Community Services Directorate
Forest Hill, Sydenham & Kirkdale Portas Pilot
SEE3 Hubs Coordinator
Scope of work
Local Assemblies
2nd Floor Laurence House
Lewisham Town Hall
Catford
SE6 4RU
020 8314 7034
November 2012
1. Introduction
1.1London Borough of Lewisham is seeking a SEE3 Hubs Coordinator for the SEE3 Portas Pilot which covers the areas of Forest Hill, Sydenham and Kirkdale.
1.2The Authority envisage this role being undertaken on a consultancy basis. Candidates are invited to bid for the delivery of this role.
1.3The role of ‘Artist in Residence’ is being advertised in parallel to this post. The Artist in Residence role will provide creative public consultation to engage people in place-shaping the SEE3 area. Candidates may choose to apply for both roles, or to join with a second person to apply jointly. Alternatively both roles can be applied for on their own.
1.4Please submit bids for this project by noon on Wednesday 16 November 2012. Submissions, and any enquiries and clarifications should be directed to Petra Marshall:
Petra Marshall
020 8314 7034
Local Assemblies, 2nd floor Laurence House, Catford Road, London, SE6 4RU
2. Background
The Portas Review
2.1In 2011 the government commissioned retail expert Mary Portas to conduct an independent review of the high street’s future.
2.2The Portas Review identified the need to put the heart back into the centre of our high streets, re-imagined as destinations for socialising, culture, health, well-being, creativity and learning as well as places that will develop and sustain new and existing markets and businesses. High Streets should become places where we go to engage with other people in our communities, where shopping is just one part of a rich mix of activities. The new high streets won’t just be about selling goods.
2.3Following the review, the government and the GLA have made £2.7m available to run a series of pilots trialling her recommendations.
2.4A dedicated group of volunteers working together across Sydenham, Forest Hill and Kirkdale bid for £80,000 to revitalise the high street and won one of 27 Portas Pilot grants in the second round of bidding.
2.5The funding has been matched with £100,000 funding from the Phase Two development of Bell Green and a further £15,000 from the High Street Innovation Fund.
The Forest Hill, Sydenham and Kirkdale Portas bid
2.6The SEE3, Forest Hill, Sydenham and Kirkdale’s Portas Pilot vision is of a high-street where established independent traders are an integral part of the community, new traders bring innovation and further quality, boundaries between retail, culture and community blur, energy of active citizens is harnessed, new ideas are championed and space that is secured for start-up enterprises to develop is readily accessible.
2.7SEE3 seeks to create a string of destinations that are complementary, harnessing the distinct and unique character of the individual offers under a shared vision. The five key objectives are as follows:
·to test a coherent approach to High Street development in an area of urban sprawl where one neighbourhood merges into another.
·to increase the sustainability of the High Street through layering uses.
·to build on the existing blending of retail and community use to enhance the High Street as a Hub Street and cultural destination.
·to create a fit, agile High Street that can successfully adapt to changing needs.
·to harness and build on our strong active citizenship to enhance the High Street
2.8The SEE3 pilot will comprise three key projects to test this ambition:
2.9Jack and Jill. Two high street shops (one in Sydenham, the other in Forest Hill) will be renovated for creative community engagement via exhibitions, showcasing local products, business workshops,pop up events and use as a Town Team base. They will be used to engender a sense of place and gather details of people's current shopping habits and their ambitions for the High Street.
2.10The Shop Revolution. A high impact project with lasting sustainable benefits, Shop Revolution will introduce landlords and leaseholders to the concept of 'meanwhile' use – short term leases which keep the unit in use between tenants. Up to 12 vacant units will be refurbished and let to an eclectic mix of businesses and organisations on a pop up or trial basis giving new businesses the chance to test their business skills.
2.11Market Makers. More than a market, this will build on the success of the Girton Road car boot sale and the Forest Hill Food Fair to pilot offerings in Sydenham, Forest Hill and Kirkdale with the aim of finding long term tenants for our vacant units. By giving traders the opportunity to test market demand for their offering, they will be able to refine their business plan before committing to a long term lease.
2.12In addition to these three main projects, the pilot also seeks to improve signage, encourage people to shop locally and provide support to get more businesses online.
2.13The Town Team will be made up of volunteers from the local area, including businesses, residents, community groups and other interested persons interested in making the SEE3 project a success. The successful bid was steered by a group of people comprising local businesses, amenity societies and elected Councillors. This group has continued as an interim Core Group to get the pilot started. SEE3 has been set up as a company limited by guarantee.
