Birmingham has a very visible story right now in the national news and, from an outsider’s perspective, it may look as if all is negative in the UK’s second city.
Scratch beneath the surface and wade through the lazy clichés, and you’ll find Birmingham is well equipped with the tools to bounce back. Whether it be through its keen investment strategies, ongoing entrepreneurial spirit, or retaining its status as a flourishing cultural hub for arts, music and sport – Birmingham is one of UK’s most exciting cities to be right now.
POLITICAL LANDSCAPE
As a PR agency with a policy lens, and a proud Birmingham-based agency, STORY is well-placed to comment on how the political landscape in the region is evolving and the positives that the region can expect to see on the horizon.
Deputy Prime Minster Angela Rayner’s recently announced £600m Integrated Settlement for the West Midlands, the first to be awarded to any English region, to boost economic growth and living standards over the coming 12 months.
This settlement shows the Government’s strong confidence and commitment in transferring more powers and responsibilities from Whitehall to the West Midlands and reflects the recent call for further collaboration between central government and regional mayors.
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, has now targeted the need to build affordable homes, invest in local businesses, and equip young people with skills as part of his new growth plan for the region.
BUSINESS & INVESTMENT
Thanks to the impending construction of HS2, a new corridor of economic opportunity between London and the West Midlands will be created which will inevitably entice even further businesses to flock to the region. It will also give people more freedom to choose where they live and work, and businesses more opportunities to trade and grow.
Ahead of the HS2 announcement, HSBC had already moved their headquarters to Birmingham, bringing with them more than £200m in investment and 1,000 head office roles from London. Other multinationals, such as Deutsche Bank and PwC, have followed suit and expanded their operations to the city.
But it’s not just the major corporations that are thriving in the city as Birmingham is awash with some of the best independent traders, restaurants and stores. In fact, SumUp recently ranked Birmingham as the third best city in the UK (behind London and Bristol) for independent businesses.
IMMERSIVE CULTURE
Birmingham’s cultural heritage is internationally renowned with arts, music and sport running through the veins of the city. The West Midlands welcomed 145.5m visitors in 2023, an 8.6% increase from pre-pandemic levels in 2019, which is a clear indication that people are heading here in their droves.
From the creative pulse of Digbeth’s art scene to the ever popular Birmingham Hippodrome, which is said to be the busiest theatre in the UK with over 520,000 visitors each year, there is always something to do or see.
The summer in particular sees huge artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Guns N Roses perform in the city, while there will also be an opportunity to celebrate Birmingham’s history as home of heavy metal and the birthplace of Black Sabbath, as the band returns for one final show at Villa Park.
Plus, a new-state of the art broadcast centre for the BBC and Steven Knight’s Digbeth Loc. Studios will soon be turning Digbeth into a thriving hub for visual media.
THE PEOPLE
But it is the people of Birmingham that make it a city like no other.
Not only is it considered a city of ‘super diversity’, with over 100 languages spoken across Birmingham schools, but the region also has one of the youngest populations in Europe, with nearly 40% under the age of 25. This is represented through our growing startup scene and strong university presence showcasing that a bright future is ahead.
We’re proud to be a Birmingham agency and excited for the bold future ahead of it. So don’t always believe the negative headlines and come experience it for yourself.