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Folly Regeneration Project, Faringdon

Katie Fewings — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:37:00 +0000

2011 South East Zone Action for Market Towns Awards

Environment and Culture category – Commended

Summary

Exactly 75 years ago Lord Berners (aka The Last Great Eccentric) built the Folly Tower on Folly Hill - a Folly on a Folly towering 260 ft above the town – as a birthday whim for his gay lover: “The great point of the Tower is that it will be entirely useless”

This far-reaching multi-faceted Folly Regeneration Project has involved every corner of the community and is a true celebration of this wonderfully surreal and iconic asset for the benefit of residents and visitors alike.

Overview

The Tower

New roof and structure, new electrics, emergency lights and lightning conductors to meet the safety standards
Structural improvements to the staircase, refurbished windows and brickwork and redecoration
The Belvedere (a room that is 90ft above ground level – with cramped seating for ten) with its panoramic windows transformed into a uniquely unusual period dining room for celebrations and meetings

The Four-Acre Woodland

Extensive survey of trees, habitat, biodiversity and wildlife, leading to the creation of the “Woodland Plan”
Clearing of undergrowth, thinning trees, and installation of bird boxes and woodpiles
Planting of 250 indigenous new trees – sourced from a carbon offset organisation (eForest)

The start of the new sculpture trail

Pye’s Pie
Commissioning and construction of a giant “Willow Pie” Sculpture by local artist in recognition of Faringdon’s very own Poet Laureate – Henry James Pye (1745-1813) generally acknowledged to have been the worst Poet Laureate ever.

Pye planted the trees (around 1780), and his work on Folly Hill has been described as probably the most poetic act of his life. His critics lampooned him in the verse that became a nursery rhyme: “Four and twenty blackbirds…”.

Local schools were also involved in the final build of “Pye’s Pie” together with its four & twenty blackbirds. The Pie is not only a surrealist work of engagement art but also provides friendly forest seating!

Forest Stump
Commissioning and completion of a number of “tree sculptures”: troll-sized tree stumps carved into wizened woodland characters to amuse and entertain, and to be guardians over the Woodland.

Tourist information & merchandise

Series of information boards both in the Woodland and in the Tower – covering Faringdon’s rich history; the building of the Tower; the Woodland & wildlife; and of course the wonderfully eccentric life of Lord Berners & his consort Heber-Percy
Wide range of new Folly Tower merchandise carrying the new logo – including sweatshirts, tee-shirts, hats (woolly & baseball), scarves, fridge magnets, pens, pencils, umbrellas, calendars

Marketing & publicity

Wonderfully eye-catching new logo & website; good use of social networking including Facebook & Twitter
Extensive marketing campaign both local & national – already leading to media coverage nationwide, including Andrew Marr’s ‘Britain from Above’ on BBC One TV, ‘CountryFile’ with John Craven and ‘Escape to the Country’ on BBC Two TV
Regular emails to email distribution list of more than 600 people and growing

Need, purpose and community involvement

Faringdon and the surrounding villages together form our Urban-Rural Community. The Healthcheck in 2001 and the Survey in 2009 both highlighted how important it is for Faringdon and surrounding villages to have not only a strong community identity and sense of worth but also pride in our colourful history and rich heritage.

It is our role not only to protect the wonderful assets that we have, but also to develop these unique assets for the present and for the future, for residents and for visitors and tourists alike.

The 105 ft high Folly Tower standing proudly up on Folly Hill (so named centuries before the tower was ever built) towering 260 feet above the town and surveying its dominion of 20 miles of beautiful countryside across the Vale of White Horse, upper Thames Valley and onwards to the Cotswolds, is not only an iconic landmark, but a real beacon that is integral to Faringdon’s identity.

Steeped in history, it also encapsulates the works of two illustrious forebears: Berners (the Tower) and Pye (the Woodland).

More recently, to celebrate the Millennium, it became the only inland lighthouse (ever!) – with its own registered beacon signature.

The aims of the Folly Regeneration Project are all centred around the needs and aspirations of the wider community, and include Conservation, Education, Recreation, Tourism, Celebration of Surrealism, Pleasure, Leisure, Health, Welfare, Sustainability, and of course the ongoing appreciation of the beautiful surrounding countryside, our precious Urban-Rural landscape .

More than 100 local and clubs and societies have been involved in bringing the Folly Regeneration Project to fruition and many will be holding events in celebration.

Every element of the Folly Regeneration Project has at its core the principle that we are protecting and developing a legacy that is fully sustainable for the future – to be enjoyed by generations to come.

