Relaunched Partnership will boost Bristol

Release Date:  20-Oct-2008

A new-look strategic partnership of the public, private and not-for-profit sectors in Bristol is set to give England’s most successful major city a stronger voice on the national stage - and deliver a new wave of ‘joined up’ action to ensure all residents share in its success.

The new Executive Board of the re-launched Bristol Partnership meets for the first time on Monday October 20th, when city leaders will elect its first chair and formally sign up to the new arrangements.

Members of the new Executive Board include the leaders of the three main political parties on the city council – Cllr Helen Holland; Cllr Barbara Janke and Cllr Richard Eddy – and its Chief Executive Jan Ormondroyd.

Other key players on the board include John Savage, from GWE Business West – the city region’s chamber of commerce and industry; Assistant Chief Constable John Long; Bristol NHS Primary Care Trust Chief Executive Deborah Evans; Simon Bale from the voluntary sector umbrella group VOSCUR; a senior representative of the Black Development Agency; Bristol University Vice Chancellor Eric Thomas; City of Bristol College Principal Keith Elliott and Dick Penny, Chief Executive of the Watershed and the man leading the work to revitalise the Bristol Old Vic theatre.

The Partnership will focus on ensuring that Bristol’s prosperity strengthens and grows in a way that is both sustainable and can be shared by everyone who lives in the city.

Joint work to achieve that aim will be delivered through five Partnership Boards entitled Safer Bristol; Health and Wellbeing; Prosperous and Ambitious; Neighbourhoods and Children and Young People. The Chairs of each of these boards will also sit on the Executive Board.

What leading partners say about the relaunch

Councillor Helen Holland, Leader of the Council, said: “This revitalised Bristol Partnership will provide strong leadership that can speak with one voice for our city – and help deliver real change to make a difference to the lives of local people. I particularly welcome our partners’ commitment to jointly resource the new arrangements.  This demonstrates our shared ambition to make our city even more successful than it is today, and address some of the more deep-rooted problems in a holistic way.”

John Savage added: “Bristol’s business community will particularly welcome this stronger and more focused local strategic partnership. There’s no doubt that all the agencies and organisations in Bristol are far more effective together than they are alone. The new arrangements will send out a powerful message to government and commercial investors that Bristol has strong, confident leadership and is ‘open for business’ despite the global financial uncertainty.”

Primary Care Trust Chief Executive Deborah Evans said: “By joining up our resources and activities across all sectors we can make a big impact on the lives of people, especially those who suffer from disadvantage. I am really excited at the potential this new partnership offers for tackling some the health inequalities and difficulties experienced by thousands of people in our city.”

More about Bristol's economic success

Bristol recently celebrated the opening of its new £500 million Cabot Circus leisure and retail destination, which has provided 4,000 new jobs. The city is continuing to deliver major regeneration projects elsewhere in its city centre; on its historic Harbourside and across South Bristol, one of the most disadvantaged areas of the city – despite current global economic pressures.

The UK Competitiveness Index 2008 recently ranked Bristol as the most competitive English core city - ahead of its bigger rivals Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.
The index considers a wide range of factors including research and development, business start-ups and the qualifications of the local workforce

The city was also runner up in the coveted Foreign Direct Investment (fDi) website’s European Cities of the Future awards 2008/09 and was also named as one of the 10 most attractive cities in Europe in those fDi awards.

For more about Bristol's economic success visit www.investinbristol.com

Author:  Simon Caplan

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