Following the recent informative survey results from Todmorden and Sowerby Bridge, we have now concluded a business survey of Elland. Whilst there are some common themes emerging each town is unique with varying business sectors, Elland is no exception.

The survey was open from late February to mid-March, 2018 and was tailored to the local business sectors.

The headline results

What we discovered from Elland businesses was that, when asked to choose three of a list of eight business networking activities that would appeal to them, the top responses were:

• Informal Networking (53%)
• Social Media Group (51%)

Business Support (41%) and Joint Promotions & Events (41%) were also popular. The former with the Manufacturing group of sectors in the surrounds of Elland, and the latter with Retail/Town Centre businesses.

When asked to choose three of a list of nine potential benefits of business networking, the top responses were closely matched:

• A Stronger Business Community’ (45%)
• Expand my Network of Contacts (44%)
• Promotion of my Business (42%)
• New work/Leads’ (42%)
• Support to Develop and Grow my Business (41%)

Comments suggested that respondents felt that networks and associations could benefit Elland by increasing footfall in the town centre and by building identity and promoting the town. This might be achieved in part by bringing different types of businesses together and encouraging trade and spend within the local area. Specific issues for the town centre were mentioned, particularly the lack of banks and parking, the type and quality of businesses and restricted Saturday opening.

The full report can be read here

These insights will help shape the business networks events and group activities.

Following the success of our pilot survey in Todmorden, in October 2017, we agreed with the Calderdale business team to repeat the survey in Sowerby Bridge, another town affected by the 2015 floods but which had no formal business group representation.

The survey was trialed in early January 2018 and fully undertaken in the town in late January and early February and tailored to the local business sectors.

The headline results

What we discovered from Sowerby Bridge businesses was that, when asked to choose three of a list of eight business networking activities that would appeal to them, the top three responses were:

• Social Media Group (52%)
• Informal Networking (49%)
• Town/Group/Joint Promotions & Events (48%)

A social media group was the top choice in particular for the hospitality sector, businesses with shopfronts/retail premises, and also businesses under 10 years old.

When asked to choose three of a list of nine potential benefits of business networking, the top responses were:

• Promotion of my Business (52%)
• Support to Develop and Grow my Business (52%)
• A Stronger Business Community’ (48%)

Comments suggested that respondents felt such benefits could be achieved though better awareness of and connections between local businesses who could collaborate to attract visitors and trade to the area, and also increase trade with each other.

We conclude from this that social media, as a way to connect, is something that businesses in Sowerby Bridge would like to see developed. As with the Todmorden survey, we learned that more informal events are likely to be popular. And again like Todmorden the sense of place is important and opportunities to promote collective benefits would be welcomed. The full report can be read here

A further run of this survey will be undertaken in Elland in March. These insights will help shape the business networks events and group activities.

In October 2017 we ran a pilot survey in Todmorden, a town which had established a new business network in 2015/16, but it was struggling to grow attendance after an initial successful start. Our research provided interesting insights into the needs that a wide range of businesses had from networking. What we discovered was:

When asked to choose three of a list of eight business networking activities that would appeal to them, the top three responses were

• Informal Networking (58%),
• Town/Group/Joint Promotions & Events (57%)
• Social Media support (54%).

This was particularly characteristic of town centre businesses, and the retail, arts and community sectors. The need for business support, discussion forums and updates varied across sectors and business types.

When asked to choose three of a list of nine potential benefits of business networking, the top responses were:

• A Stronger Business Community’ (52%).
• Promotion of my Business’ (46%)
• Expanding my Network of Contacts’ (44%)
• New Work/Clients/Leads’ (44%).

Previous events were valued for the opportunity to meet and connect with other similar businesses, peer support, sharing of information (e.g. other events), and specific pieces of business support.

84% of respondents had not attended a networking event in the Todmorden area in the previous year. The most frequent reason given for not attending was: ‘not aware of events’ (66%).

So in conclusion, in Todmorden, we learned that:

More informal events are likely to be more popular. The sense of place is important to businesses collectively, and they would be draw together for events promoting collective benefits to businesses and the town as a whole. There is a feeling that they are behind the curve with social media and peer support would help boost their confidence and use of social media promotions.

Read the full report here

This survey will be repeated in Sowerby Bridge in January and Elland in February as we continue to support the development and sustainability of business networks in the flooded towns, towards a full economic recovery.

We are pleased to announce that after a two year process of unraveling a complex legal situation, the long-term future of Bellholme Sports Ground in Walsden has been secured by the ownership being transferred to the UCVR. Todmorden Civic Society (TCS) had owned the site since it was acquired in the 1980s. It was held in trust for them by a group of trustees and leased to another group of trustees for the Bellholme Sports Association (BSA).

The ownership had been in legal limbo after all the members of the TCS trust had sadly passed away in recent years and the BSA had ceased to constitutionally exist. The land could potentially have been lost in a legal quagmire, possibly ending up in the hands of the treasury or even perhaps a property developer. Current TCS members did not have the capacity to manage it, or establish a new trust and so they offered it to the UCVR as a ‘safe pair of hands’ to protect it for the community and to revisit the original vision of the founders.

The UCVR board are fully conscious of the efforts and tenacity of the founders of Bellholme Sports Ground who fought to secure it from construction and development in the 1980s, and also of their vision for a sporting venue of mixed use. We believe that the time is right for that vision to be revisited. We are looking to work collaboratively with the current users, Todmorden Borough FC, and with the rest of the local sporting community to enhance the use of facilities to meet as much demand as possible whilst maintaining quality pitch standards. There are both limitations on the pitch use but also many opportunities for wider use of the site.