Innovation and quality

The Spirit of Lord Berners, our exceedingly eccentric polymath, lives on! As Berners said (while he was painting his flock of white fan-tailed pigeons in bright rainbow colours) : “Mistrust a man who never has an occasional flash of silliness” .

Perhaps this Spirit is also epitomised by the recently rediscovered 3-metre-high sign on the back of the Folly Tower: “Please do not Feed the Giraffes” . And this same playful surrealism allows us to celebrate the awful doggerel that was the product of the worst Poet Laureate ever: Henry James Pye.

Innovation and creativity, whimsical humour and frivolous silliness have therefore inevitably been at the very heart of the Folly Regeneration Project, while at the same time ensuring that all renovations and regeneration work have been carried out to the highest standards possible.

At every opportunity we have engaged the services of lead professions, most of whom have given freely of their time and expertise. These include Information Board Design Consultants; Art and Sculpture Officer for the Vale; many local Artists; Biodiversity & Conservation Expert; Woodland Planning Expert; Arboricultural Officer; Interior Furniture Designer; Interior Decoration & Paints Specialist; and Architect in Historic Building Conservation.

Transferability and learning points

Our very English “well developed sense of the ridiculous” can be enjoyed by visitors and residents alike. As Berners wrote: “There is a legend that Our Lord said “Blessed are the Frivolous, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” and that it was suppressed by St Paul“. Maybe he was right?

Every town has its own unique identity, history and heritage – and this can be celebrated and developed for all.

In the Folly Regeneration Project, we have taken a unique package of assets and linked them to strong local themes; we have emphasised community ownership through the schools and more than 100 clubs and societies; and by drawing on our innate and inborn sense of the ridiculous we have even managed to have a lot of fun along the way – in spite of the many challenges that were inevitably part of such a multi-faceted project.

All of these elements are eminently transferable to other towns and communities – and we wholeheartedly encourage you to emulate what we have tried to do with this wonderful project and what we know it will do for the town for many generations to come.

Watch this space – and watch out for flying Pink Pigeons.

Funding, future financial viability and outcomes

Source of Funds

Country Houses Foundation: £27,114
Local Fundraising: £17,114
Community Spaces: £27,900
Monument Trust: £37,600
SEEDA Small Rural Towns: £30,000
Southern Oxfordshire LEADER: £23,000

Total: £139,728

Income forecast of £5.3k in 2011 rising to £8k in 2015
Current surplus of £9k to increase to £14k by 2015

Folly Regeneration Project Outcomes

Renovated Tower & regenerated Woodland – all to the highest standard
“Pye’s Pie”: The SECOND Sculpture (the Folly being the first) in the new Folly Sculpture Trail
Information boards in the Woodland and Tower and a range of merchandise to enhance visitor experience

Most important outcome of all: protecting, developing, and celebrating our identity, our history, and our heritage.

Key partners

Faringdon Town Council and the Vale of White Horse District Council
Faringdon Tourist Information Centre
Focus-on-Faringdon
Faringdon Folly Tower Trust and Friends of the Folly Tower
All four Faringdon Schools
Andrew Townsend Architects – Historic Building Consultants
Pink Pigeon Trust
Great Western Comunity Forests

Phoenix Festibition (Youth Arts & Music Project), Haltwhistle

Katie Fewings — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:37:55 +0000

2011 North Zone Action for Market Towns Awards

Social and Community category – Commended

Summary

Phoenix Festibition Arts & Music project was enabled by Northumberland Uplands Leader Group through the Rural Development Programme for England, jointly funded by Defra and the European Union.

The project involved young people in commissioning and participating in a series of workshops culminating in a showcase festival in September 2010.

Overview

In 2009 we had an idea for an Arts & Music project which would engage local young people as volunteers and participants. Thanks to RDPE funding from Northumberland Uplands Leader Group the project started to take shape.

In spring 2010 a project coordinator was recruited, a local young person herself, who was key to animating other local young people. From the outset young people were the drivers and it was their group decision making that shaped the project including craft/music workshops and a weekend celebration.

They gained experience in managing budgets, event organisation, risk assessments, and developed negotiating skills in order to persuade local venues to host workshops and the final festival event. The name ‘Phoenix Festibition’ was the idea of the youth group who wanted something that conveyed the birth of the project and also included a festival and exhibition.

The programme of events was decided in consultation with local schools, young farmers and a group of young people from Main Street youth club who also helped with the set up and take down of the Festibition on 11 and 12 September and participated throughout.

Participants were able to try a range of activities from spinning plates and Poi, to making contemporary jewellery, and adding to the festival’s graffiti wall. Local bands provided the music . There was also a video wall showing scenes from the workshops which included drumming, graffiti, puppet and mask making.

