Bristol awarded prestigious Purple Flag accreditation

Photo : Shotaway

Bristol’s night-time economy is once again celebrating after receiving the coveted Purple Flag award in 2023, marking the 13th year in a row the city has been recognised with this accolade.

Purple Flag is an international accreditation awarded to cities that surpass excellence in managing their evening and night-time economies. Similar to the Blue Flag for beaches, the Purple Flag aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 5pm and 5am.

The annual Purple Flag award, made by the national Association of Town Centre Management, assesses qualities such as safety, diversity, vibrancy, accessibility, cleanliness and partnership working, and it gives positive reassurance to those people planning a night out in the city.

Bristol was recognised for its vibrant and diverse mix of dining, entertainment and culture on offer while promoting the safety and wellbeing of visitors and local residents.

Councillor Craig Cheney, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet member for Finance, Governance and Performance, said:  

“Bristol is a destination city, with people visiting from all over the world to enjoy the diverse night life and venues. Receiving this award is a great accolade to Bristol and the hard work of the council and its partners. Promoting a vibrant and safe evening and night time entertainment offer is important for celebrating Bristol’s international reputation and the businesses and organisations at the heart of Bristol’s culture."

Carly Heath, Bristol’s Night-Time Economy Advisor, said:

 “It’s great that Bristol has received the Purple Flag award again this year. It comes in recognition of our continued hard work towards creating a more vibrant, welcoming, diverse and safer nightlife. Through Bristol Nights we have developed a lot of awareness and education campaigns including harm reduction, drink spiking and anti-sexual harassment. We strive to make Bristol’s night-time economy stronger, safer, more inclusive and better connected so people can enjoy a great night out.”

Bristol City Council and Bristol City Centre BID worked in partnership to manage the accreditation process through a comprehensive set of standards, ensuring that different aspects of the city’s offering were presented to the judges.

Vicky Lee, Head of Bristol City Centre BID, said: 

“We work closely with the council and our partners in the night-time economy to make sure our work supports and promotes the city, and allows people to fully enjoy what the city has to offer in the evening and after dark. Achieving the Purple Flag recognition is a huge benefit for businesses and recognises our vibrant and diverse mix of dining, entertainment and culture while promoting the safety and wellbeing of visitors and local residents. We look forward to continuing our work, putting on events and promoting the city on both national and international stages, to help attract people to visit, study, work and live here.”

City partners who help manage the night-time economy include Bristol City Centre BID, Cabot Circus BID, Bristol Nights, Bristol Waste, Night Watch, Bristol Women’s Voice and Avon and Somerset Police.

Highlights from Bristol’s submission include best practice on safety and harm reduction through the work of Bristol Nights, the diverse culture and events programme with successes like Bristol Light Festival, and schemes including the Clean Streets Strategy which help create a welcoming environment.

The evening and night-time economy directly or indirectly supports the employment of over 116,000 people in Bristol, representing 38% of the city’s overall jobs, and includes 1,099 premises in Bristol.

No/lo: It’s not just for Dry January

Bristol’s vibrant nightlife hosts clubs, live gigs, cosy bars and glamorous speakeasies, it is the city that knows how to have fun. Just because it’s Dry January doesn't mean people have to stop visiting our city's night time venues. Offer up low to non-alcoholic drinks this year and let’s make sure Bristol has everyone covered.

With the likes of award-winning Bristol Beer Factory brewing Clear Head 0.5%, there are plenty of alcohol alternatives for your bar or pub. From beer, lagers and ales to ciders or spirits, there is always something for you to find amongst Bristol’s suppliers. 

Beers, Lagers and Ales

Looking for low local alcohol? The best-selling beer for good, Clear Head, packs plenty of punch but is only 0.5%. Taking the beer category to another level, this dual hopped pale ale is part of the Talk Club talking and listening movement with 5% of total sales going to the local charity. Made to help start real conversations and save lives, Clear Head and Talk Club are here to get people mentally fit and create a sustainable, positive mental health community. 

Based on the gold medal award-winning recipe that created Goram IPA, Bristol-based Butcombe Brewery has created Goram IPA Zero - its very first alcohol free IPA. Stocked in venues throughout the city, it has notes of stone fruit, citrus and bitterness. This easy-to-drink, refreshing ale has all the aroma, taste and flavour of a normal IPA but with none of the alcohol.

