How Derby’s green revolution is starting to gain traction

In the latest edition of Marketing Derby’s Innovate Magazine, we find out how Down to Earth Derby’s vision for a nature-led regeneration of the city is starting to gain momentum.

Led by founder Jamie Quince-Starkey, the organisation is spearheading efforts to create a ‘green revolution’ in Derby – and is now receiving big name support.

Innovate finds out more about an agreement brokered with Cornwall’s Eden Project, which will see experts from the world-famous eco-tourism attraction conduct a feasibility study into a nature-led regeneration of Derby city centre.

Jamie has been cultivating with Eden’s founder, Sir Tim Smit, ever since emailing the environmentalist to share his dream about encouraging people in inner-city Derby to reconnect with the natural world.

Now, the Eden team has reached agreement with Derby City Council to explore, in practical terms, how a radical, green transformation could be delivered.

Jamie told Innovate: “We have a commitment from Eden Project and Sir Tim Smit. Tim wants this project. He believes in it.

“He has seen what we have achieved in the time we have had so far, and he is laying his time down. We want to deliver a green enlightenment. Why not in Derby?

“We have the aspiration and a first concept, and we have Tim’s buy-in. They will look at what Derby needs for nature-based regeneration, taking a general overview of the city and probably using that initial vision as a starting point because we have got community and business buy-in for that.”

Down To Earth was conceived as a broker of change and Jamie sees it very much the organisation’s role to bring together major players, such as Eden, who can make things happen.

He told Innovate: “As an independent catalyst, we bring all the people together in the right place and make sure action happens as a result. And I think we are doing well with that.”

A place that has been bringing people together since it opened in June last year is the Electric Daisy, the group’s community garden and events space in Bold Lane.

The council granted the team a three-year lease on the once derelict site and helped it gain funding from the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund to set up phase one of the project, creating a vibrant, inner city green space, with areas of covered seating, where a programme of commercial events and community workshops are now hosted.

Thousands of people have passed through its doors over the past few months, with around 1,000 queuing to get in during its opening weekend alone.

Jamie told Innovate: “It’s a new project, with a shoestring budget, and trying to ensure it is financially sustainable has been a lot! But, through a mix of commercial activity, crowd-funding and further grants, we’ve made great progress.

“It’s been an arduous journey but when I look back and think about what we have achieved, it’s been unbelievably successful – especially the community buy-in. People believe in it.

“If you think, having done what we have done on a shoestring, what could we achieve if we had some investment behind us and some confidence that we can go to the next stage?

“What we now need to do is, through the partners and support network we have created, form a design and delivery team to create an incredible showcase in the city centre for what the future might be.”

To read the feature in full visit https://heyzine.com/flip-book/e95ffdaf1d.html#page/16 .