Inside... everything you need to know about Sunderland Restaurant Week, Urban Fest, Affiliate Scheme, The Muddler opening, SAFC, as well as all the usual stuff!
Welcome to the latest edition of the Sunderland BID newsletter – and as you’ll see as you look through the following pages, there’s certainly lots to share.
The team and I have been working behind the scenes to acquire British BIDs accreditation – and we’re delighted to report that we have achieved this.
The accreditation confirms that Sunderland BID complies with all of the legislation and regulations which BIDs nationally are governed by. This means that levy payers can be assured that we have strong and robust governance measures in place.
Myself and Lee, our Street Ranger, have been meeting with the new environmental team at the council, so we can work together to make sure the city centre is clean and
WELCOME TO OUR NEWSLETTER
welcoming.
Hopefully you can already see evidence of this – particularly in Blandford Street where the benches have been refurbished and the existing mural has been extended.
As usual, Lee has been hard at work helping spruce up local businesses including refurbishing railings, touching up paint where it’s needed and generally keeping everywhere clean and tidy.
We are also in the process of recruiting an Assistant Street Ranger, who will hopefully be in post by next month.
There’s certainly no slowing down and we are now working with our partners to achieve Purple Flag status for the city centre. This is a prestigious accolade, given out
to cities and towns which achieve standards of excellence in managing their evening and nighttime economies.
The on-going developments at the Sheepfolds are also on our radar and we are working closely with the council to co-ordinate the maintenance there.
It’s all part of our plan to ensure that businesses on both sides of the water work together – watch this space!
Operations Manager
Kirsty Currie, Sunderland BID
SUNDERLAND ARTS AND CULTURE TRAIL
More than 60 artists and 40 plus venues – that’s the impressive statistics surrounding Sunderland’s Arts and Culture Trail. This selfguided walking tour brought art into the most unlikely of settings – from retail stores to restaurants, from City Hall to hotels.
The event was a real opportunity to let everyone experience art in its broadest sense and while doing so, also showcasing scores of local businesses.
Around 90% of the artists taking part were from the city, so the trail provided a real opportunity for them to showcase their skills and highlight the huge amount of talent that exists in Sunderland.
This is the second time the trail has taken place and was on a much more modest scale last year, with only eight venues participating most of which were linked to the university.
That was still extremely popular, which is why the event has been developed to the large-scale and ambitious trail it
was this year.
Every artistic medium, from painting and sculpture to performance art was represented at pop-up displays and exhibitions, along with a Community Art Exhibition at the city’s Winter Gardens, made up of 30 pieces – from textiles, glass, ceramics and even skate decks –created by local painters, sculptors and photographers aged from just threeyears-old to 80.
The trail was created and curated by fine artists Dale Hardy and Su Devine and was partly funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, following a successful application made by the BID, which led to an award of £202,253 to spend on projects in the Sunniside area.
While the trail might have ended, there is still plenty of art to see in the city centre.
The Rebel Women of Sunderland project – which sees images of famous women connected with the city and is part of Future Walls project – feature in a variety of ways and continues to grow.
This includes the most recent addition – a mural of musician and songwriter Faye Fantarrow who tragically died at the age of just 21 – which can be seen opposite Pop Recs.
Look out for these amazing pieces across the city.
For more information please visit sunderlandbid.co.uk
SUMMER EVENTS...
From our regular food markets to the popular Food and Drink Festival to the return of Make Music Day –there have been dozens of reasons to head into the city centre.
The monthly Sunniside Food Markets have attracted more than 2,000 people to Sunniside Gardens in the last quarter to enjoy street food and local produce. Our June market was particularly popular as, for the first time, it was extended to include a range of craft stalls, activities for kids and live music.
The Food & Drink Festival was a massive success. Not only did more than 30,000 people attend but it also
made an estimated economic impact of £1.6m.
2023 saw us stage our first Make Music Day – an international celebration of music in all its forms. We vowed to make it an annual event and we partnered with MAC Trust this time round, using it as a springboard for their launch to be part of the European Music Cities network.
Around 2,000 people headed into the city centre to enjoy a whole host of different musical experiences throughout the day.
You will have read on the previous page about the UKSPF funding we have
received to allow us to breathe new life into Sunniside. We’ve used this money to support a whole host of activities from the Young Musicians Project to Sunderland Pride and Tactic North East.
The aim of this is to drive more footfall into the area but to also reduce anti social behaviour.
And we’re not finished yet. These events may be behind us but there’s plenty more around the corner, including the return of Sunderland Restaurant Week and our inaugural Urban Fest.
Restaurant Week will be back from 14-22 September and we’re already starting to work on the event to ensure it is better than ever.
...AND WHAT’S TO COME WHAT’S ON?
If you would like to take part, you can submit the details of the £10, £15 and £20 deals you’re offering. Please email info@sunderlandbid.co.uk for the sign-up form and more information.
Ahead of the event, we also organise our highly popular Safari Supper where we invite many of the region’s top influencers to sample a course in a number of different restaurants over a particular evening.
Past hosts agree it is an incredibly worthwhile night, with high levels of coverage and engagement. If you would like to find out more about how you can host these bloggers, please get in touch with us at info@sunderlandbid.co.uk
Urban Fest will take place at Sunniside Gardens on 7-8 September and is a new event, aimed at teens and young adults.
Skateboarding, BMX, street dance battles, graffiti workshops, music, food, drink and more are all planned for what should be a really fun few days. Any businesses wanting to get involved, please email info@sunderlandbid.co.uk
Please note that road closures will be in place for the event that will affect streets around Sunniside Gardens. For more information, please get in touch.
AFFILIATE SCHEME
As a BID we’ve always seen a huge level of demand from non-levy paying businesses that wanted to work with us in a variety of ways.
