A group of us who are passionate about Creative Places are developing a project to support and strengthen these independent businesses and venues:

• We want to map where those Creative Places are, so we can tell more people about them.

• We are aiming to consolidate the sense of community around these Creative Places – an indie card – a loyalty card being our first step.

• We want to pool skills and share knowledge between Creative Places to help strengthen their positions within the service-retail and community sectors. We would organise mentoring, workshops and events, to support indie venues and celebrate their role in the city.

• We want to show the social impact of Creative Places. How they change people’s lives, how they complement social, health and environmental objectives for our city. How they deliver impact.

We need to make sure that local indies are resilient to the real world, that their passion for positive social change is underpinned by rigorous business skills and a robust business plan

We want to help new independents succeed and existing independents thrive.

Social Saturday MapJam

14th October 2017 // 11am-3pm

October Books, 243 Portswood Road, Southampton SO17 2NG

What makes Southampton special? During our MapJam will be making a map of our city on the day, capturing  your stories, thoughts and ideas about the spirit of Southampton. Where are your favourite local, independent businesses or community venues? What makes these places worthy of your custom or support? What difference do they make to people’s lives? Share your stories about the difference that they make.