The area
2.14Although the Forest Hill, Sydenham and Kirkdale area is home to many historic buildings and thriving communities, the area has an erroneous reputation of there being little to do. A primary contributor to this is over 600,000 rail commuters and 10 million drivers passing through the area on their way to somewhere else and poor sign posting. The area is physically fractured due to transport infrastructure.
2.15In addition, the physical environment - with its cluttered streets, numerous estate agent signs and flyposting - does little to add to the presentation of existing shops. This means that those who do visit the area do not find it attractive enough to stay and spend their time or money there. For example, the Horniman Museum alone attracts around 700,000 annual visitors which is a potential market not fully engaged.
2.16The high street also suffers from the disengagement and negligence of some landlords in improving their units. This is further exacerbated by the difficulty in obtaining information about who owns or rents particular units or in contacting absent landlords.
2.17Both the reputation and the physical appearance has proved a disincentive for some retailers. The uptake of vacant units is slow – currently there is an11% vacancy rate in the area – and dwindling retail diversity on the high street. In some sections the rents are unrealistically high and the retail offer is not diverse or rarely opens.
2.18But there is a solid base from which to build. Alongside long-standing businesses, there have been major road improvements and the restoration of key local buildings. Residents and traders have demonstrated commitment to improving the area through proposing and leading local initiatives, playing a key role in delivering neighbourhood improvements. There have been locally organised pop-up events, a new youth centre, new young businesses bringing fresh ideas and energy and community library provision.
2.19The potential of this part of the borough is recognised. Lewisham Council lobbied to bring the London Overground line through Forest Hill and Sydenham, connecting us to London’s tube network for the first time and greatly enhancing the area’s regeneration prospects.
The Council has invested:
·£1m to refurbish Forest Hill library which opened in 2007
·£10m on the Forest Hill pools which opened in September 2012
·Secured £3m from Transport for London for improvements to Sydenham high street and invested in Station Approach commenced in September 2012 for a 52 week contract.
3. Scope of Work
Purpose
3.1To coordinate activities and use of the two SEE3 hubs including volunteers to run them, in order to:
create dynamic, well attended and used community hubs in Sydenham and Forest Hill
improve the appearance of the high street
encourage inward investment, new businesses and reduced vacancies
increase footfall and local shopping
develop the profile of the area
capitalise on the strength and diversity of the local community
test some of the recommendations in the Portas Review
Key tasks
These tasks relate to both hubs, Jack in Forest Hill, and Jill in Sydenham.
3.2Support the initial set-up of the two community hubs and then provide day-to-day running of themwith a view to them being open for around 6 months each (this may not be concurrently). The Core Group have securedthe Sydenham shop unit, which is currently being refitted. The role will include identifying and securing a second shop unit in Forest Hill and overseeing the refit of it.
3.3Ensure the hubs are accessible (both physically and visually) to as wide a range of people as possible.
3.4Work closely with the Creative Artist in residence to ensure a coherent approach to use of the space on different days.
3.5Coordinate and curate a series of business workshops, events, exhibitions and timetable of other activities in the two hubs to animate them and create a draw for people to pop in.
3.6Working with the Core Group, create showcase displays for local businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals to showcase their products. Identify potential businesses to move on to the Market Makers and The Shop Revolution projects.
3.7Responsibility for the keys for the hubs, including lock-up and lock-down on days of operation.
3.8Set up a volunteer programme, managing and coordinating volunteer hours in the community hubs and other projects, working towards having a sustainable model for delivery without paid staff.
3.9Ensure activities are well marketed to the relevant target markets, delivering busy footfall to the hubs.
3.10Identify further funding opportunities, sponsorship and in-kind support to enhance the offer of hubs. This may include pro-bono workshops, volunteer decorating time, business mentoring etc.
3.11Identify opportunities for revenue generation.
3.12Be representative and first point of contact for the SEE3 hubs. Respond to enquiries, provide information and signpost people. Regular liaison between project leads, Town Team Manager, Core Group and local Authority. Attend Core Group meetings as required.
Outputs
3.13Two community hubs, open for between 3 and 6 months each.
3.14A proposed programme of activity that will be agreed with the Core Team at the beginning of the contract.
3.15A showcase of local products to run through the whole programme.