A easy drinking alcohol-free lager, Tomorrow by Wiper and True is a traditional German Helles-style lager but is only 0.5%. Using market-leading technology, the alcohol is gently removed over 60 hours to leave a complex German hops flavour balanced by a crisp clean finish.

Ciders 

Adding a sober twist to its Classic Draught Cider is Sheppy’s. Made from a blend of Somerset’s finest traditional and dessert cider apples, its 0.5% Classic Cider is currently cider of the month for Dry January.

Bristol Cider Shop has a fabulous mixed case of Low Alcohol 0.5-1% ABV cider. 100% natural, vegan and gluten-free, it’s the perfect selection box to explore cider as a lighter refreshment and without the units. 

A classic for every South West cider drinker, Thatchers has created a cider which has all of the flavour but none of the alcohol with Thatchers Zero.

Spirits 

Founded in Bristol, Caleno Drinks has created two non-alcoholic spirits that are more sisters than twins. Caleno’s sober Dark & Spicy take on Tropical Rum and its Light & Zesty Non-Alcoholic Tropical Gin are perfect with any mixer and celebrate new and exciting flavours from South America.

Alternatives

Handcrafted in Montpelier, Bristol, Nania’s Vineyard creates alcohol-free Kombucha, which is an uplifting and delicious sparkling fermented tea drink.  Nania’s Kombucha Citrus Cascade is unfiltered and naturally hazy - the perfect alcohol replacement.

The Bristol Syrup Company is a collaboration between Bristol-based syrup experts and bartenders, creating syrup that can be used in cocktails or mocktails to create an authentic taste whether or not there is alcohol in your drink. Flavours include classics such as Grenadine, Coconut, Simple and Vanilla - and there are also flavours such as Watermelon and Disco Grenadine.

A selection of unique mixers to keep your alcohol-free drink new and exciting, Two Keys Sodas has created soda flavours like no other - including Black Tea, Green Tea, Lemon and Grapefruit. Just because your drink is no-lo doesn't mean you can’t indulge.

Found right on our doorstep, by supporting local breweries, you will be keeping Bristol’s unique quality alive, investing more into the local economy and even cutting down on your carbon footprint.  Customers are driving towards a healthier lifestyle in 2023, alcohol alternatives are more popular than ever, so jump on the bandwagon and stock no-lo now for Dry January and the remainder of 2023 and beyond.

Bristol and the South West’s no-lo suppliers:

Beers, lagers and ales

• Clear Head 0.5% IPA, Bristol Beer Factory

  Citra and Mosaic hops bring a citrusy flavour and 5% of profits go to local mental fitness charity TALK CLUB

• Goram IPA Zero, Butcombe Brewery

  Bristol-based and made with a punchy blend of UK, USA and New Zealand hops which balance stone fruit, citrus and bitter notes.

• Tomorrow, Wiper and True

  A alcohol-free traditional German Helles-style lager, with a flavour profile of bread crust and gentle herbal notes.

Ciders

• Thatchers Zero, Thatchers

  A medium dry and crisp classic apple cider. Suitable for vegans, vegetarians and coeliacs.

• Sheppy’s Low Alcohol Classic Cider 0.5%, Sheppy’s

  Sheppy’s traditional cider using Somerset’s finest dessert apples with a refreshing apple flavour as delicious as Sheppy’s classic draught cider.

• Low Alcohol Mixed Case, Bristol Cider Shop

  A case of the best low alcohol collected by Bristol Cider Shop. Low alcohol without sacrificing the classic craft cider flavour and 100% natural, vegan and gluten-free.

Spirits 

• Dark & Spicy Non-Alcoholic Tropical Rum, Caleno Drinks

  A tropical blend of pineapple, coconut, ginger, black cardamom, vanilla, kola nut & lime. Zero sugar, vegan friendly and gluten-free.

• Light & Zesty Non-Alcoholic Tropical Gin, Caleno Drinks

  A lively blend of pineapple, incaberry, papaya, coriander, juniper berry, green cardamom & lemon peel. Zero sugar, vegan friendly and gluten-free.

