Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Andy Munro Column

My Happy and Productive Years in The Jewellery Quarter

by Andy Munro, photo Anna Gibson

All Hockley Flyer readers will already know of my activities over the past twelve years in The Jewellery Quarter, but as a reminder as well as a way of saying goodbye, I set out a few of these achievements, which would not have been possible without the support of my many friends and colleagues.

I have only listed below those things that I don’t think would have happened without a proactive approach and a measure of determination, acknowledging that in countless cases I was very ably supported by various organisations and individuals, especially my staff at the time, and Anna Gibson who has always been a source of inspiration.

(MP – Main Partner; F – Funding Source)

  • Business Improvement District; MP Dev Trust/BCC; F £50,000(BCC)
  • CCTV across the JQ; MP Police; F £40,000(S106/Home Office)
  • Cemetery Improvements (benches, landscaping, interpretation boards etc); MP Groundwork/BCC Bereavement Sv; F £30,000(HLF)
  • Gateway Public Art; MP BCC Planning/Highways; F £28,000 (S106)
  • Golden Square; MP BCC Planning and Dev; F £1.9m(BCC/EU).
  • Health Centre; MP PCT/Developer; F £1m (PCT/Developer)
  • Information Centre/Set up and manning over 7 yrs; MP BCC/Space Foundation; F £200,000 (BCC/Space Found.)
  • In Bloom over 7 years; MP BCC Parks/Private Sector; F £140,000 (BCC £40,000,Com Chest/private sector £100,000)
  • Jewellery Apprenticeship pilot; MP JQ Trade Alliance; F £90,000 (Central Gov)
  • Lighting of St Paul’s Church; MP Regional Dev Agency; F £50,000 (RDA)
  • Ludgate Hill Exemplar Project; MP BCC; F £25,000( BCC)
  • Made in JQ Initiative; MP Jewellers; F £5,000 (Jewellers)
  • Marketing Initiatives/Events,inc Four Guides,3D Map, Press Visits, 5 Summer Festivals etc MP Jewellery
  • Quarter Marketing Initiative (Anna Gibson), Private Sector, BCC; F £200,000 (BCC £50,000, remainder JQMI/Private Sector)
  • New Benches in St Paul’s Square; MP BCC Parks; F £10,000 (S106)
  • New JQ Website; MP Marketing Bham/JQMI; F £35,000 (EU)
  • Painting of all JQ Lighting Columns; MP BCC Highways; F £30,000 (EU)
  • Public Art Pavement Trails; MP Groundwork; F £70,000 (EU)
  • Trees in Newhall St; MP BCC Planning and Dev; F £30,000 (S106)
  • Retail Radio/Security Measures; MP JQMI/Home Office; F £25,000 (Home Office)
  • Signage/Plaques (Various); MP BCC Highways/Conservation; F £10,000 (Community Chest/S106)
  • Christmas Lights over 7 years; MP JQMI/BCC; F £120,000 (JQMI/BCC)

The above doesn’t include my involvement in extensive negotiations with funding agencies to assist (a) landowners on various developments or (b) Coffin Works and JW Evans where the Regen Partnership was a supporting rather than lead body, and all the other aspects of being a virtual ‘town centre manager’. In other words being available,visible and with a commitment to high quality customer care particularly for those ‘fine grain’ issues which are important to the local community.

During the period the Regeneration Partnership was operating, it won three ‘In Bloom’ Awards, a West Midlands Police Award for Community Safety and the Urban Academy’s ‘Great Neighbourhood’s ‘Award.

The average budget for the Partnership Team was £110,000 per annum including salaries and including the time I started as a JQ Animateur ie £1.1 m over 10 years which will have levered a further £3m ie a ratio of 3:1 – a ratio of which I’m proud. The annual budget for BIDS is £400k (over its 5 year period) – I hope it will also attain the same ratio.

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