Empty shops group

[louisecbrooks]

Hi All

Lee Newham (of Designed by Good People and the local blog What If Sydenham) and I are intending to start a group to tackle the empty shops we have in Sydenham, Kirkdale Village and Forest Hill.

Roughly, at this stage, our aims are:
- To identify and engage landlords.
- To come up with a range of ideas to bring empty ideas into use from temporary arts related projects to initiatives that will encourage new businesses to take up the empty units.

We are hoping to hold an initial meeting in the next couple of weeks. We are looking for folks that have ideas for how we might use these spaces, budding entrepreneurs with innovative ideas for how these spaces might be turned into commercial opportunities, artists and designers with thoughts on how we might make the front of empty shops more attractive and anyone else who might like to be involved. I think there are a range of untapped opportunities for these spaces and we'd like to explore them.

We are working together with local societies, traders associations and councillors so as to ensure we're all on the same page and that we get the support we need to action any planned initiatives.

Please drop me an email on louise@bakelondon.co.uk if you'd like to be involved. I'll post a date for the first meeting on here during the next week.

Louise

[G-Man]

I'd love to be involved. Sounds like a fantastic initiative. I hope that more people on this forum get involved too as we all say how much we'd like to improve the High Street, now it's time for some action.

Nice work.

G-Man

[Rachael]

Great idea. I don't think I have any skills to bring to the table (unless you need writers!) but you have my wholehearted support.

Worth posting on the SE23 forum as people there are quite exercised about getting good businesses into empty units.

[G-Man]

Great idea. I don't think I have any skills to bring to the table (unless you need writers!) but you have my wholehearted support.

Worth posting on the SE23 forum as people there are quite exercised about getting good businesses into empty units.

A good writer is always needed in my opinion and I'm sure you or someone you know will have something else to offer.

(Bump)

G-Man

[louisecbrooks]

The first meeting for the Empty Shops Group will be held Tuesday 12 June at 7.30pm at Grow Mayow Community Garden:
Community Square, Mayow Park, Sydenham, London SE26 4JA (the Mayow Road entrance opposite Burghill Road)

Email me at louise@bakelondon.co.uk if you are interested in joining.

A few links to take a look at as a little bit of inspiration/direction:
http://wiki.emptyshopsnetwork.co.uk/ind ... HowToPopUp
http://www.artistsandmakers.com/images/ ... Report.pdf
http://www.meanwhilespace.com/
https://spacehive.com/
http://spacemakers.org.uk/

[safdirector]

I will try my best to be there. As director of Sydenham Arts Festival and Spontaneous Productions theatre company I'd be particularly keen in developing empty spaces for temporary (& permanent??) arts/performance venues.

Space Makers were instrumental in setting up the Brixton Village Market pop up events in Jan-Mar 2010, and it was extremely successful. Several pop up businesses who set up there have stayed and what was a rather run down arcade has been transformed into a thriving location.

Perhaps something similar can happen in this area?

Anyone know of a large empty space with several rooms where I can develop a site-specific performance?

Jonathan Kaufman
http://www.sydenhamartsfestival.co.uk
http://www.spontaneousproductions.co.uk

[louisecbrooks]

A reminder that this group will be meeting this evening at 7.30pm at Grow Mayow. We'll be having the meeting in one of the huts so don't worry about the torrential rain!

Louise

[G-Man]

Hoping to pop down depending on work.

Cheers

G-Man

[dickp]

Hello there

I can't come to tonight's events, but hope to come to any subsequent ones. I might also have something useful to show the group by that point...

[louisecbrooks]

Brilliant. dickp drop me an email on louise@bakelondon.co.uk and I can keep you posted on tonight's outcomes and keep you in the loop for future events.

Louise

[leenewham]

Really good meeting last night Louise, well done for setting this up.

Along with the networking events you are helping to make a real difference here. I was very impressed by Richard and a lot of the ideas coming from the Forest Hill Society.

[sisterofwookie]

Well done guys, sorry I wasn't there.

As you know I am happy to help where I can.