Alternatives

• Nania’s Kombucha Citrus Cascade, Nania’s Vineyard

  Unfiltered and naturally hazy fermented tea which can be enjoyed as a tonic or alcohol alternative. Refreshing citrus notes with hops and apples.

• Bristol Syrup Company Syrups, Bristol Syrup Company

  High quality cocktail syrups ranging from the classics, including Grenadine, Coconut, Simple and Vanilla to more adventurous flavours like Watermelon and Disco Grenadine.

• Two Keys Sodas, Two Keys

  A unique selection of no-lo mixers, with flavours including Black Tea, Green Tea, Lemon and Grapefruit. 

Climate Action and the Night Time Economy

An interactive workshop by Bristol Nights and Bristol Green Capital Partnership

Wednesday 9th November.
4:30 pm - 7 pm.
Bristol Beacon

The city doesn't stop at 6 o’clock and the climate crisis doesn't either. Bristol Nights and Bristol Green Capital Partnership have joined forces to create this workshop to best understand what climate action looks like for the night time economy and hospitality industry. 

Through this interactive session, we hope to identify the challenges and opportunities for taking climate action for the sector. 

Our hope is this exploration will highlight the support that would be useful to enable businesses to take more action on climate, within the context they are operating. 

We are looking for businesses that are enthusiastic about embedding climate action into their organisations, including those who’ve already made great strides towards net zero, and those yet to start and looking for guidance.   

This workshop is open to those responsible for or with influence over operations at licenced businesses in Bristol that operate past 6 pm. It’s free to attend but capacity is limited so do reserve a place. 

Book your space below:

Mental Health and Wellbeing Workshop

Wednesday 12th October.
5pm -7pm.
Strange Brew

Bristol Nights invites leaders across the hospitality and night time economy to come together and reflect on the mental health and wellbeing interventions best suited for our workforce.

This workshop will help us understand what needs to be put in place by organisations to provide our night time workers with the support they need to build resilience into our industry.

Over two hours, we will explore the mental health challenges faced by our sector, discuss the ideal interventions for our workforce, and help us design a mental health and wellbeing framework, bespoke for the Bristol night time economy.

In response to this research The Thrive at Night programme will be developed by Bristol City Council, led by the Night Time Economy Advisor, in collaboration with partners and venues to provide training, peer support and a framework of best practices for all hospitality and late-night businesses.

Your organisation might already have a scheme in place, or be at the beginning of creating an employee assistance wellness program. We want to understand what the sector needs, so we can do our best to produce a programme of support for you as venue owners and business leaders. 

This workshop is being delivered in partnership with NAOS, an intersectional mental health organisation who believe that therapy should be accessible to all.

Book your space below:

Bristol Nights steps up efforts to demonstrate its zero-tolerance response to sexual harrassment.

Bristol Nights Campaign makes expert training on sexual harassment accessible to all night time economy workers ahead of the return of students to the city.

Bristol Nights has launched an online platform, with free-to-access anytime training courses addressing sexual harrassment and drink spiking, and is inviting the city’s night-time workers to take the courses ahead of the students returning to the city in September. 

The 8 part course features films presented by female members of the city’s night-time workforce, bringing to life issues and the city’s approach to stamping out incidents in its venues.

Bristol Nights has also announced new dates for its free in-person and online training sessions throughout autumn to reinforce the city’s zero-tolerance response to sexual harrassment by training workers with best practice in dealing with incidents. Live sessions online will take place on 31st August and 11th October, and in person training will take place on 11th October, 24th October and 8th November at Watershed.

The initial project, led by Bristol City Council, that trained night-time ecconomy workers in dealing with incidents of sexual harrassment, was designed in collaboration with the night-time economy and VAWG agencies and this new campaign is delivered once again across the city in partnership with Bristol City Centre BID.

Carly Health, Bristol Night-Time Economy Advisor, comments:

“Improving the safety of women at night is vital, and a challenge which cannot be achieved without allies throughout the city. We know that our nightlife communities care about the safety and wellbeing of people enjoying our nightlife, and we want to reinforce this important message as students return to the city.

“We invite all members of the night-time workforce and businesses to join our zero-tolerance approach to sexual harrassment, but we understand that not all workers can attend in-person training, so our online course makes it more accessible. Workers can access it at any time, and then spread the word to their co-workers with training manuals and practice manuals available for download.” 

