IT’S HAPPENING...
Inside... everything you need to know about the Sunderland Food & Drink Festival, Seafront BID, Sunniside Activation and Animation, Business Breakfasts, as well as all the usual stuff!
LET’S MAKE...
As we mentioned earlier, Sunderland BID’s plans to expand into the seafront have now become a reality, after an overwhelming vote in favour by businesses in the area.
The total percentage of votes cast in favour was more than 90 per cent, with the combined rateable value in respect of those who voted in favour of the BID continuing its good work at the seafront was 95.3 per cent.
The Seafront BID officially launched on 1 May and the aim is to create a clear connection between the city centre, the seafront and the Sheepfolds – a really joined-up approach to positively promote what Sunderland has to offer.
Key to the success of this is getting businesses in each area to work and think collaboratively. We took our first steps at our business breakfast where both city and seafront businesses were able to meet up for the first time and hopefully that will be the springboard for them continuing to work together.
Our first priority for the Seafront BID is the look and feel of the area and so we are carrying out an audit of the existing infrastructure which will help us to identify gaps and opportunities.
Our SR1 Street Rangers are ready to help businesses at the seafront in the way they have in the city centre and Sheepfolds - helping with their day-today issues but also concentrating on
planting, painting, and sprucing up the area.
These first steps include updating tired and out-of-date signage and setting up a scheme to give people free dog poo bags to reduce the problem and the negative effect it is having on businesses in the area.
Safety and security is a massive priority too and we’re looking to introduce safety schemes to encourage collaboration between businesses as well as helping them be more vigilant.
We carried out a feasibility study when planning the Seafront BID and one of the subjects which was frequently mentioned was that of transport links – and connectivity.
We have taken this on board and are looking at ways to improve this, not just the physical infrastructure but destroying the myths that the seafront is too far from the city centre and vice versa.
Our BID priorities include one entitled “voice” and that will now go for the seafront as well as the city centre and Sheepfolds.
We want the seafront businesses to know they will be heard when it comes to decision making for the area and with this in mind, we will be working closely with the council on the tourism strategy, of which the seafront is an
important part.
The seafront is a huge asset and we will be looking at ways it can be utilised more as part of the plan to grow tourism and visitor numbers.
We also collect data on areas such as spend and footfall to be able to paint a picture of how Sunderland compares to other towns and cities in the country, as well as using that information to make informed decisions. We are more than happy to share this information with anyone who may be interested.
If you are not already signed up to our databases and to our newsletters and other communications, please make sure you do that as a matter of priority.
Promotion has always been at the heart of the BID and that won’t change for the seafront.
The good news is that those businesses can now get on board for some of our biggest events of the year such as Restaurant Week and Cocktail Week.
They will be a great addition to the events that already take place in the area such as Summer Streets, Sunderland City Runs, Boxing Day Dip and the Classic Car Show and we are very keen to work with event organisers to see how businesses in the area can support these events if they are not already doing so.
We also operate Sunderland Gift Card
scheme which since its launch has produced more than £400,000 in gift card sales that get invested back into the local economy.
It’s a great way for businesses to attract more customers at no cost to them and we hope that seafront businesses will also now recognise the benefits and join.
You may not be aware of the existence of the Sunderland App, created by Sunderland City Council and the Smart City team.
It’s a fantastic asset that residents and visitors can use to understand what’s happening and take advantage of a range of great offers. We’ll be working with businesses to get more of them on the app so they can benefit from this free promotional tool that helps to get more people through their doors.
These are just some of the amazing projects that we are looking at, taking into account the priorities that the seafront businesses have outlined to us.
For more information and to see the full business plan please visit sunderlandbid.co.uk/seafrontbid
...OUR SEAFRONT HAPPEN
SUNNISIDE ANIMATION AND ACTIVATION
The BID was lucky enough to be awarded more than £269,000 from UK Shared Prosperity Fund to deliver a programme of events to animate and activate Sunniside area to increase footfall and reduce anti-social behaviour in the area.
That project has now come to an end and we are absolutely delighted with the outcome and everything we were able to achieve.
Between June 2023 and March 2025, we delivered 125 events, with something for everyone.
This included regular community events such as Sunniside Food Markets, tabletop gaming socials Tactic and Young Musicians Project.
Other events were based around specific dates on the calendar such as Lunar New Year, Arts and Culture Trail, Make Music Day, Art in the Park, Sunniside Music Social and Urban Fest.
And that’s not all - recent projects have included the vintage clothing event Threads, discussion evenings and panel discussions hosted by the Literary and Philosophical Society, murals on buildings for wayfinding, creative workshops delivered by Harbour Printworks and Sunniside Nights event.
All these events brought more than 55,000 people to the area, but the positive outcome is not just about their attendance.
What these events also served to do was make people not only aware of Sunniside and what it has to offer, but also showcase that it is a safe and friendly area to visit.
This was confirmed by our research around these events, where the majority of people confirmed that they had a positive opinion of the area after attending.
At the same time, many people who went to Sunniside for a specific event also went on to stay in the city centre and be involved in other activities – from eating and drinking or to shop at the Bridges or in other areas.
An average of 88% also spent money in the city centre as a result of attending, with the average spend per visit being £35.79.
The success of our Sunniside initiative has led us to being successful in our bid for further UKSPF funding, which will allow us to extend our work in the area for a further year.
This means that events such as Urban Fest, Sunniside Food Markets and Sunniside Nights will continue, along with new projects such as the Social Side of Sunniside, Frames Festival and more
If you would like to get involved in any of these events, please contact info@sunderlandbid.co.uk
