Worcester is on the upward: The Future Of Worcester Is Safe
Step into Worcester’s vibrant nighttime scene, where safety, business innovation, and community converge to look to create a safer future.
At the heart of this vision is Safe Space, a beacon of compassion and security that operates in our streets every Friday and Saturday night, ensuring residents, students, and visitors alike can enjoy the city’s offerings without worry. Launched in December 2023 with steadfast support from leaders, Worcester BID and key partners, this initiative is not just a fleeting gesture but a commitment to safeguarding our nightlife for years to come. At current at least 2 years, worth of funding (beginning December 2023), has been secured by Worcester BID via funding from the West Mercia PCC (Police and Crime Commissioner).
Beyond Safe Space, Worcester BID is leading additional efforts to enhance the city’s safety measures. The upcoming Worcester Night Charter encourages businesses to pledge their support for training and safety protocols, fostering a culture of responsibility across venues which will impact visitors by both staff and venues being increasingly trained and supported.
The pursuit of a third consecutive Purple Flag accreditation further underscores Worcester’s dedication to providing a secure and thriving environment after dark, attracting investment, and fostering economic growth. Since earning this esteemed recognition in September 2022, the city has continued to elevate its standards with the unwavering support of Worcester BID, Worcester City Council, and West Mercia Police.
As we look to the future in Worcester, these initiatives serve as cornerstones of a safer Worcester by night. With each success, such as the £10,000 saved to the NHS in the way of ambulance call-outs saved by Safe Space Worcester, we inch closer to demonstrating the need to fund initiatives that improve safety, allowing us to further expand programs like Safe Space, ensuring their enduring impact on our community for years to come.
With Worcester BID leading the charge, Worcester BID’s goal is clear: to fund the next five years of Safe Space, keep Worcester on the upward direction for positive change, and leave an indelible mark on Worcester’s evening economy—one that prioritises safety, inclusivity, and business prosperity.
Operation Forefront
In addition to this, it has been great to see the work of our partners, West Mercia Police during Operation Forefront.
Funding the Future: What do you want to see Worcester do next?
Worcester’s transformation owes much to effective city centre management and strategic funding allocation. Four primary funding streams are driving Worcester’s progress: the Future High Streets Fund (£17.9 million), UK Shared Prosperity Fund (£2.96 million), Cultural Development Fund (£3 million), and Levelling Up Funding, with recent news of an additional £5 million injection into Worcester’s cultural landscape, bringing total capital funding over five years to £46 million for Levelling up funding alone.
Since 2019, Levelling Up Funding has been used to revitalise unused spaces like the train arches into vibrant venues for dining, arts, and activities, contributing to Worcester’s cultural growth. The recent £5 million boost will sustain this momentum, facilitating more art projects and community initiatives.
In 2019, Worcester City Council secured £3 million from the Cultural Development Fund to enhance Worcester’s profile as a visitor destination, foster festivals like Light Night, and support local businesses. Festivals such as the Victorian Fayre and Paint Festival have become integral to Worcester’s cultural tapestry, drawing diverse crowds.
To ensure continued funding, collaboration with entities like Arts Council England is essential for sustaining Worcester’s festival momentum and visitor influx.
Worcester BID is seeking ways to sustain the momentum by creating dedicated spaces for youth engagement and promoting discussions on implementation tailored to residents, visitors, and students between city partners. The success of initiatives like Teenage Markets in other regions underscores the potential for similar models in Worcester. Championed by Councillor Joe Bennett, Teenage Markets empower young entrepreneurs to showcase their talents and sell goods at public markets run by teenagers for the community.
As we contemplate Worcester’s future, community input is invaluable. What are your thoughts on providing dedicated spaces for young people in Worcester? What other initiatives would you like to see?
Let’s envision a Worcester that thrives for all its residents.
Worcester BID's Safer Streets Officer: Making a Difference
In the bustling heart of Worcester, the Worcester BID’s Safer Streets officer is working diligently to ensure safety and security for businesses and visitors alike. Since June 20th, 2023, the Worcester Business Improvement District’s (BID) Safer Streets Officer has been patrolling and intervening, making a significant impact on the community.
The officer’s efforts have not only prevented losses but also led to the recovery of significant amounts of stolen stock and money, providing much-needed relief to affected businesses and individuals, with the total stolen stock and money recovered now totalling £15,803.14!
The successes of the Worcester BIDs Safer Streets Officer stem from great partnership working. Collaborating with West Merica Police, central security teams such as Crowngate and Cathedral Square and various stakeholders, their efforts are emblematic of a collective resolve to foster safer shared spaces in Worcester. By pooling resources, knowledge, and expertise, all parties have been working hard to address community safety comprehensively, deploying proactive strategies and interventions to mitigate risks, prevent incidents, and ensure the well-being of residents and visitors alike.
