Re: OSC Exhibition
 

Just a note of congratulations to everybody involved, sounds like a great chance to put Accrington Stanley firmly back on the map. Good luck with the exhibition.

Re: OSC Exhibition
 

I'm not picking Rob because this is good news and I really hope people do come when it's ready but to me it has to be in a place where people already go, Ossy Mills, Town Hall, Haworth Art Gallery but please no portakabins because that smells of tinpot.

Re: OSC Exhibition
 

Couldn't aagree more. Such a high profile enterprise needs a high profile location.

Re: OSC Exhibition
 

Re: OSC Exhibition
 

we agree. the only thing is that places like that will a) demand a high price and b) we couldn't have it there for long,

likewise we could take over an empty shop in the town centre for example. But this will require many more bodies to steward the event and will also incur far higher overheads. And that is assuming that we can get massive reductions from the council to take over a shop. We could hire maybe the upstairs function room of a pub or club, but is that a suitable place to take children on school visits? could we get upstairs wheelchair access? It's all pie in the sky at the moment until the time comes where the steering group will sit down and talk through all the viable options. IF there is money left in the budget (and that will take more volunteers than we currently have) then we may have more money to throw at the venue, and MAYBE we can build something adjacent to the ground that could be used afterwards as maybe an OSC building, or a Community Officers building, or an extension of offices space etc etc then we would have a lasting true asset, but it would rely on goodwill from tradesmen to kit it out. There are many options which will all have pluses and minuses but don't knock the portakabin idea yet as they can be made to look very nice and you can have a few linked together, WITH power, lighting, heating and so on. There are 11 people on the steering group who represent a few different walks of life and we have some degree of intelligence or experience between us, we will find the right option but we will have to scour the town for it. But I would imagine that very few of the municipal buildings would be able to give us three months without having to keep uprooting.

It would also be a nice idea if we could move it around through various locations. But we have provision built into the grant to move the people rather than the exhibition, and that would be far easier.

Re: OSC Exhibition
 

If it becomes a major issue what’s wrong with the Club or the Crown? Because this is Lottery Funded I would have thought that the high profile nature would entice the council into contributing towards a location. I recognise that the town centre location world is preferable, so the Town Hall or Library would seem to be perfect, failing that I am sure that there must be some Church property in the area that could be procured.

I love the mobile idea, I think I suggested an old Accrington Corporation bus in the past, ok it’s was a of a twee idea, but expand it a little and look to our old friends and major supporter Frazer Eagle, Surly they might have a vehicle coming to the end of it’s service life that would could secure for a few months, there may also be other bus operators that might like to engage, even might supply a drive so it’s not just a static exhibition, again this is going to be High Profile and worth thousands in free publicity to those supporting, sponsoring or associating with this project. The down side is Insurance and security. Good Luck.

Re: OSC Exhibition
 

Its great that some good suggestions are being made & that can all help the steering group to explore alsorts of ideas to bring the exhibition & the club to the townspeople :D

Every bit of help or idea is useful for the cause & every bit helps:D

Re: OSC Exhibition
 

I wonder if this could be joined with the thread started by Southernred today? Then it's all in one place.

Re: OSC Exhibition
 

Im sure the mods would be able to do that to save the confusion & duplicate posting:D

Re: OSC Exhibition
 

Ultima steel framed building options: groundworks, connection services, Portakabin answers any worries quite adequately I think!

The thing that will need deciding is whether the ground as a location is better because of it being the ground or whether a town centre location such as the town hall, library, shop would be more beneficial because it would attract a wider audience.

There is money in the budget to bus people up to the ground from central locations or to pick them up etc. At the ground they would benefit from being able to visit the club shop, tour the ground, something to eat or drink in the buy the house lounge, maybe even bump into a player or two.

A better location would have no knock on benefit.


A possible answer was given to me today by Henry Morton, several, well made small exhibitions in key places such as the Tourism Office, library etc that would then inform people of the main exhibition and where it is. The small modules would contain none of the multi-media type stuff that we would hope to include in the main one, and would probably be duplicated in each location - but it would give the message.

One to think about later methinks.

Re: OSC Exhibition
 

the exhibition got a good write up in tonights/tomorrows Observer. it was also mentioned on 107 the Bee at lunchtime.

Re: OSC Exhibition
 

Wow!:)
Congratulations to everyone concerned!
This is fantastic news
Just the shot in the arm everyone probably needed given the negative publicity of the last few weeks


I do have a couple of questions:

1) If the exhibition will take nine months to come to fruition will that not coincide with the end of the season? (far better to have it running during a season where perhaps the viewing public could take in a game as well? Or is it governed by a timescale factor connected with it being a lottery grant?)

2) What are the chances of certain parts of the exhibition becoming permanent and becoming part of a bigger experience for match day hospitality and as part of the experience for the kids attending the football courses run by the club as an extra add on to go with a ground tour, getting to meet some of the players and an interactive quiz using parts of the exhibition?

Once again congratulations to everyone involved!!:)

Re: OSC Exhibition
 

On the placement of the exhibition I do think it really does need to be at the club whether that is by facilitating some of the space in the sponsors lounge or as Rob has suggested by buying portacabin structures that could be then re-used to facilitate other uses after the exhibition has finished. I would go for small taster section within the town centre but really push the boat out when it comes to advertising it within the town get posters up in every shop window advertising when and how to get to the exhibition, tickets or passes printed and available at certain outlets and perhaps get the Council involved in a massive launch at the Club and within the town with maybe a launch party involving local radio, celebs, funfair something that will bring punters into the town and also highlight the exhibition and maybe have a window display competition with cash prizes for the best decked out shops and market stalls in a Stanley theme? It's now the time for everyone involved the OSC,Club and Coucil too unite behind the exhibition and show the whole comunity that they have a history but they also have a massive future too!:)

Re: OSC Exhibition
 

When the project was originally devised and the application submitted the exhibition was scheduled for the start of this season and the project was designed to be a year long project. However, because it's taken a lot of tooing and froing with the Heritage Lottery to get awarded the grant it pushed the time frame back. What is still possible is that, if we are going well with getting all the information and stuff, that we either bring the exhibition forward to the end of the season or , the opposite and we wait until the start of next season. Like everything else, it's not cast in stone yet.

We haven't had a steering group meeting yet so no decisions have been made so any suggestions are still welcomed.

Re: OSC Exhibition
 

the local radio are well onboard, I was interviewd today on 107 and Radio Lancs so the message is well and truly getting out now.