The event generated a lot of local interest and young people have been stimulated to form the ‘Young & Sweet’ group to raise funds and continue activities themselves.

Need, purpose and community involvement

Community – The main beneficiaries of the project outcomes were young people who gained experience in planning, budget and event management as well as benefiting from taking part in the workshops.

Local businesses have also benefited from additional spend in the community over the festibition weekend.

Need – The idea for this project originally grew from engagement with local youth workers and also with Volunteering Northumberland who both identified that there was a lack of volunteering and cultural activities for young people in our area. This was coupled with the town’s Market Town Welcome study which states that there is a lack of cultural ‘festival’ events to attract visitors. With this in mind, and in consultation with local youth groups, the Haltwhistle Partnership put a bid together for a young people’s Arts & Music project.

Community Involvement – Consultation sessions were held with young people attending Main Street youth club and also with the local Young Farmers group and young members of the South Tynedale Community Campus school council.

The lively debate at these sessions was key to shaping the project. The young people decided that they wanted to get hands on and hold a series of craft and music workshops over the summer months and that the crafts produced and skills developed could be showcased at a weekend festival at the end of the project in September 2010.

The key benefit is that this has stimulated the formation of a new community group ‘Young & Sweet’ whose members are all local young people. Between them they have raised sufficient funds to rent a small building that they can use as a drop in and chill out zone and as a base to run activities for themselves and other local young people.

Innovation and quality

Quality – The processes involved in designing and delivering the project involved best practice in terms of consultation and adherence to the ‘Every Child Matters’ guidelines. All workshops and the final event were fully risk assessed by accredited personnel and Haltwhistle Partnership, which holds the Matrix quality accreditation, took responsibility for maintaining quality of communication and delivery.

Innovation – We employed a local young person to coordinate the project and this was key to its success. The person selected was able to relate to the young people and had their trust and confidence. This enabled the project to move forward with far greater participation and input from young people with ages ranging from 7 to 19 years.

Transferability and learning points

We have learned that giving young people the freedom and opportunity to make choices for themselves has resulted in them taking responsibility for organising and managing quite a complex series of events. They took ownership of the Festibition and it became ‘their’ project.

The increase in their confidence and aspirations has been marked and it has engendered an attitude of openness to new opportunity and a greater engagement in local life.

Funding, future financial viability and outcomes

The project was 100% RDPE funded through Northumberland Uplands Leader. Although the project did not generate income it has generated enthusiasm among local young people and ‘Young & Sweet’ have raised a further £25k themselves to run activities.

Key partners

Western Tynedale Youth Initiative

The Coldstones Cut, Pateley Bridge

Katie Fewings — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:24:17 +0000

2011 North Zone Action for Market Towns Awards

Environment and Culture category – Commended

Summary

The Coldstones Cut is a piece of public art on a monumental scale that is a result of an innovative partnership between Nidderdale Plus regeneration partnership, private business – Hanson, and a voluntary local arts charity – Nidderdale Visual Arts (nva).

Created by the artist Andrew Sabin, The Coldstones Cut is a sculptural response to the Coldstones Quarry, Greenhow above Pateley Bridge in the heart of Nidderdale, North Yorkshire.

Overview

The Coldstones Cut is an ambitious and iconic piece of public art that has been built into the hilltop at Coldstones Quarry, Greenhow above Pateley Bridge in the heart of Nidderdale, North Yorkshire.

This unique project has been the result of an innovative partnership between a number of organisations in the local community, and it was conceived in 2005 and finally opened on 16 September 2010.

The project is a cooperative venture between Hanson Aggregates, the quarry owner and operator, and Nidderdale Visual Arts (nva), a small community-based local charity dedicated to developing the visual arts as a force for economic benefit, personal development and community cohesion.

The project has been supported by the Nidderdale Plus Partnership, a local community regeneration agency who provided advice and practical support throughout the planning, construction and management of the project, for example, development of the business plan and administration services.

The project aims to provide benefits to the local community through enhanced tourism and provision of a community resource for recreation, education and shared pride of local heritage. The Coldstones Cut is a new attraction for visitors to the area and, together with existing arts and heritage sites such as The Nidderdale Museum, The Old Workhouse in Pateley Bridge, Yorke’s Folly, Toft Gate Lime Kiln and the major Victorian and 20th century reservoirs in the upper dale.

The Coldstones Cut offers any visitor to Nidderdale an amazing and stimulating art and heritage experience.

Information about the quarry, the topology, geology and ecology of the area as part of the sculptural experience also benefits not just the visitors to the sculpture but also forms the basis for an educational programme for the local schools and beyond.

