Tredegar, Aberdeen, Totally Locally….

Some week that was…

…and it’s why I love this job…!

💡 Three things, connected in a way and all of which taught us a lot.

• Our 2nd visit to the historic town of Tredegar;
• Hearing that we’re to work together with the team at Aberdeen Inspired again…
• And, a bit later than planned, starting to read Chris Sands Totally Locally book.

Tredegar is a #TheVacantShopsAcademy commission but a town centre where we’d thought our typical ‘audit, engage, encourage, promote’ approach needed an untypical first step. And that’s what we were there for, talking it thru with #community, business, regen and council folk.

🔑 In Aberdeen we learned the BID have secured funding, thanks to the city council, to run a project to explore potential uses for un- and under-used #highstreet upper floors. The flurry that followed the announcement confirmed two things: how many places have that as an issue, and how many people (who’ve been in touch already) are keen to help us tackle it.

And the book…?

💷 Well, Totally Locally is a brilliant #placemaking story. Please check it out if you haven’t. But the way they’ve created something people in places can deliver themselves reminded me that’s what I’d imagined The Academy would be, and that we need redouble efforts to show how our approach is as easily transferable as we believe.

So…work to do on all three, but better for it.

🙏 Thanks Tredegar, Aberdeen, Chris…!