Issue - meetings

Rebecca Oblein introduced the report advising that the ambassadors programme will continue the reputational work that was started in the last 2 years through the Dacorum Look No Further programme, for which funding finished in March of this year. She went on to advise that the ambassadors scheme is about place making and place shaping, so in essence about raising the reputation and profile of Hemel Hempstead as a place to invest, as a place to bring your business and to come and live and to come and visit. It’s a membership scheme, so the business community will be paying in to the scheme, and so we are looking for a 2 year underwriting by the Council, at the end of which we are hoping that the scheme will fund itself, so the report is requesting 2 years of funding, to pay for a place manager to run the scheme and to provide it with some seed funding to provide some of the up-front marketing materials we need whilst we are building the membership with aim of it being self-funding by year 3. 

Councillor Griffiths enquired as to what Rebecca Oblein thought the chances were of finding someone who will understand that role.

Rebecca Oblein advised that these schemes are currently running in about 10 places around the country and that they have been working closely with the place manager for Coventry & Warwick. We have understood what makes the right kind of place manager and it is someone who is really good at partnership working, who can sell a bit but has a passion for the place and the area. She further added that one of the essential criteria on the Person Specification, is a passion for Hemel Hempstead and a passion for this area. She went on to advise that what has been seen happening in other areas is that once they have started, the ball starts rolling and people actually approach us to join the club, rather than having to sell it , and then the managers role is to work with the place board, use the funding that is coming in to take part in things like MIPIN UK to promote the area or to go and hold an investors conference in London, or whatever the place board think is the best way to invest the money to raise the profile.

Councillor Harden enquired as to whether they would be an employee of the Council.

Rebecca Oblein advised that they are going to be employed by the Council as we have the procedures and processes for employment in place, but that the aim is to set up a company that will run the ambassadors scheme, so it will be its own separate entity. The businesses didn’t want to be paying their money over to Dacorum Borough Council. They want it to be paid into the Hemel Hempstead Ambassadors Scheme. However following discussions at the last meeting regarding the fact that a company hasn’t been set up yet,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9