This information is also available on site on well placed graphics boards and signposts and on the website www.thecoldstonescut.org

Need, purpose and community involvement

The aim of the project has been to make the most of the existence and location of the quarry to create a unique facility which combines magnificent scenery, local and industrial heritage and an inspirational and thought provoking piece of public art.

Its function is to provide an outstanding visitor experience both for local people, particularly in Pateley Bridge and for the tourists who come to the area. The objective of the project was and is to provide benefits to the community by contributing to economic well being through enhanced tourism and support for specialist markets, and by providing a community resource for recreation, education and pride within the market town.

Throughout the project we undertook an extensive programme of public consultation, and the outcomes were used to refine the final design. Both nva and Nidderdale Plus are community-based organisations in Pateley Bridge, working together and for the Nidderdale community.

Hanson’s is arguably one of the largest employers within the local community and Harrogate Borough Council has provided support. During the consultation process local Pateley Bridge businesses were encouraged to be involved with the sculpture and were invited to a special site visit. The support of the community also included volunteer work, lobbying, letters of support and positive encouragement in both individual and public consultation meetings.

Wherever possible we used local companies, for example, for the building of the sculpture, design and production of the leaflets, the website, official photography. All those from the community involved in the project came along to the launch in September and the day after there was a large scale community event, including a light show in the evening which was attended by an estimated 2000 people from the local community. The local bus company provided a service for this event and local caterers were used wherever possible.

On the first anniversary of the sculpture’s opening a questionnaire will go out to the local Pateley Bridge businesses in the community asking them for feedback on how the sculpture has impacted their businesses. Visitor numbers on site are well over 8,000 (Feb 2011: first year estimate 10,000) already visitor numbers to The Old Workhouse (nva) have increased.

Innovation and quality

The Coldstones Cut is the product of a unique collaboration involving local expertise and knowledge in the construction of a monumental piece of public art. As the product of a collaborative project this sculpture demonstrates how the creative industries are now helping the economic well being of Pateley Bridge and the surrounding area, and are working towards a sustainable future.

Technical and construction work was undertaken by Houseman and Falshaw Ltd (Harrogate – Building Contractors), Blue Sky Consultants (Harrogate – Structural Engineer) and Michael Eyres Partnership LLP (Bradford – Quantity Surveyors) to ensure that the best practice was used in the design and construction of the sculpture.

The Coldstones Cut is built to last 500 years because of its use of quarried stone and expertise. It will provide a permanent reminder of the significance of the quarrying industry in the history of Nidderdale, long after the quarry itself has closed. When the quarry finally closes, as have many of the old quarries have done, it will become a protected area providing continued habitat for variety of flora and birds.

After Hanson’s involvement ceases, whoever takes over ownership of the quarry land will also take over the commitment to maintain the site of sculpture.

Transferability and learning points

At the start of the project, write a comprehensive business plan which includes a timeframe and budget -even if it is subsequently revised
Establish good community public relations throughout the project
Don’t underestimate the goodwill and in-kind support available within the community
Build strong partnerships between public, private and voluntary bodies, each of which brings its own particular expertise to the project
Don’t be daunted by the financial implications of such a large scale multi funded project
Work closely with local organisations. Using the local regeneration partnership to lead the project management group, coupled with our locally based office and established reputation ensured the smooth operation of the project within and for the community

We now believe that we have a viable package for other community projects, which we could use to advise or monitor should this be useful.

Funding, future financial viability and outcomes

The cost of the sculpture was approximately £500,000, 75% of which was raised through contributions from a variety of bodies.

Grants were provided by:

Natural England (through DEFRA’s Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund)
The Arts Council, England (Yorkshire)
The European Union’s LEADER Programme (Yorkshire Dales)
Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency
Hanson Aggregates has also been a major contributor in terms of materials and time

The main funding came from the government levy on aggregate extracted from quarries. A proportion of this levy is available as grants to mitigate the impact caused by quarrying and to benefit communities such as Nidderdale affected by quarrying activities.

The remaining 25% of the total cost was generous in-kind support from Nidderdale Plus, Hanson’s and Harrogate Borough Council.

Key partners

Nidderdale Visual Arts (nva)
Hanson part of the Heidelberg Group

What next?

Share your ideas on attracting more visitors to your town in the AMT Forum

Wells Maltings Development

Katie Fewings — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:16:11 +0000

2011 East Zone Action for Market Towns Awards

Partnership and Strategic Working category – Commended

Summary

The Maltings Development is an ambitious project to change, improve, restore and preserve the Maltings building within the heart of Wells-next-the-Sea.

