50 people gathered tonight at Watershed for a post digital challenge discussion. A result in itself…
Looking back over the past few weeks: the final presentation to government went very well but some of the questions provoked uncertainty as the agenda seemed to have moved away from inclusion to refocusing on the transformation of government services.
As Stephen noted, it would obviously be better to stand up having won, but the conversation is now how we move on. Not winning is a set back but it isn’t the end. And, in terms of being an international showcase, Bristol has done extremely well – with significant press interest and this blog which has told our story, inviting feedback and comment and getting significant visitor numbers.
We have received a feedback letter from the DCLG which was given to us on the awards day. It doesn’t say much at this stage but does offer a personal meeting with one of the judges from the DFES.
Within the challenge announcement was also a genuine surprise – additional government funding to enable the digital challenge cities (DC10) to keep working together.
What next? We will follow up on opportunities to get feedback. The DC10 has an outline terms of reference, which includes plans for seeking European funding. We have great support from the local authority and there is commitment in the council’s own financial plan to take forward some of the bid ideas. There is also some remaining funding from the support we received from SWRDA.
The Sunderland bid is a strong one – focused, deliverable and precise. Many of the themes are similar to ours, like the focus on mentoring and skills. There are also other themes which we didn’t explore in such detail, like tele-medicine. Within Sunderland’s bid is the technology for a live bus map, which we are very keen on implementing in Bristol.
At every point in the Connecting Bristol bid people have come forward with ideas, openness, and a preparation to collaborate, and this still continues. The carrot that the government dangled has fleshed out a lot of energy, collectively we now have to maintain this, sharing resources and aiming for a digital strategy for the city, which will be iterative, open and appropriate.
Questions and comments:
Tomas, Fluffy logic – The Bristol identity is often about being the underdog that goes on to achieve. Our music scene didn’t get its strength from government awards. We will go on and do this stuff anyway.
Dylan Martlew, SWRDA/Connecting SouthWest – Bristol probably feels isolated at the moment, but what the competition has done is focused the region on the achievements on the city. This interest won’t diminish because we didn’t win.
Steve Hewitt from the Hartcliffe and Withywood Community Partnership – Having been involved in a variety of bids, I just wanted to congratulate the team on the process that engaged people in the bid. Its inclusive and engaging approach and the fact that a few days later there is a still a significant number of people who want to take things forward, is a great strength.
Pete Ferne, Bristol Wireless – What we have done for has been a tremendous boost to cohesion in the city and this will be self-sustaining.
Barbara Janke, Leader of the Council gave her support for Connecting Bristol, stating how her involvement has been ‘a privilege’ (and a learning curve). She again reiterated that the huge goodwill, energy and expertise in the Momentum Group and the Connecting Bristol bid will allow the city to continue forward. “This is the beginning of something that will be fantastic for the city. Onward and upward, we will set up more consultation events, gather more ideas and get more feedback. We are a showcase, world-class digital community.”
Stephen finished the evening by thanking the Momentum Group for their huge support and enthusiasm and the individual members of the Connecting Bristol team for their hard work.
