Sheffield is set to celebrate its reputation as The Outdoor City this summer as the council launches a new campaign to encourage people to enjoy all the city has to offer in the coming months.
Summer in The Outdoor City (SITOC) will showcase events taking place across the city, from the city centre to local districts, as lockdown eases and Sheffield continues its Covid-19 recovery.
The campaign will be part of a series of initiatives designed to welcome back visitors and drive footfall to the city centre and local high streets; supporting local businesses to recover from the pandemic and encouraging people to enjoy the great experiences Sheffield has to offer; from shopping and eating to our unique arts and culture scene.
As well as encouraging residents to begin to explore Sheffield again, the campaign will also focus on promoting the city as a ‘staycation’ destination for 2021, highlighting the benefits of visiting Sheffield for a summer getaway.
Alongside promoting the city’s headline events, such as the Fringe at Tramlines and Cliffhanger, new schemes aimed at encouraging people to support their local businesses will also be trialled. For example, a pilot of an ‘alfresco avenue’ on Division Street will go ahead – emphasising the area’s outdoor hospitality offering and utilising the Council’s £2m Economic Recovery Fund to breathe life back into the city centre and local communities with a series of business-led projects.
The first wave of projects to be funded by the Economic Recovery Fund includes plans to rejuvenate the streetscapes of Walkley, Broomhill, Firth Park, Hillsborough and Totley to make the areas exciting and attractive places for visitors, as well as plans to extend The Children’s Hospital Charity Trust’s successful Bear Trail to some of these district centres.
The Recovery Fund will also create the opportunity for a series of pop-up music, arts and food and drink events across the city centre, with a focus on sustainable and environmentally friendly event practices in line with the Council’s climate priorities.
Division Street will be home to a new monthly market, to be held on the last Saturday of the month; giving local independent traders the chance to try out a safe, new location to showcase their high-quality products in a pilot scheme running until September.
Meanwhile plans to create a ‘Covent Garden of Sheffield’ in Tudor Square are underway to replicate a European Piazza atmosphere in the space with a focus on accessibility and inclusion.
Councillor Julie Grocutt, Deputy Leader of Sheffield City Council and Executive Member for Community Engagement, said: “Our high streets and city centre have faced an extremely tough time over the course of the pandemic and it’s really important that we now maximise the potential for them to bounce back throughout the summer.
“We understand that people’s expectations from their local areas have changed throughout the past year and to support this we’re trialling a range of new experiences right across the city, which we hope will encourage many more people to choose Sheffield as their holiday destination of choice, as well as helping to shape our plans for the city centre and district centres in the future.
“A huge amount of hard work has gone into making the city reopening a celebration of all of the fantastic things Sheffield has to offer and I hope everyone gets to enjoy the activities planned.”
Over the next few months, the Council will support businesses to ensure that they are able to reopen in a low-carbon, responsible way by providing advice and practical support through grant funding to reduce their carbon footprints and energy costs.
Business Sheffield Advisors will offer intensive 1-1 sessions to businesses, as well as Energy Audits to assess what improvements could be made, with up 50% of the cost of changes to be met by a new Low Carbon Grant.
Councillor Paul Turpin, Executive Member for Inclusive Economy, Jobs and Skills at Sheffield City Council, said: “Summer in The Outdoor City is an opportunity for us to help kick start the local economy and rebuild consumer confidence by creating a safe, exciting environment for people to get out and enjoy the variety of events on offer.
“We want to encourage as many people as possible to get involved in the campaign, whether that’s holding an event as part of the programme or just feeling part of the project and proud of where they live.
“The campaign is also an important chance for us to work with local businesses to ensure that they are resilient to the changes of the climate emergency and that this recovery supports our ambitions and targets.
“Sustainability is a huge part of our vision for the future of Sheffield and we’re working with businesses to look at how we can start to make changes now by offering practical help such as Low Carbon Grants and expert advice.
“We hope to attract as many businesses and visitors to the city as possible and encourage them to think about how they can embed sustainability in their daily lives; from minimising waste and reducing the use of plastic at events to encouraging people to travel around the city by foot, bike or public transport wherever possible.
“We’re introducing so many exciting new initiatives this summer that we haven’t seen before in Sheffield and I can’t wait to see our city come to life again after a what has unfortunately been a very quiet year.”
To submit an event to be promoted as part of Summer in The Outdoor City, please visit www.welcometosheffield.co.uk/visit/events/submit-your-event.
Find out more about Summer in The Outdoor City here: https://www.theoutdoorcity.co.uk/summer.