The new complex will offer a museum, theatre and cinema and community and youth space.

Overview

Governance and Management
The New Maltings Trust has been established as an incorporated body. Charitable status has been applied for and granted, so the Maltings Trust is now a registered charity. This enables the project to apply to various grants, trust and foundations which only accept applications from registered charities.

The selection and appointment of the Board of Trustees has taken place. The Board represents people from all sectors of the local community in Wells, plus the town and district councils.

We have secured funding for a Project Development Manager, and selected and appointed a candidate to this post. Funding has also been secured for a project office (portacabin) on site on Staithe Street, Wells.

Under the Board, a number of working groups have been set up to assist the Project Manager in taking forward the various strands of the project: Arts, Heritage, Youth, Fundraising and Facilities Management.

Lease negotiations are in their final stage – by the end of March the Community Association and Benjamin Foundation are expected to have surrendered their lease and Maltings Trust will have signed a new lease with NNDC, meaning that responsibility of the building passes to the Trust and income generated from the building also passes to the Trust.

Marketing and Publicity
A website for the project has been produced and the project is now featuring on social networks Facebook and Twitter. The Project Development Manager is also sending out targeted press releases about the project. An Open Day is planned in the next couple of months to showcase the building and raise the profile of the project.

Online giving
Charity status means that the fundraising effort for the project can begin, and online donation facilities have been provided on justgiving.com and localgiving.com.

Community Fundraising events
A series of new events are planned to broaden the offer and appeal of the current programme in the building. This includes a pirate-themed festival in September and a Slow Food event in Spring. NCC Adult Education services are starting a programme of adult education courses with a reduced price Food Safety course in March.

Funding bids
A number of Trusts, Foundations and Grant making bodies have been approached with a view to funding aspects of the project. Bids have been submitted to Tudor Trust, Wolfson Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, and pre bid applications have been submitted to HLF and the RDPE Programme.

Partnerships
We are building partnerships with a range of local businesses, arts and activity groups to enable the project to widen its programme and expand its offer.

These include the Sheringham Little Theatre, the Nelson Museum, NCC Adult Education Services and NCC Museums Service. Visits have also been made to No 8. Pershore, Ludlow Assembly Rooms and The Cut, Halesworth, to gather learnings from other similar arts and community projects.

Online booking
A new online booking system is currently being introduced to enable the public to see at a glance when there is availability to hire the Maltings Hall and to enable new events and activities to be brought into the space to widen the offer of the project.

Need, purpose and community involvement

In 2006, Wells Area Partnership (WAP) undertook a community survey. The results from this survey showed that one of the top three priorities of the community was the Maltings building. Respondents believed it was under used and in desperate need of redevelopment as there is little community space and virtually no youth space in the town, the current theatre is not large enough for touring groups and Wells has been fighting for a museum for the past few years to no avail.

Initially a steering group was formed with representatives from Wells Town Council, Norfolk County Council, North Norfolk District Council, Wells Area Partnership, Norfolk Museums, Wells History Group, Wells Community Association, local business owners and the community.

WAP then secured a grant to get some help from a consultant who worked with the party for 2 months developing an actual business case.

Another grant was secured and the business case was put out to tender for a feasibility study. Once in place the consultants spent two weeks completing surveys and questionnaires in the town: 5 open evenings were held for residents to come and give their opinions, every shopkeeper was interviewed along with tourists and locals stopped on the street. Two special youth evenings gave the young people of Wells a chance to voice their ideas and opinions.

At every milestone within this project we have held a public consultation of some form allowing the community and businesses to find out what is happening. At the most recent consultation, when the building design was proposed, 92% of the attendees gave it full support, the other 8% supported the project but did not like the building design.

The future for this project is embracing the community to help raise the funds for the complex, to either sit on one of the working groups or be involved in the fund raising.

Innovation and quality

This project is innovative for two main reasons:

It draws many different representatives from across the community together to work on one vision for the benefit of the town.
It does not focus on one area, the ultimate complex will not only preserve and restore the heritage of Wells, it will offer arts and theatre, community rental space, young project space and equipment, business units, retail space, cafe and bar. It offers a solution to many problems highlighted within the original business case.

The project is delivered to a high standard as the current office is a modern up-to-date portacabin, the newsletter is sent out bi-monthly via e-mail, the design of all the marketing and communication has been thought through and has a theme and branding. The models and building designs have been completed by architects to give a real overview of the final vision.

