Edwin Ellis Creative Media was commissioned to write, design and produce the member consultation document for Birmingham-based Colmore Business Improvement District (BID).

BIDs ballot their members for renewal every five years and the consultation is a critical part of the process. The feedback from members during consultation helps shape a BID’s business plan for its next term.

We worked with the BID management team to write the priority points being suggested by BID members and reflect on its current term projects to form the basis of the four-page document.

The front cover features a stylised version of a photograph of Cornwall Street in the Business District – its public realm landscaping and decoration a key project for the BID this term.

Edwin Ellis is experienced in working with business improvement districts and understands how they function. We always enjoy working with Colmore BID; one of the country’s leading BIDs.

What began as a lockdown idea dreamt up on his sofa by designer and businessman Stacey Barnfield has turned into a soaraway success as The Colour Palette Company launches across the UK.

The Birmingham Colour Palette, an eye-catching graphic design inspired by his home city, has proven so popular the concept has been rolled out across the country.

There are now 12 more versions for places across the UK including London, Edinburgh, Cornwall and the Peak District. And, thanks to the number of requests Stacey has received, more are in the pipeline.

Each design is made up of a unique series of colour swatches which represent the people, places and things which people love about the UK’s towns, cities and counties.

For instance, The London Colour Palette has Double Decker Red and Waterloo Sunset Orange, while The Sheffield Colour Palette includes World Snooker Black to celebrate the famous championships held there each year.

Stacey’s also created colour pallets for some of the UK’s favourite holiday destinations including Devon and Cornwall.

The Devon Colour Palette in a frame

People can buy the artworks on prints, T-shirts, mugs, tote bags, aprons and baby grows online from The Colour Palette Company.

Stacey says: “I was just playing around with some design ideas on the sofa one night during lockdown when I thought ‘why don’t I create a colour palette for my home city?

“I started thinking about the people, things and places in Birmingham that mean a lot to me and that make the city the great place it is and what colour they’d be.

“Like the legendary Mr Egg Café and Snobs nightclub where just  about everyone who went on a night out in Birmingham at one point ended up.”

Stacey, the former editor of The Birmingham Post, Tweeted the result and was stunned by the response.

“I was blown away by how much people liked it and the nostalgia they felt.

“People got in touch to say how much they love seeing their local landmarks and quirky places turned into a colour palette.

“While others asked if I could create one for the places that mean a lot to them.”

The Birmingham Colour Palette has proved so popular that a giant version has been created and is on display on the walls of Birmingham’s Grand Central Station.

“That’s been one of the highlights,” says Stacey, who also runs Birmingham-based PR and publishing agency Edwin Ellis Creative Media.

He’s now working with a number of other organisations who’ve asked if he can create bespoke designs for them, as well as launching The Colour Pallet Company selling gifts.

“I think people like the nostalgia and it picks up on the pride and fondness people feel for the places where they live and have visited, as well as being a colourful piece of artwork.

“I think every area has its own colour palette which reflects that unique combination of quirky places and things which make up its personality.”

For more information and to buy The Colour Palette Company gifts visit www.thecolourpalettecompany.com

Edwin Ellis was commissioned by Colmore BID to produce its latest Annual Report.

This year’s report – an important piece of literature in the BID’s annual communication schedule – was commissioned as a digital-only publication to reflect the remote changes to its intended audience.

We created an unusual front-cover design concept featuring a montage of recognisable landmarks and statues in the Business District, from the skyscraping 103 Colmore Row tower to the Old Square artwork in memory of Birmingham-born comedian Tony Hancock.

Page 2 of the Annual Report features a key to the imagery, for those not familiar with the area.

The Annual Report features comment and updates from each of the BID’s working group leads who also represent the BID as board directors.

Tap here to read the report

Edwin Ellis was commissioned by Colmore BID to produce a special digital guide to raise awareness of online and cloud safety during October’s National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

With more people working from home and accessing company networks remotely, cyber security has never been more important.

The BID is working alongside the West Midlands Cyber Security Resilience Centre to raise awareness of potential threats through its social media and with a special digital publication that features tips for home-working, COVID-19 related threats, VPN access and phishing, among other cyber topics.

Colmore BID CEO, Michele Wilby, said: “October marks the launch of Cyber Security Awareness Month and we’re delighted to be partnering with the West Midlands Cyber Security Resilience Centre to inform and educate businesses within the BID on how important it is to protect yourself and your organisation from cyber-attacks.

“According to a recent report, in the UK there is an attempted cyber-attack once every 50 seconds, with this figure only rising with the popularity of working from home schemes, brought about by Covid-19.

