Held in the Garden Room, York Explore Library Learning Centre

YORK@LARGE

Notes of a meeting held on 4 December 2012

Held in the Garden Room, York Explore Library Learning Centre

Members present:

Dianne WillcocksChair

Patrick KellyMedia Sector

Cllr Sonia CrispCity of York Council

Liz PageVisitor Attractions

Stephen BurkeFestivals

Stuart GouldenCommercial Sector

Michael HjortVisit York

In attendance:

Gill CooperCity of York Council

Ian TempestCity of York Council/Visit York

Diana StoreyCity of York Council

Paul Edmondson-JonesCity of York Council

Jane GibsonVisit York

Chair welcomed all to the meeting

Health & Wellbeing Links with Culture

Chair welcomed Paul Edmondson-Jones to the meeting. Paul explained he is charged with improving the health of everybody in York.

As a bit of background, in 1974 most of the public health function was transferred to the NHS. However, following the government’s white paper ‘Healthy lives, Healthy People: Our strategy for public health in England’, responsibilities for public health are being transferred back to local government with effect from April 2013.

There will be three strands to the Public Health agenda:-

Promoting and protecting health
Promoting and tackling the causes of ill-health, and reducing health inequalities
Promoting social justice and safer communities

This will be no easy task, whilst York is comparatively wealthy there are areas of real deprivation. This can have a real impact on the health of the people who live there. For example a recent study revealed that people living in the poorest parts of York have a life expectancy 11 years shorter than those in the wealthiest areas.

The city council has already, in partnership with NHS, drawn up a document which has identified the difference in life expectancy in York, depending on where you live. The assessment will form the basis of a new “health and well-being strategy”. This strategy has already identified five key public health priorities for York, these are:-

• Children and young people

• Older people

• Mental health

• tackling health inequalities

• putting health and social care in York on a sustainable economic footing

In taking the health agenda forward, Paul will also be involved in looking at the quality of housing and education in York whilst trying to identify ways to increase employment opportunities. He will also be looking at the Service Level Agreements in conjunction with demographic information and the links which can be made directly back into public health. This will also help drive and secure an individual organisations future. There needs to a way to evaluate health benefits through our partners.

Under the Council plan there are 5 key objectives which directly link to Public Health, these will help drive forward the benefits to people in culture and the arts are included.

In order to reach people it is about getting the right message to the right people at the right time and in the right way. This will help people to make the right choices.

Paul is keen to work with Y@L to involve the cultural sector and map the cultural landscape. Y@L can use Paul as a way of engaging with how we may tackle new initiatives.

There was some discussion around the table as to how culture can enhance the lifestyle and wellbeing of people.

A new tourism strategy for the City

Please see the consultation briefing which was circulated with the papers for the meeting.

Lady Jane Gibson stressed that the strategy needs to be a living document which is tailored to York. Sign-off of the strategy will be the responsibility of Cllr Crisp.

Y@L members then split into two groups and each group was asked to write down their ideas on:-

a)What is the most important issue facing tourism in York?

b)What do you want people to say about York in ten years time?

Ian Tempest thanked Y@L members for their thoughts and ideas and distributed copies of the 6 questions which are being used as a basis for the consultation – please see attached.

Membership Update

Three expressions of interest have been received from:-

Joan Concannon - Universities
Gavin Cowley – Education – Schools
Eddy Adams – Voluntary sector

Joan Concannon is Director of External Relations at the University of York. She also sits on the York 800 Advisory Board and is co-founding director of the recently created York Festival of Ideas.

Gavin Cowleyis Deputy Head of York High School and is a powerhouse of creative ideas. He led the multi-arts project on the theme of transformation depicting the change from the old Oaklands School to the new York High.

Eddy Adams – works with cities across Europe in his role as Advisor to the EU URBACT Programme. The programme is an EU transnational exchange and learning programme for cities. He also has a very keen interest in the Arts and Leisure and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

It is intended, if the above nominations are accepted, that there will be a formal induction process.

Stuart Goulden offered to move to represent the Media sector, leaving a vacancy for a representative of the Commercial Sector.

Dianne Willcocks will be resigning from her position of Chair of Y@L with effect from June next year.