The Worcester BIDs Safer Streets Officer has attended and accomplished the following during these 9 months:
- 64 theft incidents attended
- 59 stops/recoveries
- 16 first aid interventions
- 88 offences deterred
- 19 counts of intelligence gathering and monitoring
- 5 active interventions ensuring staff safety
- 21 counts of assisting Police and witnessing arrests
- 17 assistances with homeless and welfare checks
- 27 counts of training provision
- 8 counts of combatting fraud and illegal activities
- 6 counts curbing sales of stolen goods
- 2 missing persons cases assisted with
- 21 enforcements of PSPO regulations
The Safer Streets Officer role within Worcester BID has provided an additional layer of protection for the business community, residents, and visitors. By effectively collaborating with partners, they have helped to enhance the city’s security landscape, creating a safer environment for all.
Read more about Worcester BID’s safety measures on their website at www.worcesterbid.com/promote/safer-city.
Worcester BID's Cleaner Streets Initiative: Enhancing Our Spaces
We all share a responsibility to uphold the beauty of our city, taking pride in our municipal spaces. Unfortunately, urban areas often fall victim to graffiti tagging, chewing gum, litter such as cigarette butts, and other forms of damage, detracting from their aesthetic appeal and contributing to urban decay.
To combat these challenges and instil a sense of city pride, Worcester BID is launching the Cleaner Streets project. Beginning in April 2024 and extending through the summer months, this initiative aims to transform neglected, damaged, and graffitied spaces into vibrant works of art for the enjoyment of all.
The Cleaner Streets project encompasses various strategies, including the removal of graffiti from brickwork, improvements in lighting where needed, and the promotion of responsible mural and urban art through converting unloved areas into community and business district reflective works of art.
Over the past two years, Worcester BID has already invested in enhancing the city’s visual landscape through the artwork seen on utility boxes and wayfinding signage, as well as via the organisation of workshops and mural painting events in community hubs.
Looking ahead, Worcester BID is committed to implementing prevention methods such as resistant coatings and ongoing maintenance to ensure a welcoming and fresh street scene for years to come. Throughout the Cleaner Streets campaign, success stories will be shared, showcasing the transformative impact of these efforts on our social media accounts. Additionally, Worcester BID is dedicated to collaborating with and celebrating the contributions of local artists and the community. By involving residents and businesses in the creation of public art we hope to foster a collective sense of ownership and pride.
The ultimate goal of the Cleaner Streets Project is to cultivate more vibrant urban spaces while reducing and repairing damage in the city centre. Worcester BID invites talented local artists to join in this endeavour by reaching out on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram if you would like to participate in shaping a brighter future for our city.
Together, let’s make Worcester’s streets cleaner, more attractive and a source of pride for all who call it home. Join us in this transformative journey towards a more vibrant urban environment by following us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn [@WorcesterBID] or on Instagram [@makeitworc].
All Aboard: Foregate Street Station gets a new lease of life
Foregate Street Art is in!
Last Thursday we launched the new partnership artwork at Foregate Street Station with an evening at the fantastic JNCTN.
Over the last six months, we have worked to support The Arts Society Worcester and partners in bringing a new display to the city, enhancing the first appearance of Worcester when arriving by train and showcasing local artist talent. The art also helps with wayfinding with maps positioned by stairwells and promotes our vibrant city to all who pass through.
Find out more by pressing here!
Make sure to pop down to Foregate Street Station to have a look!
Worcester BID's new Safer Streets Role leads to £15,803 recovered
Worcester’s success in combatting retail theft is backed by tangible statistics.
From June 20th, 2023, to March 20th, 2024, Worcester BID’s Safer Streets Officer reported 59 instances of asset and monetary recovery and 88 cases of deterrence within the business district. This dedicated officer actively addresses anti-social behaviour, particularly in hot-spot areas, and supports staff in reporting crimes, contributing to a substantial recovery of £15,803.00 in just over eight months.
Other support given by the Safer Streets Officer is as follows:
- First aid 16
- Intelligence/Monitoring 19
- Staff safety 5 [Where staff members have felt uncomfortable in certain situations so have shown presence or ejected offenders]
- Assistance with authorities/ Witness arrests 21
- Homelessness Advice/Interaction 17
- Fraud 8
- Stolen Goods 6
- Missing & Vulnerable Persons 2
- PSPO [Public Spaces Protection Orders] 21
Through collaborative efforts and heightened awareness, Worcester’s partners have effectively intensified the targeting of retail theft, working towards safer streets for everyone. It is great to see that there is a national push to reduce retail theft, and even better to see that Worcester’s endeavours have already yielded success in combatting retail theft. The city is committed to further cultivating partnerships and providing ongoing efforts that support businesses to flourish.
Resilient Businesses: Navigating Flood Challenges in Worcester
Worcester, situated along the River Severn, faces common flooding due to heavy rains, impacting infrastructure, homes, and businesses alike. The highest recorded flood level at the Worcester measuring station occurred on 26 February 2020, with recent bouts of flooding in January and February causing disruption and damage to local businesses, green spaces, and walkways. Community support is crucial in aiding these resilient businesses to bounce back.