Night-time economy workers can sign up for the 8 part training course or take part in training sessions scheduled until the end of the year here: https://www.bristolnights.co.uk/anti-sexual-harassment.  

To find out more about the project, follow Bristol Nights on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook or visit the Bristol Nights website.

Join the Bristol Nights Advisory Board

Bristol Nights is refreshing its advisory panel and invites new expressions of interest. We are looking for people from across the sector to help shape the future of Bristol's Nightlife

The Bristol @ Night Panel was set up in 2018 and was a vital lifeline for night-time businesses during the pandemic. Since the appointment of Bristol’s first night-time advisor in 2021, Bristol Nights has established city-wide safety campaigns such as Bristol Rules, Stop Spiking, Anti-Sexual Harassment Training and the launch of a Women’s Safety Charter

The Panel has been an invaluable example of how people leading nightlife can unite to solve issues that affect the industry and wider population. 

As we look to the future, some of the themes we intend to explore include:

·       Sustainability and Climate Action

·       Harm Reduction (Drugs and Alcohol)

·       Skills and Training

·       Access and Inclusion

·       Mental Health for Night-time Workers

·       Economic Development

Bristol’s vibrant Night-Time economy is a diverse community of independent businesses, talented artists, innovative promoters, family pubs, fine dining chefs and pop-up street food. We represent all businesses who operate between 6pm-6am, provide over 30% of the city’s jobs, and countless audience experiences - both to the local population and through the tourism economy.

Bristol Nights is looking for strategic thinkers from across the nightlife landscape.

How to Apply

Please submit your Expressions of Interest on this online form https://forms.office.com/r/QztLBTLm5Z

·       250-300 word expressions of interest

·       We will accept video applications via private link, please keep these to no more than 3 minutes

The applications received are being overseen by a panel including Bristol City Council specialists, the Night Time Economy Advisor and an independent sector expert.

Applications opened on Monday 22nd August 2022.

Due to respecting the national period of mourning for Her Majesty The Queen, the deadline for applications has been extended to Monday 26th September 2022 for expressions of interest to join our advisory panel

What We’re Looking For

• People with expertise in building key skills, particularly for night time workers, creative industries, and hospitality.

• People who represent the functions of night time governance e.g. licencing, planning, commercial property or urban design.

• Industry leaders in Bristol Night Time Economy, e.g. hospitality, promoters, venues, artists, festivals, security (SIA), visitor economy, supply chain.

• Organisations that are champions for sector specific support for inclusion and access, diversity, night time safety, and sustainability.

• Members of existing networks connected to the economy.

• Charitable organisations and the social economy (e.g. social enterprises) working to support people in the night time economy.  

We welcome applicants from across the night time economy spectrum, particularly those with a wealth of experience within the sector, passion and determination to foster a collaborative mindset to expand the night time offer.

We will ensure that the panel’s membership is as diverse as possible, so its members can bring views from a range of the city’s communities. We are keen to strive for gender equality on the panel and to encourage applications from people with knowledge, skills, and/or experience of the following groups that risk being under-represented:

• Black and minority ethnic communities

• LGBTQIA+ communities

• Disabled people ; and/or

• Young professionals under the age of 30

As panel members will be responsible for its success, candidates must demonstrate an ability and willingness to work collaboratively.

Drink Spiking round table

Wednesday 24th August
5:30pm - 8.00pm. Louisiana

This session is to reflect on our work, listen to experiences of venue staff, support businesses and explore what more we can be doing as a community to protect victims of spiking.

Bristol Nights and Bristol City Centre BID invite nightlife workers, venues and promoters to join this round table to discuss drink spiking, and explore what more we can be doing as a community to protect and support victims of spiking and the businesses involved.

Bristol Nights, Bristol City Centre BID and Avon & Somerset Police have been working in partnership with Bristol’s venues to tackle drink spiking in our city.

We would like to take the opportunity to reflect on our work with nightlife operatives via a round table discussion

Capacity for this event is limited and participants will be selected based on their readiness and commitment to exploring drink spiking in Bristol’s night time economy in order to help Bristol become a safer night out for all in the future.