With that in mind we decided earlier this year to launch an affiliate scheme where, for a fee, non-levy payers could benefit from everything the BID has to offer.
Since we launched the scheme, it has gone from strength to strength, with 18 businesses already signed up.
Those include the landlords of Mackies Corner, Kirtley Co, who recognise the value of being officially part of the BID.
“We know that the city centre wouldn’t be where it is if it wasn’t for the work that the BID does, so we were delighted to be able to get more involved,” said Alex.
“The benefits of taking part are great and I hope that we will be able to encourage our tenants to also sign up.”
Her words were echoed by Phillipa Breckon, Director of Penshaw View Training, which was the first company to sign up.
“We previously used to be based within the city centre and paid the levy for Sunderland BID,” she said.
“We really valued the support, promotion and business opportunities the BID brought to the table.
“Since moving out of the city centre and no longer being a BID levy payer, we were approached about supporting the BID as an affiliate member.
“We were proud to be Sunderland BID’s first affiliate member and excited about
the opportunities our partnership will bring to help create a vibrant city and more opportunities for everyone.”
Other businesses now part of the scheme are SSE, MMC, Lofthouse, BDN, The Stables, Certax Accounting, Hanro, The Works, New Results, Stephen Hope Financial Services, The Social Type, North East Business Innovation Centre, Sorted PR, Pablo Eggs-Go-Bao, DC Services and WTTB.
The benefits of being part of the affiliate scheme are many – from being able to access training and marketing opportunities to networking and volunteering.
Any businesses wanting to join the scheme or find out more should email roberta@sunderlandbid.co.uk or visit sunderlandbid.co.uk
THE MUDDLER
The transformation of Keel Square over the last few years is nothing short of remarkable, becoming a go-to destination in its own right.
And that reputation will be consolidated even further, once one of the final pieces of the leisure and hospitality jigsaw is put into place.
The Muddler will be taking up its place alongside The Botanist and Keel Tavern, adding an exciting dimension not only to this particular area but to the city as a whole.
It may be an unfamiliar brand in Sunderland but it has remarkable success in Newcastle, occupying a prime position opposite the Theatre Royal on Grey Street.
It’s the combination of stylish interiors and a menu packed with Asian influenced dishes which has made it so popular – and will be replicated when it comes to Sunderland.
Delicious Sushi, platters of dim sum, small and large plates of mouthwatering and authentic favourites have ensured that The Muddler has made its mark on Tyneside.
And it’s not just about the food – The
Muddler will also double as a cocktail bar as well as a restaurant, making it equally attractive to those who just want an exotic tipple.
Along with offering some of the well-loved classics, the Muddler specialises putting its own exciting twist on cocktails, many again with an Asian twist.
At Newcastle currently you can enjoy a Yuzu Basil Smash – Yuzu gin, strawberry soju, green Chartresue, lime, cucumber bitters and basil – or a Szechuan Peach Cooler – Ukiyo rice vodka, peach aperitif, Szechuan syrup, lemon juice and lemonade.
These few examples give a real glimpse of what can be expected on the Wearside menu.
For Neill Winch, CEO of Danieli Leisure, which owns the restaurant, bringing The Muddler to Sunderland was a logical move.
“We know the city extremely well and we’re very excited about everything we could see was happening at Keel Square and the surrounding areas,” he said.
“Being close by City Hall and near to where the new eye hospital will be opening will increase footfall across Sunderland city centre and we firmly believe The Muddler will be a perfect fit.”
When completed the restaurant will have 150 covers and will follow in the footsteps of its sister Muddler by offering a variety of eating options for different times of day.
The ability to combine dishes in tapas style dining means that visitors can enjoy a variety of experiences, a concept which has worked well in Newcastle.
“We fully believe that The Muddler will be an excellent addition to the fast-growing Sunderland food and drink scene and we look forward to opening in the near future,” said Neill.
WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON FOR SUNDERLAND AFC?
At the heart of any football club –regardless of their status or what league they play in – are their fans.
Nobody would doubt the loyalty of those who support Sunderland AFC, a fact that is recognised by the club.
And that’s why, ahead of the 2024-25 Sky Bet Championship campaign, a number of exciting developments are underway at the Stadium of Light.
A multi-million pound investment began last year with upgrades to some of the stadium’s key hospitality areas –Quinn’s Sports Bar, The Montgomery Suite and the business lounge.
Now that investment will turn its attention to phase two – which is great news for the supporters who have been campaigning for safe standing for fans.
Work is taking place to create 2,000 safe standing spaces at the Roker End and 1,000 more in the North Upper Stand and is part of a commitment by the club to enhance the fans’ experience.
While that project is on-going, other SAFC initiatives are well underway.
A brand new Fanatics stadium store opened at Black Cat House, which offers a whole host of apparel and has certainly been a hit – evident by the fact that the new 2024-25 Hummel home shirt achieved a record number of sales within 24 hours of launch.
The store has been given a real spruce
up and offers an extensive range of merchandise as well as a chance to enjoy the history of the club, courtesy of a number of murals painted on the walls.
SAFC fans aren’t just in the immediate area however and to address the needs of loyal supporters scattered around the globe, the club has launched its new online store.
As well as a range of merchandise, it includes products for young supporters and women – ensuring that Black Cats’ enthusiasts across the world are dressed in their best before the new season gets underway.
Meanwhile, the club is looking very much to the future, with a whole host of exciting developments on the horizon.
Other new measures will see new PA and floodlight systems installed, as well as moving forward plans for SAFC to become one of the first net zero clubs in the UK.
A planning application is currently with South Tyneside Council to install a renewable energy generating solar farm at the Academy of Light.
If successful, this would make a real impact in tackling climate change and providing clean energy, which could also be used for local homes and also add to the appeal to potential manufacturing investors.