“Some of the solutions may seem simple and like common sense, but even these quick fixes can help prevent the devastating and long-term effects of loss or even theft of data.”

The guide is the latest produced by Edwin Ellis for Colmore BID under the ‘Safer Spaces’ brand.

Tap here to read the guide.

We just love seeing our clients make the headlines in print, online and broadcast. So, we had a brainwave; what if we published a magazine featuring ALL our clients in one neat little online publication. Ta dah…

This is the first edition. It’s called Client News (does what it says on the tin) and it shows we’ve been busier than a bee in a tar bucket.

Hope you like browsing through the magazine and if you’re a business looking for a different approach to PR or comms support, please give us a holler.

A lost piece of Birmingham’s retail history has been uncovered during construction work by the Midland Metro Alliance to extend the tramway to the west of Birmingham.

Original Victorian roller shutters, which would have been used to provide security, have surfaced at a shop in Pinfold Street.

The shutters were previously hidden by the shop front of hair salon Supercuts, which was once home to 19th century piano manufacturers Dale, Forty & Co, among others, during that time.

Due to historical interest, the shutters will be preserved and enclosed with a new sign. They are unable to be left exposed as they currently extend under the shop front of an adjacent store. Based on the preservation rulings, the roller shutters do not need to be displayed.

Faded lettering on the Victorian shutter

Steve Grimes, the Midland Metro Alliance’s Project Director for the Birmingham Westside Extension, said: “There is always potential for items of historical importance to be uncovered during construction, and these roller shutters are a fascinating find that provide an interesting glimpse into the history of Birmingham city centre.

“We started construction on the first phase of the extension last year, and the shutters were uncovered during structural repairs to the building, which, due to its age, needed to be carried out prior to the main works. Due to their heritage, the shutters will be staying in place, but will be covered with new fascia.”

Strengthening works will form the next stage of construction in Pinfold Street, with works expected to be completed there in the summer. Supercuts will move back in following a full refurbishment.

Meanwhile, enabling works on phase two of the extension, connecting Centenary Square to Edgbaston, are continuing in Victoria Square and the lower end of Broad Street, where there are a number of traffic management changes to accommodate this.

Find out more about the Metro extension works here.

It goes without saying we’re always happy to see an Edwin Ellis PR client make the front page.

And such was the case for Shirley BID, the proposed Business Improvement District for the Stratford Road corridor, which featured on Page One of the Solihull News March 30 edition.

What makes this piece of coverage particularly important, however, is that is the right audience for the announcement at exactly the right time.

The BID revealed its five-year Business Plan to provide additional services, events and promotion for Shirley town centre and how it would invest the £550,000 generated over its first term if it is successfully implemented in May 2018.

Birmingham Live, the Birmingham Post , Chambers of Commerce covered the announcement on their websites, while the Solihull Observer covered the announcement in its print edition.

This is the press release issued by Edwin Ellis on behalf of Shirley BID:

Five-year Business Plan to secure £550,000 of new investment for Shirley town centre

An ambitious five-year Business Plan to help bring £550,000 of investment into Shirley town centre has been unveiled.

The document has been drawn up by the proposed Business Improvement District (BID) for the Stratford Road corridor and developed through a year-long consultation process with more than 250 local businesses.

A BID is a defined geographical area within which local businesses collaborate to invest in initiatives that improve the environment in which they work. BIDs deliver additional services to those provided by the local authority and the police. Local businesses will get the opportunity to vote for the implementation of the Shirley BID in May 2018.

The Business Plan encompasses those projects which have the greatest potential for improving trade and vibrancy in the town centre and forms the cornerstone of the Shirley BID’s first term between 2018-2023.

According to the Shirley BID Shadow Board, the town centre is not currently performing as well as required in economic terms and needs to ensure it competes more effectively with surrounding centres. Many neighbouring areas already have BIDs and the proposed Shirley BID has the backing of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.

The Shirley BID would be funded by a 1.5% levy on the current rateable value of eligible businesses in the proposed BID area, with small businesses under a rateable value of £7,500 exempt. It has been calculated that for the average business, the cost of the BID levy would be less than £1.35 per day.

Proposals in the five-year Business Plan for 2018-2023 include:

The effectiveness of the Shirley BID Business Plan would be measured by regular surveys, analysis of footfall and sales performance data, plus tracking of vacant unit levels.

Indra Collins, Manager, Nando’s Shirley, said: “Nearby towns are getting stronger so standing still is not an option and the BID will be solely focused on working to achieve the best results for the town and its businesses.”