Please register your interest via the link below

Bristol awarded prestigious Purple Flag accreditation

Bristol’s night-time economy celebrates receiving the coveted Purple Flag award in 2022, marking the 12th year in a row the city has been recognised for this accolade.

Purple Flag is an international accreditation awarded to cities that surpass excellence in managing their evening and night-time economies. Similar to the Blue Flag for beaches, Purple Flag aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 6pm and 6am. 

The annual Purple Flag award, overseen by the National Association of Town Centre Management, assesses qualities such as safety, diversity, vibrancy, accessibility, cleanliness and partnership working. It gives positive reassurance to those planning a night out in the city.

Bristol City Council and Bristol City Centre BID worked in partnership to manage the accreditation process through a comprehensive set of standards, ensuring that different aspects of the city’s offering were presented to the judges. Bristol was recognised for its vibrant and diverse mix of dining, entertainment and culture on offer while promoting the safety and wellbeing of visitors and local residents.

City partners that help manage the night-time economy include Bristol City Centre BID, Bristol Nights, Bristol Waste, Night Watch and Avon and Somerset Police. 

Highlights from Bristol’s submission include: 

• streamlined working of the Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) which has enhanced their services to deliver them city-wide, including safety and cleansing projects

• encouraging COVID-safe behaviours to increase public confidence

• supporting businesses through the promotion of national programmes and the City Centre and High Streets Recovery and Renewal programme

• promoting safety at night through awareness and communication campaigns including specific projects relating to drink spiking, water safety and anti-sexual harassment

• a dedicated taxi cop, to help ensure a safe service is provided to night-time economy users

Councillor Craig Cheney, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet member for Finance, Governance and Performance, said:

“Receiving this award is a great accolade to Bristol and the hard work of the council and partners across the city. Promoting a vibrant and safe nightlife is important for celebrating Bristol’s international reputation and for our independent restaurants, venues, bars and clubs who are at the heart of Bristol’s culture.”

Carly Heath, Bristol’s Night-Time Economy Advisor, said:

“Bristol’s nightlife consistently excels on the national and international stage. Bristol was one of the first cities in the UK to be awarded Purple Flag status in 2010. Receiving the award again this year comes in recognition of our continued work towards a more vibrant, welcoming, diverse and safer nightlife, and our work on campaigns including Where’s it to?, Bristol rules and Stop spiking.

“We have strived to make the city’s night-time economy stronger, safer, more inclusive and better connected for residents and visitors coming to the city for a great night out.”

Vicky Lee, Head of Bristol City Centre BID, said:

“Achieving the Purple Flag recognition is a huge benefit for businesses and the city. It attracts people to visit, study, work and live here and has a positive impact on our night-time economy. Over the last year, we have worked closely with Bristol City Council and night-time economy partners to ensure that our work supports and promotes the city, encouraging people to spend leisure time and enjoy everything Bristol has to offer.”

Bristol unites in zero tolerance of harassment of women with new Bristol Nights campaign

City demonstrates its zero-tolerance response to sexual harassment with expert training of Bristol’s night-time venue staff as well as light parade of unity through the city centre.

A recent survey highlights that 100% of women in Bristol have experienced sexual harassment in some form. A new Bristol Nights campaign is set to tackle this type of harassment head on.

The project has the ambition to train 1,000 night-time economy workers in dealing with incidents of sexual harassment. This introductory training has been specially designed in collaboration with the night-time economy and VAWG agencies and delivered in partnership with Bristol City Centre BID. It has been developed by High Streets Task Force Expert Joanne Cox Brown.

This training will support venue staff to implement a zero-tolerance approach in Bristol, while also promoting the need for anyone witnessing any unwanted behaviour in the city’s night-time economy to immediately call it out to staff. The project also includes a limited bursary for low-income and freelance night-time workers to be able to undertake the training.

Night-time workers and businesses can sign up now to take part in training sessions throughout March. The campaign from Bristol City Council utilises £282,000 to improve women’s safety, following a successful bid for the Home Office’s Safety of Women at Night Fund.

