social enterprise

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Visit England has chosen the landmark Dream sculpture in St Helens to launch its new national Place of Interest Quality Assurance Scheme (PIQAS).

The sculpture, created by international artist Jaume Plensa and which appeared in Channel 4’s Big Art TV series last year, is the first attraction in the northwest to gain the new Visit England accreditation.

Barrie Grunewald, cabinet member for culture, communications and town centre at St Helens Council said: ‘This reinforces Dream’s significance as a forward-looking symbol of the positive transformation of St Helens and the wider region, while highlighting the recognition the sculpture is gaining nationally and internationally for its artistic, technical, regeneration and tourism merits.’

PIQAS has been developed by Visit England to enhance quality and spread best practice within the tourism sector and will offer a consumer-focused quality assessment to identify strengths and highlight development areas for attractions and places of interest.

Ex-miners from the former Sutton Manor Colliery where Dream is sited were involved in the commissioning and development of the artwork, which was unveiled in May last year.

The 20ft white marble sculpture won the 2009 Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture and, more recently, a Civic Trust prize in March.

This article is provided courtesy of the news feed at http://www.newstartmag.co.uk/news

The British Urban Regeneration Association’s ‘invaluable’ role as a champion of best practice must be salvaged, according to leading figures.

A social enterprise or mutual model could also help to strengthen Bura’s ‘fit for purpose’ replacement which is expected to be launched next month.

The association informed members today that it was starting voluntary liquidation proceedings, after its board agreed the time was right to ‘draw a line under Bura’.

In an email to members, chair Jackie Sadek said ‘a more radical approach’ was necessary, explaining: ‘In the last few months, we’ve undertaken a thorough review of the organisation and it is clear to us that the current model is no longer workable.’

Nigel Draper, head of neighbourhoods at Valleys to Coast Housing, admitted to being ‘shocked and yet not surprised’ at the news.

‘In the last 100 days or so we’ve seen the disappearance of many organisations that we’ve known and loved over the years,’ he said. ‘One of Bura’s key roles was its Community Inspired Regeneration Awards. Bura was one of the few organisations that looked at regeneration in terms of community and people – not just buildings, waterside developments and shopping centres.

‘They managed to look at things from a physical view, and did that very professionally, but never forgot that regeneration is about people and community.’

Renaisi’s head of policy and communications Donna Lightbown agreed: ‘The Bura business model may be bust but it is now more important than ever to have a coherent voice to fight the regeneration sector’s corner.

‘The work that Bura did in highlighting and spreading good practice and promoting the sector’s achievements was invaluable.’

In her email, Ms Sadek hinted at a replacement for Bura, revealing that ‘leading industry figures’ were working to develop a commercially viable model.

A Bura spokesperson later confirmed that while the ‘existing structure has not been doing it justice’, it would be ‘safe to assume that there is going to be a new, fit for purpose vehicle that’s likely to emerge in September’.

Responding to a potential Bura replacement, Mr Draper said: ‘The government seems to be looking to these sorts of organisations to create their own new organisations to follow on.

‘It’s an opportunity, as much as it saddens me to see the demise of Bura, to look at perhaps a social enterprise or a mutual model and with a degree more independence it might therefore be more sustainable in itself.’

Renaisi’s Ms Lightbown added: ‘We hope that what emerges next will continue in this vein but also recognise that regeneration isn’t just about development.

‘The social and community benefits that smaller agencies have delivered at the neighbourhood level are just as vital and should resonate even more strongly given where we are with the Big Society.’