Transferability and learning points

We have learned that:

you can never do enough public consultation and communication to keep the community on side and behind the project.
partnership working develops and moves a project forward. This project would not have been completed without representatives from local authorities and the community.
two (or three, or four…) heads are better than one – linking up with other towns who have done similar projects such as the Cut in Halesworth and No8 in Pershore helped enormously.
you mustn’t lose sight of the final vision but be flexible when stumbling blocks are discovered.

Funding, future financial viability and outcomes

The project will be funded by a number of grants, trusts, fundraising events and community shares. We are waiting to hear about several grant applications. Once stages are completed within the redevelopment new funding opportunities will be available, for example, the business units will be one of the first areas to be completed, this will then offer income through rental.

The business case for this project is available to view online at www.wellsmaltings.org.uk

Key partners

Wells Community Association
North Norfolk District Council

NeST Business and Community Hub – Barnard Castle

Katie Fewings — Tue, 24 May 2011 14:46:26 +0000

2011 North Zone Action for Market Towns Awards

Winner – Business and Economy category

Summary

Barnard Castle Vision converted a vacant car showroom into NeST gallery, cafeteria and workspace for digital/creative businesses.

The workspace accommodates five businesses. NeST has created nine part-time jobs.

The work-hub supports ten member businesses, workshops have reached 20 more and the gallery has supported more than 50 local artists.

Overview

A former car showroom, positioned between Barnard Castle town centre and The Bowes Museum, has been transformed by Barnard Castle Vision into an art gallery, cafeteria and hot-desk work-hub for creative and digital businesses.

The gallery and cafeteria opened in August 2010, followed by hot-desking space for digital and creative businesses. Later in 2010, NeST confirmed a ‘memorandum of understanding’ with DigitalCity Business in Middlesbrough. This makes NeST the first rural satellite to DigitalCity. The resulting investment in Teesdale businesses is worth £100,000 in two years through a programme of business growth workshops, one-to-one coaching sessions, business surgeries and networking events.

The opening gallery exhibition featured 40 local artists, followed by a combined exhibition with Redcar and Cleveland’s Fusion Artists’ Network. In January 2011, ArtsBank was appointed gallery operator and is installing mixed exhibitions with broad appeal, featuring artists from Teesdale and North East England.

NeST is adjacent to part of Barnard Castle which is home to artistic and creative businesses, including galleries, antiques businesses and clothes designers. NeST has reinforced this ‘artistic quarter’ whilst also creating a direct link between these businesses and The Bowes Museum, home to a significant collection of fine and decorative arts.

The project has proved instantly popular with the community. To date, nine part time jobs have been created. Through the work-hub, NeST also supports 24 rural businesses, five of which are based at NeST. Member businesses, as well as a wider number of rural enterprises, have benefitted from business development workshops. NeST is a support mechanism to Teesdale’s creative community, many of whom work at home, but now have a place to meet, work together and, if the opportunity arises, work collaboratively. It is a flexible facility with businesses able to take full or temporary memberships, or pay to participate in specific workshops.

NeST is putting creative and artistic businesses infront of the buying public, not only through the gallery but also through the work-hub. Through NeST’s participation in the first Witham Cinema Film Festival in February 2011, the facility brought both community and businesses together in a number of festival events.

Need, purpose and community involvement

A 2006 study commissioned by Barnard Castle Vision analysed employment and enterprise in Barnard Castle and Teesdale. This showed an opportunity for Barnard Castle to become a regional hub for culture-based businesses. It has many entrepreneurial home-workers and small businesses, many involved in artistic and cultural industries.

The report also highlighted a high proportion of businesses per head, while business start up rates were evidence of an entrepreneurial culture.

To encourage the economic regeneration of Barnard Castle, it was considered important to support these businesses. NeST is key to this. Amongst the services offered are:

access to facilities small businesses might not find affordable such as printers or software,
access to business support, mentoring and training through DigitalCity Middlesbrough,
assessment and addressing of the business community’s needs,
access to business networking,
shared workspace creating a collaborative and stimulating environment for workers who often work alone,
exhibition space for artistic and creative businesses, putting them directly infront of a buying public.

NeST aims to support creative and digital businesses in Teesdale through providing these services. DigitalCity has employed a satellite assistant to facilitate this. NeST has already showcased in excess of 50 Teesdale artists, and more from across North East England. ArtsBank now gives Teesdale artists wider exposure. NeST has also supported 24 businesses through the work-hub.

NeST continues to build links with DigitalCity Business Middlesbrough to help small and start up businesses, providing networking opportunities, or facilitating collaborative working which might open doors and increase profitability. NeST fulfilled DigitalCity’s commitment to incorporate rural satellites and connect rural businesses with opportunities in the city.

