As we bravely venture into the 2023/24 financial year, the pressure to support our places has never been greater and the resources to do so is stretched.
There are so many drivers for change; the move to experience-led environments, the challenge of generating footfall with less retail, changing the mix of urban centres, attracting investment to make these things happen, work/live opportunities, cost of living crisis and more.
It would seem that despite there not being an appetite for competitive funding pot bidding, that it’s here to stay, at least for now. So against that background, what do our cities, towns and counties need? We believe these are key:
- A clear, shared and forward-looking direction of travel for your location; your place story
- A widening of place leadership; a Place Board or similar
- Advocates as salespeople for your place; an Ambassador programme
- An implementation approach driven by your place story; a Place Plan
You have the opportunity to deliver these in your location via SPF, as it is a flexible, place-led, non-competitive funding opportunity to meet local priorities.
We are helping many places introduce this approach as it brings lots of benefits; no need to constantly rewrite a place story for every funding bid but harness the talent and energy of stakeholders to help the place; an opportunity to activate purposeful collaboration, create some noise and buzz about your place, developing a pipeline of projects that can benefit from funding opportunities and so much more.
No doubt you are considering your SPF priorities for the coming year to gain strategic and shorter-term benefits.
If you’d be interested in hearing what other places are doing in this regard without any obligation please contact our Director, Sarah Perry, at sarah.perry@thinkingplace.co.uk.
