'Elsewhere in the city the Friends of the Flyover campaign, proposing to transform a flyover that has been earmarked for removal into a ‘promenade in the sky’ – a lively hub of green spaces, activities, retailers, cafes and market stalls – achieved a £43,809 crowdfunding total last year from 344 supporters, helping to progress the ambitious project through its feasibility stage.“It enabled us to do a lot of the structural survey work that we need to do pre-planning application for the whole project and a test event where we closed the flyover for the day and hadlots of people up there,” says Kate Stewart from We Make Places, a social enterprise formed by the team behind the plans.
“We have moved forward and made an application to put a building up underneath the flyover as our first big intervention, so we’re about 10 weeks away from knowing whether that will happen. And we’re planning a programme of workshops and activities which are about occupying the space under it and above it, it’s very exciting.”
“We have moved forward and made an application to put a building up underneath the flyover as our first big intervention, so we’re about 10 weeks away from knowing whether that will happen. And we’re planning a programme of workshops and activities which are about occupying the space under it and above it, it’s very exciting.”
Again, as well as funding, this particular crowdfunding project has achieved huge support from across the city and way beyond. The trial Flyover Fest event also won an England EPIC
Award, which recognises voluntary arts initiatives. “It’s about creating something that’s a visitor attraction but is also something for local people to use.” adss Kate. “It’s a venue for culture and community activity, and a place for learning, nature and cultivating. I think people think it’s a complete no-brainer and it’s beautiful.”
The success of the campaign so far, which is also “talked about internationally”, has prompted We Make Places to use its positive experience to help others “turn a great idea into a
great project” and it recently launched an online MerseyHive outlet for other crowdfunding projects in the Liverpool City Region, such as festivals and attractions, to follow in its footsteps and gather support.
For further details visit www.spacehive.com/initiatives/merseyhive.'
Words from yourmovemagazine.com