Many local businesses, contributors and volunteers were involved in the building’s transformation into NeST. The local community regularly uses NeST as a space to relax or work, and also as an event space. A range of events have taken place including theatrical performances, Witham Film Festival, co-working days, craft group meetings, children’s art groups and school workshops.

With a dedicated assistant and proactive businesses, NeST will continue to play an important part in business and community in Barnard Castle.

Innovation and quality

NeST is the transformation of a disused empty building in a highly-visible location in Barnard Castle. In doing so, Barnard Castle Vision has created a unique facility in Teesdale, and it is instantly popular with community and businesses.

NeST is the first rural satellite to the groundbreaking DigitalCity project in Middlesbrough. Reciprocal membership arrangements link local businesses with those at BoHo, Middlesbrough and other satellites, thereby encouraging enterprise throughout the Tees Valley.

NeST has assisted 24 established and new businesses providing facilities, inspiration and support, assuring that a rural location is no hindrance to business success. It has stimulated a local demand, and NeST 2 is now planned.

NeST is Teesdale’s first work-hub, in line with government initiatives for facilities to reduce carbon footprints. It gives rural residents access to an alternative local workspace so they don’t always need to travel a distance to their workplace.

Transferability and learning points

Barnard Castle Vision has discovered many people living and working in the community, such as designer-makers and artists, that it was not previously aware of. The end users of NeST played a part in its creation, for example furniture in the cafeteria is made by local craftspeople and the local artists’ network oversaw the opening exhibition. This is support for local people, but also encourages their early embracing of the scheme.

This kind of project can provide a genuine opportunity for retaining young people in a rural location. We have been able to create graduate jobs and support business growth. A creative apprentice and arts graduate are now employed by the gallery whilst the work hub has proved viable and popular. Member businesses have already won contracts from co-working days.

This NeST model is easy to implement anywhere else and is already being done so in Redcar and Stockton.

Funding, future financial viability and outcomes

NeST was supported by Durham County Council and One NorthEast, with match funding from North Pennine Dales Leader. Many people were involved, many giving their time and activity free, with a definite community spirit to ensure NeST was ready on time.

The business plan is to be sustainable within three years covering costs, but not-for-profit. The business model is based on a percentage of café income, licence fees from businesses and fees from work-hub membership.

Nine part time jobs have been created and 24 businesses supported, and the project has been show-cased to the Northern Rural Network and Leader.

Key partners

North Pennine Dales Leader
Durham County Council
One North East
DigitalCity Business

Scala Cinema and Art Centre – Prestatyn

Katie Fewings — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:55:16 +0000

2011 Welsh Zone Action for Market Towns Awards

Winner – Social and Community category

Summary

The new Scala cinema and arts centre opened its doors 2 years ago after the old cinema, which had been showing films on Prestatyn high street for 100 years, closed its doors and was demolished.

The community worked closely with the authorities to rebuild the cinema. The building – which is Wales’ first all-digital, independent 2 screen cinema and includes a media training suite is owned by the council and run by a trust whose members were recruited from the local community.

Overview

The new Scala opened its doors on Friday 13 February 2009. The first year proved to be very difficult with only a small revenue subsidy coming from the county council. The venue opened at the start of a recession, the new retail park behind the Scala whose predicted increased footfall into the town had been factored into the Scala business plan had not materialised and the cost of running this state-of-the-art building with its cutting edge technology had not been accurately calculated.

A ‘Friends of the Scala’ was set up when the old venue closed and a regular consultation went on with the community until the new building was completed. This consultation included regular public meetings, surveys, exhibitions and more to discuss what facilities were needed in the building.

The venue has continued this consultation with the public over the last two years and in particular the last twelve months to look at the uses within the building.

The main aim of the project was to help regenerate the high street by giving people a reason to visit the town. It was also hoped that the building would become the focal point for the community to meet in a fully accessible building and enjoy various activities in a safe environment – and this has certainly happened.

The Welsh Assembly government put £1.5 million into the project from their regeneration funds. This was following a visit to the town when the officers saw the dereliction in the high street – due to the fact that the town had been waiting over 10 years for a supermarket to develop a large site adjacent to the high street.

The local town council was equally concerned about the state of the town: small shops were closing as there wasn’t anything to draw people into the town and the footfall was very poor. The town council borrowed £1 million over 25 years to make sure the Scala development happened.

This was the first time in Wales that a town council had borrowed this level of funding to secure a project in its town. The councillors were only prepared to take this unusual step as they were confident that the Scala was wanted and needed by the town and that their decision had the full backing of the community.

