News & Events

Top Tips for establishing an independent Information Centre

I attended Dorset Towns Forum's 2nd Network Event in Wareham on Wed 9th December.

The whole event was useful, and Wareham is a fabulous town with its Saxon earth ramparts, but the top tips given by Steve Adamson, Chair of the Blandford Information Centre, stood out as great advice from someone who has been through developing an independent Information Centre after North Dorset District Council decided to pull their support for the Tourist Information Centre in 2005.

Also this follows on neatly from SMTF's Network Event at Ilminster which included some examples of Information Centres - see News item.

- First Top Tip was - if you can help it, don't do it! If you can influence the Authority by showing the true value of the Centre, including to the residents, so they retain it, this would be better. However, the reality in our times of public sector budgets being slashed means more TIC's may be lost.

- Grab as much as you can from the Local Authority who are pulling out; its your best opportunity to get kit for free.

- Get hold of a building, preferably for free or very little. Blandford Information Centre operated for several years in the former TIC office but rent was £3500pa, so when the Public Toilets were redesigned (and reduced in footprint) they accepted gratefully the offer to have an office there for virtually nothing. However the build costs were £18k! They raised this with a third coming from their own fundraising efforts, a third from the Town Council and a third from NDDC.

- set up a charitable Trust so you can apply for grants and not pay VAT and get a business rates discount.

- look for grants to cover overheads (Steve reckons on £3.5-4K pa for bills and insurance)

- if wanting a paid Manager post, you will need to turnover at least £50k Steve thinks!

- doing it with volunteers requires lots of them - they have 25 currently, are always recruiting, and spend time looking after them

- you need a Champion - someone to lead and coordinate (esp on grants, insurance, PR, repairs/renewals etc)

- don't include the term 'Tourist' in your title - it doesnt help when going for grants. Information Centre covers the fact that, in Blandford, their customers are 75% locals and 25% visitors. Make it clear that the primary function is information for locals.

- succession planning. Start to think about who can do what once the Champion has stepped down/retired.

Thanks to Steve for sharing his experiences.

Created on December 11th 2009

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