Sandra Grice, Community Life Champion at ASDA Shirley and Chair of the Shirley BID Shadow Board, said: “Shirley town centre has many strengths, which include its varied retail mix, its leisure offer and the fact that it is a great location, although, as with many other towns, Shirley has suffered at the hands of the economic conditions and the growth of online shopping.

“In recent years, we have seen the creation of BIDs in locations such as Acocks Green, Harborne, Kings Heath, Solihull and Sutton Coldfield and these have resulted in significant investment in those areas.

“A BID for Shirley would see the town centre making similar gains and it is therefore something which the local business community has expressed a strong support for.

“The BID would be business-led and business funded to improve the area.

“The creation of a BID in Shirley would give businesses the power and funding to take action to make significant, targeted and sustained improvements to our town.

“Local businesses have decided what those improvements should be and, through the creation of a BID, would be responsible for ensuring they happen.

“As well as major direct improvements, a BID would also provide access to grantmaking bodies and extra funding opportunities from organisations, such as the council, the chamber of commerce, the Local Enterprise Partnership and the West Midlands Combined Authority.”

To download or read the Shirley BID Business Plan visit www.shirleybid.co.uk

A Chinese New Year dragon dance

Colmore Business District will for the first time be at the heart of Birmingham’s Chinese New Year celebrations in 2018.

The annual event, traditionally held in the Southside and Chinatown area, has grown in popularity and now features music, dance and displays across the city centre between Thursday, February 15, and Sunday, February 18.

Colmore BID is co-sponsoring Chinese New Year in Birmingham and the District will come alive with colour as Colmore Row trees are adorned with red and gold ribbons to help welcome the Year of the Dog.

On Friday, February 16 – the actual date of Chinese New Year – there will be a wide range of performances, lion dancing and food stalls on the grounds of Birmingham Cathedral, Colmore Row, between 12pm and 2pm.

The celebrations arrive in Birmingham’s business district at midday, with the traditional Chinese lion performing a dance and visiting businesses in the area to ‘wish them good luck’.

The lion symbolises luck, wealth and prosperity and it’s believed that the longer it dances, the more luck and wealth it will bring. Businesses in and around Colmore Row can request a visit by visiting http://colmorebusinessdistrict.com/event/chinese-dragon-visit/

Chung Ying Central

Chung Ying Central will be performing a live cooking demonstration from midday until 2pm in Cathedral Square, showcasing dishes including Korean fried chicken bao, Japanese seafood ramen and a Chinese pork burrito.

Birmingham Cathedral

At 12.45pm, the cathedral will open its doors for a special concert from the Birmingham Conservatoire (1-2pm), alongside a Chinese folk quartet and classical pianist.

Gary Cardin, Chair, Colmore BID, said: “Chinese New Year celebrations are set to be fantastic this year in the District. Colmore BID is supporting a range of activity to celebrate the Chinese New Year – the year of the dog.

“Businesses in the District can get involved in a variety of activities on Friday, February 16, including a lion dance which will bring you good luck and prosperity, and there is a free concert in Birmingham Cathedral featuring music from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

“It is important for Colmore BID to support this cultural activity recognising the importance of Chinese businesses and Chinese inward investment to the city.”

Chinese New Year Birmingham continues on Saturday, February 17 with performances in the Bullring between 12pm and 1pm.

The grand finale is at Southside – and for the first time there will be two stages at the Arcadian and outside the Hippodrome.

There will be a funfair, performances and food stalls from 11.30am to 4.30pm.

The festival welcomes more than 15,000 each year with all events organised by Chinese Festival Committee and jointly managed by Birmingham City Council and Birmingham Hippodrome.

To reserve tickets to the Birmingham Cathedral performance on Friday, February 16; visit: http://colmorebusinessdistrict.com/event/concert-by-royal-birmingham-conservatoire-in-birmingham-cathedral/

Press release issued on behalf of Colmore BID and featured in Birmingham What’s On Live here.

The redesigned Professional Social Work front page and inside pages

 

We were asked to redesign Professional Social Work, the leading magazine for social care in the UK.

The monthly glossy title, which is distributed across the country, is produced by an editorial team based in Birmingham on behalf of BASW, the British Association of Social Workers.

Our brief was to give the magazine a refreshed design and offer suggestions to help the flow of authoritative news articles, in-depth features and better usage of photography.

The magazine’s editor was keen to preserve a strong story and feature count to ensure the title maintains its position as a must-read for social workers.

This was at the forefront of our thinking as we created a series of templates for news and features pages for ease of production in future editions.