Nomination for new Chair is Patrick Kelly. Patrick has been involved with Y@L for some years and has a clear handle on how the group works. He also works very closely with the current Chair. His appointment as Chair would provide continuity for Y@L.

Patrick believes the group has huge potential in future years and would be happy to accept the nomination.

Gill Cooper asked Y@L members if they were happy to accept the three new members and to formally accept Patrick as Chair. Agreement acknowledged.

Current chair congratulated Patrick on his appointment at Chair.

Minutes Matters Arising and General Updates around the table

Agreed that the minutes of 4 September be accepted as a true record.

Item 2 (a) + (c) – York City Action Plan 1

Gill Cooper, Stuart Goulden and Dianne Willcocks still to meet to discuss the Creative Industries and Mosque issue.

Item 2 (b) – Reinvigorate York Board – two seats on the board will be taken by Gill Cooper and Cllr Crisp.

Item 3 – Promoting Cultural activities at neighbourhood level – sub group still to be convened...

Item 6 – Cultural offer for new business

Action – Gill Cooper to circulate fact sheet on York, ‘Top ten reasons to come to York’

Gill to circulate information pack ‘Culture central to the City’

General updates around the table:-

Stephen Burke:-

Launch of Ebor Vox video
Festival of Angels – new trial out shortly with a push to increase the offer to young people

Liz Page:-

Clifford’s Tower is supporting Visit York’s Wrapped Up winter campaign by staying open throughout the year. This is in response to York’s strong winter visitor market

Ian Tempest:-

Attended AGM and conference on 16th November. An excellent PDF has been produced and attached to these minutes

Visitor trends – average fall in footfall. However, this is reflected nationally.

Visit England reported that job losses, economic downturn and the weather are all factors in contributing to lesser footfall. – Visit England report attached to these minutes

Gill Cooper:-

The year will end with York 800 Weekend - a big screen touring locations around the city showing some of the highlights from 2012, with the grand finale on New Years Eve at the Minster. There will be entertainment from 11pm through to 12:45.
HMD commerations run from 24-29 January 2013.
Residents Festival takes place over the weekend of 25-26 January which will include a tour of the new council building
Ebor Vox film can be seen at
Under the restructure of senior managers, now additionally responsible the City Centre team and markets.
1.6 million bid for markets
Staff awards (internal) – York 800 team have been recognised as outstanding

Patrick Kelly:-

Arts Media – Newcastle City Council has sent shockwaves with its plans to completely remove funding to all arts organisations in the city by 2016

Michael Hjort:-

Food Festival – Food and Science expressions of interest requested
Service Level Agreement with City of York Council – will be meeting in the new year to agree on what is to be included
Represents Visit York and provides feedback to the management team
Civic Trust notices – enhancements for notices, similar design used in the past. Action – Ian Tempest to provide photographs
Further consultation with Gill Cooper for What’s On
Illuminating York – a lot of negative comments received this time. Feedback questionnaires on survey monkey. This would also give information on where visitors to the event came from

Jane Gibson:-

Two months into new job. Key for Visit York moving forward is to think strategically. The current financial model isn’t one which can be used going forward with both membership and local authority grants dwindling. Need to look at new ways to support tourism going forward and will report back at future Y@L meetings

Stuart Goulden:-

Creative Industries are awaiting a decision on the Bonding Warehouse and the future of the Guildhall as there are several rumours flying around. Currently have people working where they can find space
OneandOther is starting to grow and have increased circulation by a third
Working with Stuart Halliday from the Council to provide the small independent businesses a voice and to enable them to tell their own stories
Support from Joseph Rowntree Foundation to give charities a voice. Hoping for 1,000 volunteers next year
Festival of Architecture – partnered with RIBA
OneandOther TV – investment from bank will give storytelling a new medium
Cataloguing the transformation of the Art Gallery renovations
Performing Arts – 3 pantomimes in town

Any Other Business

PowerPoint on City of Faiths – all to go away and any feedback to Gill Cooper

Action – Feedback to Gill Cooper

Nominations for new chair of Theatre Royal. Will need to take the theatre into the next stage of its development. Time commitment for quarterly meetings. Both present and previous chair were in full-time employment

Date of 2013 meetings are:-

4 February, 4 June, 10 September, 10 December – all starting at 4p.m.

If any can host one of the meetings please let Diana Storey know at