3.16A volunteer programme that ensures the community hubs can remain open most days of the week and at convenient times for commuters and others. The number of volunteers to be engaged to be scoped out at the beginning of the contract and agreed with the Core Group.
3.17A robust and safe process for use of the keys
3.18An interim and final report, for the Core Group, on the different elements of the hubs – including visitor numbers, volunteering time, hours opened, and number of events and activities. Final report to include any next steps required.
Timescales / milestones
3.19The timetable below represents the Core Team’s initial proposals for delivery of the main initiatives that form SEE3. Please note that exact dates are subject to confirmation by the Core Group and will be dependent on the two shop units secured for the hubs.
3.20As part of the submission, candidates are expected to make their own suggestions on how best to deliver the key tasks set out above.
Month / ActivitiesNovember / December 2012 / Inception meeting: meet with the Core Team to discuss role, outputs and reporting.
November 2012 – June 2013 / Community hub activities
February 2013 / Interim report to Core Group
June 2013 / Final report to Core Group
- Submission requirements
Key requirements
4.1London Borough of Lewisham are looking for organisations or individuals who have a proven track record working in a community hub / shop situation. The successful candidate will be experienced in working in London, ideally in the local area of the pilot, on projects of a similar nature and scale.
4.2Candidates should demonstrate expertise and experience in the following areas:
- Project management and administration
- Experience of working with small businesses, shops, landlords and community groups
- Creative and energetic approach to problem-solving
- Interpersonal skills, working in collaboration and liaising with multiple stakeholders
- Event management
- Volunteer management
Submissions
4.3Candidates are asked to submit their bids in electronic format to Petra Marshall by noon, Wednesday 14 November 2012. Submissions can be emailed to
4.4Submissions should include the following elements:
name of individual / organisation and full contact details
your proposed approach and project plan, with timeline (including start and end dates)
your experience, knowledge and track record of working in similar projects
CV of all members who will be working on the project
cost schedule setting out in detail your fee (including number of days and day/hourly rate), and what resources you need from us (financial and people)
contact details of two references
consideration to be given to opportunities for adding value over and above the key requirements
4.5Candidates are required to maintain adequate indemnity insurance cover (and provide copies of Certificates of Insurance to the client upon request).
5.Selection and timeframe
Key timescales
5.1The key timescales for this tender are as follows:
Tender issuedFriday 2 November
Deadline for submissionsWednesday 14 November, noon
Notification of shortlisted candidatesFriday 16 November
Presentation / interview with shortlisted candidatesThursday 22 November
Appointment / start of contractMonday 3 December (or as close as possible)
Evaluation criteria
5.2Your submission will be evaluated by a panel consisting of one or more Council officers and representatives from the SEE3 Core Group.
5.3The submissions will be evaluated using the following weighted criteria. You should keep the criteria in mind when drafting your proposal.
Strength of project proposal and alignment with SEE3 objectives 40%
Cost / value for money 30%
Technical ability and previous experience 30%
5.4The Authority is not bound to accept the lowest cost submission, and reserves the discretion to accept or not accept any submission.
6. Budget and payments
6.1The budget for this role is in the region of £10,000
6.2There will be a small amount of funding available for materials and exhibition costs. These will be discussed with the successful candidate at inception.
6.3The appointment will be made subject to the Authority’s standard terms and conditions for contractors and suppliers.
6.4Contract payments will be made in accordance with the Council’s standard payment terms.
6.5Payment of fees will be staged. The payment stages should be outlined by the candidates in their submissions and agreed with the Authority at the inception meeting.
7.Working methods
Quality and performance standards
7.1Performance will be monitored through regular meetings with the Authority and the core team (and their successor once a formal structure is in place). The successful candidate will be expected to provide update reports at key stages of the project, to be agreed at inception.
7.2More detailed evaluation and reporting expectations will be discussed at the project inception meeting.
7.3Mechanisms must be put in place to foresee any slippage in budget or timescales early on. The Authority must be made aware immediately (reporting mechanisms to be agreed on inception) should any slippage occur.
Reporting
7.4The successful candidate will be appointed by London Borough of Lewisham and will report to the SEE3 Core Group (and their successor once a formal structure is in place). The contract may be moved from the London Borough of Lewisham to the new formal structure once it is in place.
7.5The successful candidate will need to work closely with the core team (and their successor once a formal structure is in place), and Design for London / Greater London Authority where necessary.