At Worcester BID, we have spoken to some of our local BID businesses that are located on the riverside and are thus often disturbed by flooding.
The effect on businesses can be extensive. Julia Seymour, Director of Diglis House Hotel, said “At the inception of my investment in Diglis House Hotel, the advice concerning flooding at that time, was to expect flooding every 40-50 years. Today flooding is common news.” General Manager of Diglis House Hotel, Debra Jones, added that “the flooding brings disruption to our business from loss of revenue due to access issues, internal flooding, the cost of pump systems as well as clean up to the grounds, the hotel in general and the bedrooms. These must be properly sanitised by special companies each time flooding occurs.”
So, how can we as a community help these resilient businesses to bounce back?
Richard Hill, Manager of Browns at the Quay said “Dealing with the flooding has been an ever-increasing challenge to the business.
One of the main challenges is trying to get across to the public that when we close due to high river levels, we will bounce back very quickly, often in just a couple of days.
There is a perception that once you are affected by flooding you will be closed for many months, whereas we have shown this does not need to be the case. With the correct flood barriers, pumping systems and resilience work it can be managed, preventing serious damage to the building and its interior, enabling us to re-open very quickly and move on with the business.
We think that Worcester as a community has been supportive and hope it continues to be so. Our customers are very understanding when we have to reluctantly close for a period of time. We like to welcome new customers as well as old ones and hope they think of us when deciding where to go after flooding has happened.”
Whilst Worcester has weathered many floods throughout its history, its businesses demonstrate resilience and adaptability, constantly evolving to withstand environmental challenges. It’s crucial to support local businesses by visiting your riverside venues that are open for business, aiding them in minimising the disruptions brought about by flooding incidents.
Worcester Celebrates International Women's Day!
International Women’s Day, which takes place on the 8th of March, is the yearly global celebration of all things women. It’s a day of inspiring talks, worldwide social media buzz, activism, and marches, that look to inspire change and aspire to worldwide gender equality. International Women’s Day was first celebrated in 1911, when women were struggling for their basic rights, seventeen years before they finally earned the right to vote if over the age of 21 in the UK following the Equal Franchise Act of 1928. There is of course still work to be done; according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2023, it will take another 131 years to reach gender equality!
Women encounter various forms of unfair treatment across the world today. As per a 2020 UNICEF report, only 66% of countries worldwide offer equal educational opportunities to both genders. Data from a 2020 United Nations report reveals that, despite constituting half of the global population, women occupy less than 30% of high-ranking governmental roles and senior management positions in the business sector. As well as highlighting social injustices, International Women’s Day serves as a platform to demonstrate the immense strength and capability of women and celebrate their accomplishments.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is ‘Inspiring Inclusion.’ So, Worcester BID has taken to the streets, inviting Worcester’s women to join in with the international campaign. Worcester BID’s video, released on International Women’s Day, showcases the women in our city and Business Improvement District who keep the city ticking, through the provision of essential services, strong leadership roles, and as business professionals. There will also be video content from some of our city’s female CEOs, who will provide insights into local leadership. You can watch these videos on Instagram by pressing HERE, or on Facebook, HERE.
Did you know many of our city leaders are female?
> The BID team is 75% female!
> Worcester City Council is under joint leadership from 2 women: Councillors Marjory Bisset and Lynn Denham.
> The City Centre Manager for Worcester is also female.
To name but a few…!
Three Choirs Festival is Coming! Download your poster now!
The World’s Longest Running Music Festival is coming to Worcester in Summer 2024
The Three Choirs Festival is the world’s longest-running music festival, rotating between the cathedral cities of Hereford, Worcester and Gloucester. Since its beginnings in 1715, the festival has provided incredible music which has served as the inspiration for thousands.
The Three Choirs Festival is a week-long programme of world-class music making, featuring choral and orchestral concerts, solo and chamber music recitals, talks, cathedral services, theatre, exhibitions, and walks, rotating each summer between the beautiful English cathedral cities of Gloucester, Hereford, and Worcester. One of the elements which makes the festival so special is the Festival Chorus, which is made up of auditioned singers from the local area trained by professional directors, meaning that the Chorus both sings to a high standard and is a real part of the community. Three Choirs is thought to be the longest-standing classical music festival in the world and celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2015.
“A beacon for music making in our region”
At the heart of the festival are large-scale evening concerts featuring the Festival Chorus and the Philharmonia Orchestra (resident at the festival since 2012). Concert programmes feature internationally recognised soloists and combine favourites of the classical choral tradition with the best new music of our time. The Three Choirs Festival Youth Choir performs a major cathedral concert with the Philharmonia Orchestra every year, giving a unique opportunity to young singers in our region to rehearse and perform to a high standard with expert direction.
Next year, the festival is in Worcester. Learn more about what’s in store on their website: Home | Three Choirs Festival (3choirs.org).
If you want to display a poster in your business, please download it here: A3 / A4
If you would like a hard copy, please email us at info@worcesterbid.com to request a drop up or pick up.