The Scala, which is situated in the lower part of the high street, has revitalised the town centre with a number of small businesses in the high street benefiting directly from the 100,000+ people who visited the venue in the last twelve months. The activities within the venue have developed as a direct result of suggestions and requests by the community.

Need, purpose and community involvement

Community: The Scala is situated on the high street and as the only accessible community venue in the town has become a place where all sections of the community meet to enjoy a number of activities or just enjoy the company of others in the Scala cafebar.

The business community is able to use the venue for conferences and meetings, using the videoconferencing and satellite facilities available.

Young people use the media suite every Thursday to make films some of which were shown last February at the first Youth Film Festival.

Older people meet up at the special morning silver screen showing at just £4 which includes tea or in the afternoon ballroom dancing.

Film buffs meet once a month for their film club.

Film experts meet for a film quiz every Monday.

Poker fans meet every Wednesday night for Poker night.

Young gay and lesbians club VIVA meet once a month to watch a film chosen by them.

Children can watch a film with their parents on Saturday for £1.50 a ticket.

There are sketching nights for local artists and comedy nights both held in the Scala cafebar.

The new building also included an empty shop unit. 12months ago this was transformed into an art gallery which is run by a new social co operative made up of 26 local artists. They staff the gallery themselves.

Need: The activities highlighted above are an example of activites that have all been developed either following consultation or by direct approaches to the general manager.

The public has an ownership of the building and people are happy to discuss their ideas with the manager and usually see these ideas taken up. The venue has regenerated the high street, particularly the area around the cinema – there is now always a buzz in that area day or night whereas before the cinema it was like a ghost town.

As the cinema is digital and has a satellite the local community can enjoy live perfomances from all over the world at very affordable prices. These include the Met Opera from New York, National Theatre, London and the Bolshoi Ballet from Russia.

Community Involvement: The community helped design the building and has over the last twelve months in particular helped design the activities taking place within the building.

The venue does regular suveys to find out what people want but most of the time it is a direct approach to the manager or a member of staff. The manager regularly visits the high school and delivers the programme leaflet to businesses in the town using this as an opportunity to get feedback. By asking for certain activities and films the public helps to develop audiences for the venue.

This last year has seen the Scala and its activities develop putting the venue on a firmer financial footing.

Innovation and quality

The design and facilities of the Scala were developed following a full consultation with the community. The facilities in the building are what the community wanted. The community said they wanted “more films, new films shown earlier and an affordable cinema programme”.

Although the venue has been driven by the community what has been delivered is unique and leading the way in Wales. The Scala is Wales’ first all-digital cinema with a fully equipped film-making unit on the top floor of the building.

Since opening two years ago the Scala has won 2 national awards: The Civic Trust Award and the RICS Award Wales.

In 2010 the Scala won the international RICS Award. The project was described by the chairman of the judging panel as: “This is an extraordinary example of how the passion of local residents can help drive a project through to completion”. The three awards were all in the community category.

Transferability and learning points

This was a very difficult project to deliver in a difficult financial climate. It was an arts project but all the money came from a regeneration pot recognising the need to bring people back into the town. It succeeded because the whole community was supporting it and because there were local councillors prepared to support the project financially.

It has succeeded in the last year by listening to the community to find out what activities they wanted in the building. If another town had that support then a multifunctional arts/cinema/community centre on the high street is a great way to revitalise a town. There is a direct benefit to the small shops/cafes and so on surrounding the cinema owing to the volume of people visiting the venue. There will probably be a need for public subsidy in the early years until audiences can be developed

Funding, future financial viability and outcomes

The funding for the venue came from:

Prestatyn Town Council
Denbighshire County Council
Welsh Assembly Government
Arts Council Wales
European funding
UK film council
Foundation for Sports and the Arts

Since opening 2 years ago the venue has had a small annual grant from the county council of £40,000 + £10,000 to provide a tourism service + £4.5 maintenance.

The venue had enormous cash flow problems when it opened as the business plan prepared by the council and handed to the trust was unsustainable owing to underestimated energy costs, inadequate staffing costs to run the venue and too ambitious targets for a new venue starting from scratch with no overdraft facilities. There were also a lot of one-off costs not budgeted for and some of the high tech equipment had to be replaced.

The first year grant was not adequate and the trust had to take a loan from the council of £80k paid back over 10 years. Last year we had an added subsidy from the council of £43,000 but are now forecasting an outturn of £40,000. Forecasts for the next three years are small surpluses.

The general manager continues to apply for grants both capital and revenue.

Key partners

Denbighshire County Council
Prestatyn Town Council
Welsh Assembly Government
Film Agency for Wales
Llandrillo College
Glyndwr University
Prestatyn High School
Friends of the Scala