The Mayors High Street fund was established to “rejuvenate and reanimate high streets across York and North Yorkshire. Key objectives include boosting the resilience of town centres and high streets, enabling them to expand their offer and increase the number of events and activities that can attract residents and visitors.”
How will it benefit Masham?
MCO facilitate two network groups called Masham Futures (comprising of local community groups and organisations inc MPC, sports association, churches, school etc) and a business network called Masham Businesses. For a long time the Connections group have been saying that Masham needs a joined up identity to help promote and attract visitors to the area to feed the local economy and to encourage people to buy local (rather than online). The Mayors High Street funding was the perfect opportunity for Masham to act, so MCO facilitated an open meeting in March, bringing these two networks together to establish a Community Partnership Group to explore project ideas and identify a steering group to develop and submit an application for funding.
Why is MCO involved?
MCO was chosen to lead this project by the local Masham Community Partnership group at the meeting in March as we were the only organisation able and willing to take responsibility for the governance, reporting, project delivery and ultimately any risk associated with the project. The lead organisation also has to pay up front for anything required and then claims the funds back in arrears, in effect bank rolling the project and enabling it to take place.
The partnership wanted to develop a unique identity for Masham, to create assets and a legacy that could be built on over time. Given the extensive investment MCO has already made in developing the new visitmasham.com website to benefit local businesses, the importance for all messaging to be coherent and consistent coupled with the extremely tight time constraints of the bid, MCO have taken a lead on the brand development and marketing activity for this project to benefit all.
This is a community project and everyone must work together to make it a success for Masham. Natalie Nicholson has been employed as Project Officer for the next few months to help bring the project to life, supporting project leads to deliver on the various activities as outlined within the bid.
If you can help in any way (particularly with Yorkshire Day activities), please let Natalie know and she will put you in touch with the project leads.
What are the projects?
Masham Brand Development Work: Create a distinctive identity for Masham leaning into the ‘Peculier’ nature of our history and the people whom reside here. Our ‘Peculier activities are unified by this brand ethos and embody it’s quirky and fun nature.
Interactive Map: Highlighting quirky historical sites, walking routes around Masham, shops, pubs, restaurants, places to stay and visitor attractions – to increase visitor awareness of all the things available in and around Masham.
History Tour: Depicting interesting or quirky places around Masham – either guided walking tour, printed map or downloadable interactive map with layers inc accessible routes.
Edible Planters: To mark the high street space & provide visual interest with a twist – a quirky show of seasonal vegetables and unusual plants. A source of interest in colour, texture and produce that can be harvested with recipe ideas, shared via banners on the planters. Resident competition to design, cross generational groups plant and maintain.
Signs/Maps: To be at arrival points in square and recreation ground. Waymarking shops, attractions, Peculier Tours, points of historical/other interest. Fixed signs have shop type key so visitors know they can find groceries, galleries, walking shoes, eateries, walks or attractions.. An interactive digital map has layers and interesting facts downloadable via QR code, hard copies available in all stores.
Shop Local: Building assets that introduce shop owners, sharing quirky or interesting facts about themselves or produce highlighting the diversity of folk and products. Distributed by local B&Bs to build footfall and revenue. Create a platform for phase II – A Peculier Local delivery model to bring purchase back to the high street.
Yorkshire Day: New 2 day event encouraging community collaboration and participation. A spectacle for visitors – Yorkshire themed team events, market, children’s activities, a re-enactment of the Old Peculier Court (we’re looking for actors!!) a tea party, family friendly movies and more!
These enduring activities will build on our peculier past to make Masham more distinctive, improve the attractiveness and vibrancy of the High Street, encourage more visitors to visit, increase dwell time and spend from both residents and visitors, ensuring long term sustainability.
How much did Masham get?
Total funding secured from the Mayor’s Office: £39,890
Value of match funding contributed by MCO for website and volunteers: £14,260
Project total cost: £54,150
How is the funding being spent?
Governance and project management: £10,880:
£5,348 (13%) allocated to MCO overheads (standard is 20%-30%)
£4,732 (12%) allocated to MCO to pay for additional staff resource required to deliver the project, providing additional employment for local people
£800 project contingency
Brand development: £13,170:
£2,400 development of brand proposition
£750 project creative positioning
£800 photography & videography
£950 PR content for social/distribution (x8 stories)
£2,400 visitmasham.com shop functionality
£720 content areas for blog/vlog content
£600 website promotion
£600 SEO improvements
£2,400 radio promotion
£950 web x8 blogs (1 per month)
£600 social media boost
Marketing: £2,350:
£600 walking tour – videography for social/email
£750 walking tour printed maps
£500 Yorkshire day event – videography
£500 event campaign creation, videography and blog x5 stories
Shop Local: £3,000:
£500 creation of social assets to share with accommodation owners promoting local shops and products
£2,500 local guide, printed A5
History Tour: £600:
£100 plaque competition prize
£500 history tour signage (lollipop/A board)
Creative Blue Plaque trail: £1,400:
£1,200 blue plaque creation
£200 artistic license and research time
Yorkshire Day(s): £150 competition/trophy
Edible Planters: £2,400
£1,250 planters x 12
£900 stock/veg planters
£100 competition prizes
£150 edible recipe cards
Signage and maps: £5,940
£1,440 market place map, original artwork depicting shops, attractions, walks and plaques
£600 map printing A1 x 2 (market place and recreation ground)
£1,200 new sign for recreation ground
£2,700 interactive map for self guided tours, shops, attractions
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