SHEFFIELD BID
investment fund procuring services, sponsoring new events and enhancing existing ones. What we’ve become over the last few years is a credible delivery body, with a consistent pipeline of projects that improve and animate the city centre.” Having listened to some of Sheffield BID’s achievements, such as the introduction of free Wi-fi across the centre, it’s hard to argue with the success. BID has also brought in more than 260,000 people into the area through a variety of trails for visitors to follow, with Diane’s personal favourite being Bricktropolis; an annual tour of enormous Lego dioramas. Last year, the Bricktropolis theme was Outer Space to celebrate 50 years since the moon landing, which included a 2.8m tall Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket made up of 68,583 bricks. “Bricktropolis inspired a city. You could see from social media, the press and the comments we were getting from businesses and the public that people felt really engaged. “We’ve always had this conundrum of how do you measure vibrancy in the city centre. Yes, we’ve got data that says what the footfall was, we can do some formula
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SHEFFIELD BID CEO DIANE JARVIS
calculations that suggest what the economic impact was, but how do you really know? “When you walked around the city centre during Bricktropolis there was a real buzz. You could see people scurrying everywhere with maps – for me that’s how you measure vibrancy.” Diane is also very proud of BID’s partnership with Cathedral Archer Project’s social enterprise, JustWorks, which assists people who were once living on the streets or been a victim of substance abuse back into meaningful employment. These individuals become
Sheffield BID needs the support of both local and national businesses in the upcoming postal ballot, which is to be held between 29 January and 25 February – with a majority BID can carry on for another five-year term. Sheffield BID is primarily funded through a 1% annual levy on Sheffield city centre properties with a rateable value of £40,000 or more. As businesses are currently facing significant financial pressures in the pandemic, Sheffield BID have dropped this to 0.5% for the first year, with a delayed payment of three months from the start of the term. “There are some very real part of the cleaning team, challenges facing the high which works to keep the city street right now – encouraging centre a pleasant, sanitary people to buy local and to use environment. local services to support the Diane added: “They really are high street is a role for all of us. an inspiration. They have gone I think it’s vital Sheffield BID on to overcome these challenges is here to expand on the work in their lives, and they are an that has already been done. asset to the BID team. “There are no other “It’s a privilege to be part organisations equipped to do of their recovery journey, and what we do in the way we do for me that is far better than it, and having a BID enables paying a third-party cleaning events and projects which company. It’s addressing simply won’t happen if we’re a need for businesses by not here. As a city we need to combatting cleaning and take a step forward, and not a environmental issues, but in step back.” an innovative way.” For more information Of course, for these about Sheffield BID, go to: successes to continue, www.sheffieldbid.com.
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