Due to the absence of direct trustee involvement, only the one club has had access to the facility for several years. The UCVR has had representations from junior teams in the area desperately needing more pitches, and has already made provisions for them to use the facilities in the coming season.

Our immediate plans are to ensure that the clubs using the pitches can play out their season with confidence that there are not going to be any major changes affecting their usage. We have formed an interim management group including representation from the clubs and TCS, who we agreed would maintain an interest in the management of Bellholme. This group will work together to ensure the site is financially viable until a more sustainable business plan is devised and implemented.

There is a lot of potential for the site in terms of future improved facilities, and so it is our intention to establish a sports development advisory forum drawn from local sports clubs. That way we can consult, assess realistic demand and research funding for particular sports which may be suitable for the site.

Any club officials wishing to participate in this forum should contact the UCVR on 01422 417286 or email info@ucvr.org.uk

Following the presentation last week to the Todmorden Development Board, of our Pre-feasibility study into the alternative proposals for Todmorden College, the board voted 7-2 in favour of the Aldi proposal. The Board has thus recommended to the Calderdale cabinet that they pursue the Aldi proposal. It is hard to see the Cabinet rejecting that recommendation, but it may also eventually have to go to full council, according the Director for Economy and Environment.

We were disappointed for the people of Todmorden that the Board did not consider that Aldi will build a supermarket anyway on the adjacent site, and that they were more concerned with short-term savings than affording the community of Todmorden the opportunity to develop further the potentially viable proposals that we put before them in the pre-feasibility study.

Aldi have to eventually get planning permission for the new proposal and so we will watch with interest to see if the people of Todmorden will accept the loss of an asset that easily.

We prefer to work in collaboration with our local authorities, as we do on business flood and economic recovery. It is not our remit to be a campaigning organisation, but we stand ready to work for and to help develop opportunities for our communities to retain ownership of assets, particularly should there be a potential long-term and viable benefit to those communities. In this case we believe our study will support any group that seeks to persuade Calderdale that the Development Board were out of touch with the people who actually live in the town.

Should the Aldi proposal fall, be rejected or be withdrawn, we will remain ready to work with Calderdale, Todmorden council and all interested parties towards a viable use for the site. We would encourage the interested parties to continue working up their alternative plans.

Our report can be found on this website. The Aldi proposal can be found here

As promised we delivered our pre-feasibility report to Todmorden and Calderdale Councils in the first week of 2017. The time scale for completing the report was very short for such study but we are pleased to say that our project manager did an amazing job to gather as much information from the community as was possible in the time available.

The result was a 30-page report which reviews the basic proposals put forward by various groups and individuals for the continued educational use and other alternative uses.

The options to be considered were firstly, to sell the college to Aldi for demolition and for them to build a bigger store. Their offer included allowing a stand-alone building to be built on the site to house a replacement children’s centre and youth facility. Secondly there were various community initiatives regarding education, new and existing curricular. And there were commercial proposals: meeting rooms, office space and visitor accommodation.

Our research concluded that there was little support for a larger Aldi store and much more for some combination of a community run asset incorporating various educational and community enterprises.

Our recommendations were that Calderdale Council, rather than opting for short-term savings and a relatively quick development, instead offer the community the same opportunity as they have elsewhere in the Borough, of putting together a business case for running and or owning the College.

The Development Board will meet on Tuesday 10th January 2017, at 5pm to decide the future of the College. The meeting is open to the Public.

You can read our full report here.

Businesses affected by flooding in Todmorden can now get free help to make themselves stronger and more successful.

The UCVR Business recovery team, with funding from Todmorden and Calderdale Councils, has launched a mentoring scheme that offers one-to-one support for any local business affected – directly or indirectly – by the floods.

Sarah Moss (left) with Rosemary and Mike Holcroft, who run the Water Street Gallery in Todmorden

Sarah Moss, of our lead mentor, said “It’s a great chance for local shops, manufacturers and other companies to share some of their problems and work on solutions with an experienced businessperson “They’ll get new ideas and practical advice to make them more resilient and to help them grow and prosper.”

Sarah visits each business to talk through their needs and matches them with a mentor. The mentor and business then meet at least once a month for a minimum of six months, working together to tackle challenges and come up with action plans. Those plans could cover anything from making premises more flood-proof to improving marketing and publicity to win customers.

Rosemary and Mike Holcroft, who run the Water Street Gallery, are one of the first businesses to take part.

“It’s so helpful, after six months’ hard work refurbishing the gallery, to know we have business and moral support available in the next six months,” says Rosemary.

“Having a mentor is an opportunity to talk over business aspects with someone impartial and who has had business experience,” says Tansy Dyer, one of the businesspeople helped in the previous programme. “It’s having someone to give advice and support.”

As well as the benefits for businesses, the scheme offers mentors the satisfaction of sharing their expertise and often helps them in their own careers.

Todmorden councilor Diana Tremayne said: “We recognised that our town’s flooded businesses were going to need longer-term assistance. We were happy to respond by supporting this initiative of the UCVR business recovery programme.”

And Coun. Barry Collins, Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, said they were pleased to be supporting this scheme.

“It will make a real difference to businesses affected by flooding and help to build resilience in our communities.”

There’ll be chance to find out more about the scheme at the Todmorden Business Network meeting at the Fielden Centre on Tuesday, July 26 at 6.30pm. People interested in taking part can also call 01422 417286 or email info@ucvr.org.uk