Who Are We?……
UPPINGHAM
A NEXT-GENERATION COMMUNITY
Population: 4900 – 150+ employers
Uppingham First
Uppingham First is the award-winning Community Partnership for Uppingham Following the demise of the Chamber of Commerce, along with a few business people the Uppingham First Partnership was created and became a limited company in January 2009
Its Board of 13 brings together the three society sectors recognised by government; business, civil, and statutory sectors
Business Sector – 7 Directors
Civil Society Sector– 3 Directors
Statutory Sector – 3 Directors
Milestones for Uppingham
Winner: Britain in Bloom (Small town) 2017
Winner: East Midlands in Bloom 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and to date
Best Neighbourhood in East Midlands 2018
Winner: Uppingham Webcam – Best idea to promote local business
Winner: East of England Awards – Uppingham Town Council Heritage Trail
Top 5: Great British High Street Awards 2015
Neighbourhood Plan Front Runner 2012–15
Town Centre & Business Zones Plan 2017 (Promoted by Locality around the UK)
East Midlands Women’s Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
One of top ten places to live in UK 2020
Business & Community Partners
Uppingham Town Council
Local Businesses & Schools
Uppingham Business Forum
Uppingham Neighbourhood Forum
Rutland County Council
Government, LEP and Statutory Agencies
Locality; NCVO; CTA; Surgery; Blue Lights
Rotary; In Bloom; Churches; WI; Community
Groups; Women in the High Street
Our Evolution
Business Forum created following the demise of the Chamber of Trade
Town Centre Manager trial led by RCC
Neighbourhood Forum created with help from Voluntary Action Rutland
Advice on ‘what makes an effective partnership?’ provided in legal event
Partnership of forums created in consultation with RCC and UTC to enable executive action and public accountability. Company formed.
Alternative movement creates second town partnership which majors on ‘events’
Two partnerships evolve in ‘relative’ harmony
Newsletters and websites created
Various projects evolve including broadband
UF pursues a collaborative approach through community projects and slowly becomes town and community advocate through competitions and awards
N Plan a major step forward and dramatically raises the profile of the town
Town Center Plan follows + housing project, Emergency Plan, Defib Network. Hopper and webcam now famous
A number of excellent projects help promote the town e.g. Heritage and Tree Trails, UppWatch, Covid Response, UppShop, Vanguard Board
Over time second Town Partnership loses its directors and disbandsUF moves forward to support a now wider range of community events and activities
Health and Well-being relationships under continuous development
Company Articles updated
Three Key Evolutionary Changes/Challenges
Partnership Working
A challenge for some – We now have a Vanguard Board
Less about control – more about empowerment
More significant contributions by women
Virtual as well as Physical Uppingham
EU Leader Funding bid – voice-led rather than keyboard public and private sector staff to manage the virtual interface
UppShop – Online Meetings – Covid 19 – church example
Virtual Governance and New Democracy
Alexa enquiries – online voting – live audio visual participation in meetings – Business, Civil Society & schools contributing to debate
Community leadership and engagement encouraged – Abolish/reduce council precept –
Earn income using new general power of competence – Community Bank – Community Energy –
Young entrepreneurs – Joint service delivery at local level and online – parish law updated? –
next generation voters and community activists engaged
Major Projects Include
Town Council (Meets monthly)
Heritage Trail, LED Lighting, Skate Park, Town centre refurbishment (public and private sector investment), second Neighbourhood Plan
Community/Civil Society Sector (Meets quarterly)
Neighbourhood Forum
UppWatch (good neighbour and N Watch scheme)
Uppingham Emergency Plan and Defibrillator Network
Tree Trails
Uppingham First (Business, State, Civil Society – Meets quarterly)
Business Forum & Neighbourhood & Town Centre Plans (£230K CIL)
Virtual Uppingham (EU Leader bid) & Uppingham Webcam (Crowdfunding)
Uppingham Hopper Bus (Community, business, donations + lottery)
Tourism Trails – Antiques, Arts, Books and Creative Crafts/Electric cars
Under 35’s Housing Project – (Locality funded feasibility study – now UHCLT)
Fibre TTP Broadband & Women in the High Street
Uppingham Community Events 2023
April
Stilton Car Run – 250 + cars
June
Uppingham Feast – Led by volunteers Lucy Stephenson and James Torbell
June to Sept
Social Sundays with music and alfresco dining
September
Round Rutland Run
45mile route around Rutland villages returning to Uppingham for lunch and music in the market place
December
Late Night Shopping Community Event
Quarterly
Uppingham Neighbourhood Forum
Significant Women in the Change Process
Uppingham has always promoted and supported women in business, community, and civic rolls
Lord Lieutenant – Dr. Sarah Furness
County Council CEO – Helen Briggs
Only Female County Council Cabinet Member – Lucy Stephenson – Uppingham Ward Member and later Leader
Deputy Leader (Independent Group) RCC – Miranda Jones
Chair Uppingham Neighbourhood Forum – Janet Thompson
Chair Uppingham in Bloom – Pam Dalby
Town Clerk and Support – Now Sharon and Cynthia
Business Proprietors – now 50+% women
UppShop Pioneers – 80% women
Rotary, E J Toon, UppWatch, Emergency Plan Team – MJS
Covid 19 Response Teams – 75% women
New generation parish councillors – Lucy Lewin & Liz Clarke
New Hopper Bus Team – one third women
Web design – Hannah Cheshire – ClockedIn