Contemporary sans and serif typefaces now complement each other for headlines and body text, with further guidelines on colour usage in page furniture.

Shahid Naqvi, Editor of Professional Social Work magazine, said: “Stacey Barnfield did a fantastic job redesigning our magazine. He was there every step of the way, guiding the process and coming up with ideas that often took us in a new direction while always being responsive to and understanding our needs.

“I really appreciated his calm professionalism, clarity, creative flair and commitment to the project. Post launch, he didn’t just walk away but stayed with us to make sure everything was working well.

“The end result is a product that ticked every box and has been universally praised. I couldn’t recommend Edwin Ellis Creative Media highly enough!”

Winners of the Solihull BID Excellence Awards 2016 Outstanding Team category – recruitment agency Kate & Co

By Stacey Barnfield

Being a Solihull College alumnus it was a genuine privilege to be invited to sit on the judging panel for the annual Solihull BID Excellence Awards.

The awards are a celebration of all the great skills, trainees, customer services and innovation and creativity in Solihull town centre and aim to shine a light on its many different sectors and industries.

I sat alongside HM Deputy Lieutenant for the West Midlands David Bradnock; EY director Paul Brown; Solihull College principal John Callaghan and Schofield & Associates founder Eileen Schofield.

Businesses large and small and employees young and old compete for recognition in eight categories, all of which will be revealed at a sold-out ceremony on Thursday, November 23, at the St John’s Hotel on Warwick Road.

Solihull’s ability to nurture and keep hold its motivated workers is of critical importance to a borough that takes pride in being recognised as having the highest-skilled workforce in the West Midlands (NatWest report, 2016). From what I’ve seen through the judging process, this should continue for some time.

I’ve been fortunate to sit on numerous judging panels over the years and when you’re asked for feedback, it’s all-too easy to say ‘the standard this year was better than ever’, but, you know what, I can’t think of a more accurate description. It really was tough being a judge!

Keep up the good work, Solihull, and enjoy the praise these and other awards will bring.

Read the shortlist for the Solihull BID Excellence Awards in the Birmingham Post here. Or on the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce website here.

Birmingham International Marathon

Aston mum Shah Begum will be making her marathon debut at the Birmingham International Marathon

The inaugural Birmingham International Marathon will truly live up to its name after organisers revealed dozens of runners from across the world have already signed up to take part.

The 26.2-mile run, which takes place on Sunday, October 15, 2017 – the same day as the popular Great Birmingham Run half marathon – has attracted entries from as far afield as Singapore, the USA, Canada, Cayman Islands and Australia.

Dozens of runners from across Europe will also be heading for the Alexander Stadium start line next autumn, entry data has revealed.

Almost 5,000 people have already signed up to take part, just six weeks after the entry window was opened.

Birmingham is widely regarded as the birthplace of mass participation long-distance running events and the Birmingham International Marathon will cement the city’s position as the European Capital of Running.

The city staged one of the country’s first open-to-all marathons, the People’s Marathon, which ran from 1980-85 and was organised by late Solihull-based elite runner John Walker.

It also promises to be a feather in the cap for Birmingham’s bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Anyone can now sign up for the first Birmingham International Marathon, which will fittingly start at Alexander Stadium, the home of British Athletics

The route will take in iconic city sights like Villa Park, Matthew Boulton College, Selfridges, Edgbaston Cricket Ground and picturesque Cannon Hill Park before finishing at Millennium Point.

The 2017 Birmingham International Marathon will be held on the same day as the Great Birmingham Run but neither course will include ‘the hill’.

Birmingham-born Ian Stewart, one of the world’s leading distance runners between the late 1960s and mid-1970s, said: “I think the fact that Birmingham now has a major International Marathon next year is a fantastic addition to Birmingham’s portfolio of major athletic events. It is also the perfect time of the year for athletes who want to qualify for major games the following year.

“Looking at the amount of entries and interest it has created so far just goes to show that it has been long overdue.”

Cllr Ian Ward, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “It’s great that runners from around the world are entering the Birmingham International Marathon, as this highlights our truly international reputation as a sporting city.

“Events like this showcase Birmingham and the wider region to the world, something we hope to do again in 2026, as we prepare to bid to host the Commonwealth Games.”

Sign up for the Birmingham International Marathon at https://www.greatrun.org/birmingham-international-marathon

Entries are now open for the Great Birmingham Run 2017. Sign up at https://www.greatrun.org/great-birmingham-run

Press release issued by Edwin Ellis Creative Media on behalf of the Birmingham International Marathon