Paul Barber OBE, Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman at Brighton & Hove Albion FC
“Objections started falling away when we focussed on improving relations with our neighbours! We now have a good relationship with Falmer Village, with Brighton and Hove, and with Lewes.”
These were the reflections of Paul Barber OBE, CEO and Deputy Chair of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club as he spoke at the inaugural Silverstone Speaks: a new type of networking event held at Shoreham Port on a freezing but stunningly beautiful January morning.
Paul was keynote speaker at our breakfast forum discussing the importance of meaningfully engaging with communities to drive forward exciting and innovative projects. The journey to constructing a new stadium at Falmer, the home ground of the club, was far from straightforward, involving grassroots campaigning and strategic pressure from the Deputy Prime Minister.
The initial engagement that Brighton and Hove Albion carried out was the seed that has grown to deliver results both on and off the pitch. The Club has contributed nearly £600 million to the local economy, with visiting fans alone spending £26 million on local businesses, hotels, restaurants and bars. It is now celebrated as a giant billboard for Brighton projecting success and world-class talent to an international audience.
The outstanding practice demonstrated by the Brighton and Hove Albion should be a blueprint for other businesses and organisations who need to continue keeping community engagement at the top of their agendas.
Silverstone Communications aims to help others to do just that. Through our Silverstone Speaks events, we bring people together to listen and debate about the barriers preventing growth in our region so we can work together to find solutions.
"It was great to have a forum like this."
Cllr Bella Sankey Leader of Brighton and Hove CC
Attendees including the Leader and the Chief Executive of Brighton and Hove City Council, key city developers and representatives from major infrastructure providers discussed the obstacles they were facing and wanted to overcome. The forum brought together individuals seeking to improve Brighton and Hove through investment in differing schemes and initiatives.
Too often, when organisations encounter obstacles in the process, there is little understanding of the right person or function to turn to. As Paul Barber noted “If we went to the wrong person, it often took up significant and precious time before we understood the right direction”.
Silverstone Communications specialises in ensuring that people are bought together behind a common purpose.
We are already exploring themes for the next Silverstone Speaks later this year.
"It was a very enjoyable event with a good mix of people."
David Atherton , Divisional Managing Director McLaren Property.
“We aim to understand and help overcome the barriers you face by facilitating discussions and delivering solutions to create constructive engagement and ultimately bring about solutions and results” said Geri Silverstone, the CEO and founder of Silverstone Communications.
If you want to follow the example set by Brighton and Hove Albion and engage more with the local community then get in touch to seek our expert advice.
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