A very diverse and vibrant area

• No collective identity– Chinese Quarter/Chinatown– Gay Quarter/Gay Village– Hurst St– Station St/Grand Central– Smallbrook Qsway/Horsefair– With Southside we have a clear identity and recognizable brand

• Many different industries/different needs– Now balanced and all working together

How?

• Funds to make improvements

• Democratic mandate

• Strategic Influence

• Support from the city council

• Proactive local manager

• Collaborative partnerships

• Private Sector Board

• Our 10 Pledges

10 Pledges

• Improved visitor experience• A safe and welcoming environment• New and repeat customers • Positive brand and profile• Pro-active local management team• Effective business ‘voice’• Added value• Sustained additional investment• Support from Birmingham’s other city centre BIDs• Business led, local and inclusive decisions

What?• Safer Southside investing £75K p.a. on

Southside Street Warden Service• Greener Southside investing £30K p.a on

flowers, features plus a green wall on the A38• Lighter Southside investing £30K per annum

in festive lights and lighting projects• Easy to find Southside with £45K invested in

8 new way-finding totems & walking maps• Cleaner Southside with £15k per annum on

cleaning and litter picking.

What else?• PR and support for festivals and

events such as; Birmingham Pride, Summer in Southside, Latin American Festival, Chinese New Year, Shout, Illuminate, About Town and Eye Candy

Any more?

B2B communications with Southside Spotlight, Southside E-Newsletter and Showcase Business Network.

Lobby and influence national government and local authorities on behalf of Southside businesses.

Signpost and assist businesses to support and funding.

Southside is also motivated to facilitate and fund public realm projects for the benefit of the

entire district.

Rhino Project

Southside facilitated the addition of a piece of public art in the district, chosen and funded by the City Council & LGBT community

Undercroft Project• Southside raised

£48K to paint & light the Smallbrook Undercroft in Feb 2014

• Southside maintains the lighting and programs the colour changing schemeThe space turns RED for Chinese

New Year, GREEN for St Patricks Day, GOLD for Moon Festival & its default colour is PURPLE

Pagoda Project• A £20K project funded by

Southside BID, the city council and Wing Yip PLC

• Colour changing lights programmed to match the city’s event calendar.

In the pipeline are projects designed to; improve Hippodrome Square,

pedestrianize a section of Ladywell walk, include Chinese Cultural Art in Southside & input into the development around New

St Station, Grand Central & the Wholesale Markets development

(Smithfield).

What if Southside didn’t exist?• No clear individual/group leading on

regeneration

• No strategic influence on behalf of the district as a whole

• Disparate and varied business base with no one to represent their views.

• Lack of investment from city council.

• Issues with crime and ASB.

• HS2 is coming!

I look forward to your comments and feedback

Thanks for listening

CONTACT US ON INFORMATION@SOUTHSIDEBID.CO.UK

0121 643 3720

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER@ENJOYSOUTHSIDE

FIND OUT MORE ON

WWW.SOUTHSIDEBID.CO.UK