Member Article

Bradford's innovative efforts to boost night-time economy highlighted on the national stage

PIONEERING efforts to boost Bradford’s night-time economy have been showcased at a high-level national conference.

Jonny Noble, Manager of Bradford Business Improvement District (BID), was invited to speak about the city’s innovative Bradford At Night initiative to the Institute of Place Management/BIDs Foundation joint national conference which took place in Bristol yesterday (Feb 8).

He was joined by Bradford At Night’s Evening and Night-Time Co-ordinator Elizabeth Murphy.

The unique membership body – bringing together representatives of every sector involved in the city’s evening and night-time economy – was launched by Bradford BID last April and now has its own board of voluntary directors and a dedicated co-ordinator. It operates completely independently with its own constitution and aims and objectives, with the support of the BID.

For the first time, it saw every sector – pubs, bars, cafes, restaurants, nightclubs, retail, hotels, entertainment venues and leisure destinations, as well as police and security staff – working together to make the quality of its evening experience a key focus of the city’s post-Covid revival.

Its patron is Alison Lowe, West Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime.

Mr Noble said: “Bradford At Night is a unique organisation that takes a new approach to dealing holistically with all the issues involved in helping a bustling city centre thrive between 5pm and 5am.

“As such, it is being watched closely by organisations across the country and we were asked to go along to this national event to explain the concept and how it came about.

“We talked about the fabulous support we have had from so many people across all parts of the sector to really drive efforts to make Bradford an exciting, enjoyable and safe place to spend your evening leisure time, whoever you are.”

They had also explained the programme of bespoke training which Bradford At Night has instigated and carried out for city centre businesses, including Active Bystanders, Ask Angela and First Aid training for staff.

“We have achieved a huge amount in a short space of time,” said Mr Noble. “From re-energising PubWatch to launching our Night Out Gift Card, from setting up the Best Bar None scheme to last month’s major announcement about Bradford becoming the world’s first WalkSafe city.

“Some of these initiatives are already up and running in other places but others, like the free WalkSafe app, are genuinely leading the way and many towns and cities across the country can learn from our experience.”

Ms Murphy said they also talked about the work that Bradford At Night is doing alongside the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner through the Mayor’s Office, which is helping to provide grants from the Government’s Safer Streets Fund, which aims to tackle violence against women and girls.

“As well as the WalkSafe app, which is jointly funded by Bradford BID, the grants support projects such as our Night Marshals, a dedicated safe space, and the production of a Night Charter,” she said. “All of this work combined with a strategic partnership will lead to an application for Purple Flag status later in the year.”

Mr Noble also spoke about the preparations for the UK City of Culture Year in 2025, including the work Bradford BID did to support the bid prior to the announcement that Bradford had won the designation.

“The development of our evening and night-time economy will be a key legacy of 2025 and all of the partners in Bradford At Night will benefit or be involved in some way in making it a success,” he said.

The IPM/BIDs Foundation event was focused on the night-time economy and what BIDs and other place management partners are doing and can do to support it and improve the experience for visitors, customers and businesses, as leisure and hospitality become an even more significant aspect of successful towns and cities.

Other speakers included Jo Cox Brown, who has worked with towns and cities across the country to create safer and more diverse areas after dark; Ojay McDonald, who has been instrumental in understanding and benchmarking the evening economy, through his leadership of the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM) and Purple Flag accreditation; and Vicky Lee, Head of Bristol City Centre BID, a location famous for the richness of its local arts culture.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Perry Austin-Clarke .