Southside District isn’t called the cultural heart of Birmingham without reason. It’s theatre and cinema, it’s drinking and dancing, it’s sizzling Szechuan and classic Cantonese. And behind the scenes of these unique and vibrant businesses is the dedicated Southside District BID team, there to support in good times and bad in dozens of different ways. BID stands for Business Improvement District; a not-for-profit, elected organisation in place to deliver what the title suggests. Stretching from the steps of New Street Station, along Bristol Street and around the impressive new Smithfield development, the BID team drives footfall to the area, works with the hundreds of businesses that call the district home, keeps the area safe and clean, as well as lobbying the city council and much, much more. But the BID is ultimately put in place by the people it serves. Every five years, businesses reflect on everything that the team has achieved, then vote yes or no to another term.