Carly Heath, Bristol Night-Time Economy Advisor, said:

“Improving the safety of women at night is vital, and a challenge which cannot be achieved without allies throughout the city. Following a two-month research phase involving a range of Bristol audiences, this project will seek to improve public understanding of what constitutes harassment and how often it happens. We know that many crimes against women at night go unreported but are widely witnessed. This campaign invites bystanders to call out bad behaviour while empowering those working in the night-time economy to recognise and execute a zero-tolerance response to harassment in their venues and workplaces.

“Our nightlife communities care about the safety and wellbeing of people enjoying our nightlife. This is such an important message. We need to let the people of Bristol know that women deserve to feel welcome in the city after dark and as such, we invite all Bristolians to join our zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment.”

“Survey responses also demonstrate that the behaviours which the public feel constitutes sexual harassment are also widely debated. This is telling of the complexity of the issue and that a campaign highlighting what constitutes sexual harassment as well as actions they should take when faced with an incident of harassment is so critical.”

The campaign will feature ‘Shine A Light’ Parade. On the 24th of March, people from the night-time economy in Bristol will lead groups through the city streets, dressed in and carrying lights. The parade will end at Lloyd’s Amphitheatre where speakers and artists will inspire the crowds with performances, poems and stories, inviting Bristol to join together in a zero-tolerance approach to the harassment of women in the city. To join the parade, join the Facebook event.

More than 1,000 billboards and posters will be placed across the city, and the content will be shared on social media to raise awareness and direct people to the campaign website for resources and support.

NTIA Announce First Night Time Economy Summit in conjunction with Bristol Nights & Savenightlife

NTIA Announce First Night Time Economy Summit in conjunction with Bristol Nights & Savenightlife.

The first edition of the NTIA Night Time Economy Summit is set to take place from the 7th & 8th April 2022 at Bristol Beacon in conjunction with Bristol Nights & Savenightlife CIC.

Night Time Economy businesses across the UK have been at the sharpest end of the pandemic but have shown true community spirit throughout this crisis. The summit will aim to continue to bring the sector together to collectively debate, as well as share experiences but more importantly give businesses the opportunity to reset, reflect and work from ground zero, and effect change for a better future.

The sector has suffered massively, with many businesses and livelihoods lost, but even in the face of adversity, the industry has emerged with a renewed sense of community, resilience and an ability to adapt and overcome any crisis together.

Says NTIA CEO Michael Kill:

“At this point we felt it vitally important that we benchmark this moment with a summit, where our community can come together, some to meet for the first time outside of there virtual realm, an opportunity for operators, regulators, creators, entrepreneurs to come together and share, learn and build a stronger, more resilient industry for the future.”

Carly Heath NTE Advisor Bristol says:

“We have a phenomenal history of night culture across the West Country, with some amazing talent, events and venues throughout. Bristol is renowned for its musical diversity and sound system culture, so it seems quite right that we celebrate this alongside the NTIA & Savenightlife this year. We are extremely excited to welcome the industry from across the UK as part of the summit.“

The two day event will include over 100 speakers with panels and workshops featuring innovators and entrepreneurs from across the sector.

Speakers include; Sacha Lord (Night Time Economy Advisor Greater Manchester), Jenni Cochrane (Getahead) Simon Dunmore (CEO Defected), David Lucas (IOL), Yousef (Circus Records), Philip Kolvin QC, Mark David’s (Music Venue Trust) Mike Grieve (Sub Club), Carly Heath (Night Time Economy Advisor Bristol) Michael Kill CEO (NTIA) Steve Braines (He.She.They) Brandon Block (DJ) Rob Masterson (Mustard Media) Maria May (CAA) Katy Ellis (Anglo Management) Peter Marks CEO (Rekom) Clare O’Neill (Greener Festivals) Steve Alton (BII) Ariel Palitz (NYC Nightlife Advisor) Michael Rodriguez (24hr Commissioner NSW) Lutz Leichsenring (Vibe Lab) Julie Tippins (DHP Family).

More speakers and panel topics will be announced soon.

This journey starts on the 7th & 8th April 2022 at Bristol Beacon in conjunction with Bristol City Council & Bristol Nights.

Register on the link below for ticket information:

https://nighttimeeconomysummit.com

Be part of the first edition of the NTIA Night Time Economy Summit , 7th & 8th April 2022 at Bristol Beacon in conjunction with Bristol Nights & Savenightlife CIC.

