Impact data and claims within this report are provided by the project creator and have not been independently verified by Spacehive.
Chipping Barnet is re-establishing its identity as a historic market town by reconnecting with its medieval past to create a sustainable community festival that is integrated with the whole town.
Pledges will only be charged if the project hits its funding goal of £35,148 by 09 Dec 2018
Chipping Barnet is home to London's only registered battlefield (Battle of Barnet: 1471), but it also has enjoyed a long history as a flourishing market town, providing hospitality, produce, and trade to travellers on the Great North Road. With this bid we will revive this tradition of hospitality and trade, celebrate what is special about Barnet and boost the local economy by building on the success of the previous years' medieval festivals. The Town Team, along with the Partnership that delivered the successful Battle of Barnet Project, will transform the town centre by bringing back the bustle and buzz of medieval times. In June 2019 we shall organise a weekend of medieval activities, providing a shuttle bus to link the festival site with the town centre. By creating opportunities for local artisan producers to sell their goods, for town traders to dress in medieval costume, for people to volunteer and learn about medieval life, this project will bring the community together.
What we'll deliver:
Why it's a great idea:
The Medieval Festival started in a small way in 2017. In 2018 it attracted over 6000 people but was separate from the town centre. Interviews with visitors this year emphasised the need to bring the communities together to boost the local economy. This project will promote local traders at the festival site as well as the town centre, providing a market-place and shopfront for their goods. The unifying medieval theme will attract more visitors. It will also generate many opportunities for people to volunteer and to connect with each other. In the months leading up to the Festival, we will provide workshops for people to learn about medieval food and costume and to take part in a community craft activity - the bendes of Barnet - to create heraldic household badges to be worn by the re-enactors. Local schools will be invited to each support a household and join in the craft activity. Local groups will organise talks, walks, musical events and art displays on the Festival weekend.
Steps to get it done:
The Battle of Barnet Project, run by the Barnet Museum, Barnet Society and the Battlefields Trust, has delivered a range of different community activities to raise awareness about the Battle of Barnet, a decisive encounter during the Wars of the Roses. The culmination of the project was the Medieval Festival, a community event which attracted over 6000 visitors to the Festival site and was enthusiastically welcomed by the public. The success of this event has meant that there are expectations that it could be held again, but better integrated with the town centre. This demand has spurred the Town Team to devise ways to deliver a town-wide Medieval Festival and hence to put together this application. Our town has taken longer than many to recover from the 2008 recession. At present, alongside other developments, the Town Team in association with the Partnership is keen to develop Barnet as a historic centre. Costs are based on estimates from the internet, quotations and local sources.
Gallery
Location Barnet
About the space
Two main sites: the Festival site at Byng Road and the Town centre, linked by events and a free shuttle bus (which will also include a stop at High Barnet Station
Council
London Borough of Barnet
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Journey
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Whoop, 10 people have pledged since fundraising began!
Applications for this funding round are now closed. Follow this page for info on the 2019 round.
How will the money be spent?Total £35,148
Costs Breakdown
This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. These costs have been confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified.
Overfunding
This project is enabled for overfunding. If the project hits its funding goal before the end of the campaign period, any extra funds raised will be spent (in order of priority) on: More historical workshops for the community More children's activities An additional small marquee for a refreshment tent
Total £35,148
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Offer somethingChipping Barnet Town Team is made up of the 5 main community groups in town plus Barnet College, a local Councillor, a senior council official and other stakeholders. The groups worked with the Council in 2009/11 to produce a Town Centre Strategy with an action plan. We have since undertaken projects to fulfil these committments including: the redesign of the church garden (now the Town Gateway), the first phase of the greening of the High Street, renovatkion of local independant traders' shopfronts, the monthly Barnet Teenage Market, and ongoing proposals for pavement buildouts along the High Street. We have had some successes since our founding and are growing in confidence and skill.
We have a vision for Chipping Barnet as an aspirational retail destination and community space. It is an old market town and has many positives.
Sadly the Hiigh Street has lost its identity, especially since 2008, with a high vacancy rate, high churn and a plethora of charity shops. It is not sufficiently attractive to new retailers. We are trying to work with existing traders, landlords and borough officers to encourage the High Street to return to being seen as an enthusiastic and attcative destination for local residents and visitors alike. This project will provide an exemplar of what can be done.
Project Delivery Manager: Chipping Barnet Town Team The Project Delivery Manager takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.
Contractors: Howard Giles,Medieval Siege Society,Susan Skedd The team responsible for building or installing the project.
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