Hastings Pier - From ruin to prosperity A Community approach

The Beginning

Shareholders were being ‘treated by the directors like strangers and beggars instead of fellow townsmen’ Mr. Bovington, Shareholder, 1875.

Cruises

In 1905 the Hastings, St Leonards-on-Sea and Eastbourne Steamboat Co Ltd went bust for several reasons including the decline of Hastings as a town…

Entertainment

In April 1910 the annual general meeting of the Pier Company heard there was no dividend, and the causes of failure were described…

Music

In the first week of August 1931 a staggering 56,000 people passed through the turnstiles…

The heart of the problem

‘The company’s main asset is an 111-year old structure needing constant attention because of its age and vulnerability to the sea’ John Lester, Chair, Hastings Pier Company 1983.

A Place of Fond Memories

Hastings Pier: The 2009 March

The End of the Line?

‘The main problem all the way along the line is that it is owned by a private company’ Louise Neech, Chair, Pier Preservation Society 1990.

Pre-fire Aerial View Post-fire Aerial View

First success

‘Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust, set up by a group of highly committed local residents, has put together plans to restore the historic fabric of the pier and create new facilities which will give huge impetus to the social and economic regeneration of the town. The particular strengths of this project are that it has mobilised enthusiastic support from the surrounding community and will also provide much needed opportunities for skills training.’

Heritage Lottery Fund

Community Engagement

Masterplan

Renewed Structure

Stable Platform for the future

Visitor Centre

Gathering Place and Cafe

Events

Education

Digital Heritage

Pavilion Restaurant

Outdoor Cinema

Music Festival

Making plans a reality - Fundraising Approach

Primary objective…

Emphasis on support to HLF bid

• unless approved no amount of local sponsorship / fund-raising will make a difference

• once approved local fund raising will be massively better received

• prioritise resources and requirements

Some vocabulary…. We can’t do much until the pier is back under local ownership

but we can support the rebuild and the lottery application It’s an eyesore that’ll cost £4m of our money to pull down The People’s Pier – the plans are fantastic, go take a look at

the website We really need support otherwise we’re stuck with that rotting

pile of junk – go to the website and support the Heritage Lottery bid

Project Funds Raised • 11.4m HLF • 750k CCF • 250k HBC • 200k ESI • 500k COMA • 250k SIB (Loan) • 250k AHF (Loan) • 100k HBC/ESCC Joint Grant Plus… • 200k still needed, but enough to support ownership

The Pier we bought for one pound in August 2013

Our biggest challenge – Sustainability

• How to ensure economic future for the Pier? • Community involvement and charitable status

absolutely key to the long term • Operating Business needs £150k to support

seasonal cashflow requirement • Initial target of additional £150k for

investment in commercial activity • So £500k in total funding still needed

Building our organisation

• Community Benefit Society our chosen structure – first registered charity to convert

• Clarity of ownership and compelling investment offer

• Community shares launched on October 5th 2013 (3rd anniversary of the fire)

• £1 shares – minimum investment £100 • Initial offer 3 months – extended to 6 months

An amazing response…

• £600,000 Raised in share capital • 3080 Community shareholders • 40% from Hastings and St Leonards • 75% from East Sussex and Kent • Shareholders in Slovenia and Australia • Tremendous sense of pride and achievement • Strength for the future – local ownership

HLF Activity Programme 2014:

Meeting HLF project aims:

Learning about Hastings Pier’s past e.g. Seaside Stories; Build a Pier; Talks and Tours Engagement through volunteering and events e.g. Hub interpretation; Digital Archive; Evaluation Using Hastings Pier as a gateway to employability e.g. Apprenticeships; Work Based Placements Enjoying interactions with Hastings Pier e.g. Chocolate Welding; Carnival Capers; Jive Dance

Some statistics:

90 individual events; 6,481 participants

52 family workshops; 1,366 families

24 talks/presentations; 1,005 attendees

64 volunteers recruited and trained

3,766 hours volunteer support

4,885 HPC Newsletter subscribers

2,744 Facebook likes; 2,340 Twitter followers.

“This evening was very informative. Yes and it’s amazing to be able to walk underneath the pier and see the structure at such close quarters. That was great!

I enjoyed the talk too, I’m always fascinated by old photographs. How people dressed and what they did. That’s such a lovely and accessible way into the history of something or somewhere. So yes, we’ll definitely come to more events like this!”

Project Participant, September 2014

2016 and beyond…

The People’s Pier! Thank You