The Jewellery Quarter BID (JQ BID) has appointed a new executive team to spearhead the renaissance of the Quarter.

The team comprises Mike Mounfield, executive director for the Jewellery Quarter Development Trust (JQDT); Luke Crane, JQ BID manager; Phil Burlace, ambassador; and Claire J. Smith, project co-ordinator. Mike will oversee the direction of the JQDT. The part-time role will allow him to have a special oversight of planning and regeneration development in the area. As a resident and business owner of The Wisdom Factory CIC, based in the Jewellery Business Centre, Mike has a strong connection with the Quarter. He is also project manager for the Colmore BID, which will help to strengthen links between the businesses in the two BIDs, and, following the success of the Findings exhibition, encourage more collaborative projects.  Mike said: “The Jewellery Quarter is very eclectic with its mix of industrial heritage and residential dwellings. As part of my role, I am keen to form a neighbourhood planning forum and have already identified the area and drafted a constitution to progress with this. I also want to work with Birmingham City Council’s Heritage Strategy Group and people who run the excellent heritage assets in the Jewellery Quarter to pull together a coherent heritage offer for the area.” Luke will focus on delivering the BID Business Plan, ensuring that the BID projects make a tangible difference to the levy payers and the Jewellery Quarter. He will be supported by the BID Management Committee. Luke started his career in events management but has spent the past five years developing and delivering BIDs across the UK. He previously worked for the National BID Advisory Service, and The Mosaic Partnership before setting up his own BID consultancy. Luke developed the Cambridge BID and, most recently, ran the Reading BID. Luke said: “The Jewellery Quarter is a unique area of Birmingham and I’m excited to be taking on the challenge to enhance and sustain its competitive advantage. The BID is still in its infancy so, with the new team on board, we have a real opportunity to promote economic growth and provide projects and services to improve the experience for everyone who lives, works, learns in, or visits the Quarter. “There has already been great progress with the street cleaning and marketing initiatives such as events, a new website and a magazine. I’m keen to get up to speed very quickly with the current projects and start implementing new ones to ensure BID levy payers can see where their money is going.”  Phil is the Quarter’s first ambassador. The role will involve welcoming visitors to the Quarter, liaising with local businesses and residents, and helping to promote the area’s offering. Claire is tasked with ensuring the BID’s database of contacts is kept up to date as well as supporting Luke and Mike with running BID initiatives. The team is based at The Big Peg on Vyse Street. Luke added: “The Big Peg is an iconic building in the Quarter and we are pleased to be based here. Our new office will provide levy payers with a central port of call for any queries about the BID.” Welcoming the foursome to their new positions, JQDT chairman David Mahony said: “The new team has a wealth of experience of the Quarter and BIDs, which will stand them in good stead for the future. The JQDT board and I are very confident that the executive team and the BID Management Committee will be able to continue delivering the objectives outlined in the Prospectus and achieve our aim of becoming a cleaner, safer and better connected Quarter.”

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