Carly Heath, Night Time Economy Advisor, announced as speaker at Event Production Show, 9 March 2022

New Age of Insurance for Events - Evaluating the Government Support Scheme and the Future, Event Production Show, 9 March 2022, 1-2pm.

The Pandemic has generated some challenging precedents, one of which resonates around safeguarding your business for future crises.
This highly experienced panel will focus on the challenges around business interruption and events cancellation insurance during the pandemic, evaluation of the current Government backed scheme, and an exploration into what the future holds for sector specific insurance cover.

Join speakers:

Carly Heath, Night Time Economy Advisor - Bristol City Council
Julie Tippins, Head of Risk Management - DHP Family
Michael Kill, CEO - Night Time Industry Association
Simon Mabb, Managing Director - NDML
Tim Thornhill, Director - Tysers

Register to attend

Support needed for businesses to survive Omicron

Omicron is like the poor Christmas sequel nobody wanted, looming over our communities and damaging our economy once more.

Just a couple of weeks ago, our hospitality sector was booming, businesses were struggling to find staff, bookings were healthy across the city, and the supply chain was fully stocked, ready for a busy festive season.  

Fast forward three weeks and the current situation is in stark contrast.  

We must, of course all take steps to protect ourselves and each other when the virus is now circulating so rapidly – many of us want to see loved ones at Christmas and we all need to protect the health service from becoming overwhelmed. But we also need to ensure businesses and workers in the city are prioritised in the coming months.

I’ve been speaking to businesses across the sector, particularly in hospitality, and since the work from home directive was issued last week Christmas party bookings have tumbled. There is not a single business unaffected. 

This has serious implications across the city. Fully booked staff rosters are dwindling. Temporary staff, often on low incomes and zero hours contracts, are being relieved of their shifts the week before Christmas. 

And where is the Chancellor? As I see it, he has a number of options available to him when it comes to reinstating support packages.

In the darkest days of the pandemic VAT was slashed to 5% to support those businesses being hardest hit by restrictions. We’re currently at 12.5% and this will increase to 20% in April. Of course, implementing further VAT relief will only be of benefit if businesses are able to trade, and with takings down across the board, taking this step alone won’t be enough to save jobs.  

Grants such as the Additional Restrictions Grants (ARG) sound great on paper, but in reality, those in hospitality have very few restrictions on them at the moment. They’ve been told by the government they can stay open, but the population has been told by Chris Whitty to deprioritise social contact. The restrictions on hospitality are practically self-imposed, and once again, hospitality is feeling the raw end of this pandemic. We need to see support packages reinstated with the flexibility built in to reflect this challenge.   

Business rates relief may be a blunt tool, but it would be a relief for many, nonetheless. The Chancellor needs to ensure that any rate relief is fully compensated so that our cash-strapped councils can also weather this storm.  

However, rates relief won’t offer much comfort to the supply chain. New Year’s Eve was looking really healthy for our nightclubs, local performers and promoters. Much of the creative NTE supply chain are freelancers. Many of them received very little help throughout this pandemic. 

Sector specific furlough will help stem the job losses, but we must be mindful of those who are not on the payroll when schemes are designed and ensure support is available to these groups too.

The supply chain within the food and drink sector will also be seriously impacted by this loss in footfall in what is usually their busiest three weeks of the year. We have 14 breweries in Bristol. All of them will have been making produce for months to satisfy the demand over this festive season.  

That’s why I signed a letter to the Chancellor today, alongside the Business Improvement Districts and businesses in the city, calling on the government to step up support for our sector once more.

The night time economy, hospitality and the supply chain have been on the raw end of this pandemic throughout. I’m concerned for the wellbeing of workers in the industry who have been on a Corona-coaster for the past 20 months. If you know anyone who earns a living from this sector, please drop them a line to check in on how they are. We all need to be looking out for each other right now. 

If you are going out and enjoying yourself this Christmas, please go and get your booster and consider taking a test before going anywhere busy or crowded. These are simple measures that will help us all to stay safe, and our businesses to stay open.

It’s time for the government to step up support once again – if they are genuine about their commitment to helping businesses survive, they will take the immediate action the sector so desperately needs to survive the winter.