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The Stretfest Participant Feedback

Which of these best describe your involvement in The StretFest?

Evidence of Impact

Based on your experience, how far do you feel we met these aims?

Please provide any comments or suggestions to support your responses to the questions above but also what else worked well or could be improved.

7 responses

• An incredible turn out across all areas, events and venues with a diverse age range. There was constant movement across all the zones and every space was well scheduled, organised and attended. The range of events works fantastically and the positive feedback on the day was overwhelming. More food in the evening would help and as the roadworks clear this would ease and traffic congestion issues.
• The number of people out and enjoying Stretford was indicative of the event's success, including phrases like "I've lived round here for years, nothing like this ever happens" There was a lot of love for the event, with people providing time and equipment for little or no cost. Getting people out and talking to each other is massively beneficial for communities. It is very important to note that the event was free and must remain so in future years
• Could not have gone better in terms of attracting attendees, particularly with the short timescales and limited resources!
• i'm sending on a separate document.
• As I was doing an activity, I was unable to see what was going on elsewhere, so this is based on what I know was happening.
• It was good to have free family activities, but I also hope there were free places for other ages to go, particularly thinking of older people by themselves.
• Throughout my involvement in the management of the Café Del Carpark stage, I observed several aspects of the festival that contributed to StretFest's success and a few areas for potential improvement:

1. Involvement of Local Businesses and Organisations

• The StretFest organisers adopted a ‘Stretford-first’ approach from the beginning, which guided both the planning and implementation of the event. This strategy prioritized involving local businesses, organizations, and talent, and ensured their prominent promotion and participation. Consequently, The StretFest successfully showcased a diverse array of Stretfordian businesses, organizations, and artists.
• Focusing in on the Cafe Del Carpark stage; seeing the result of the collaboration between the local groups & businesses was a personal highlight, and I believe that the stage successfully embraced the ‘Stretford-first’ strategy by showcasing local Stretfordian artists & businesses including DJ collective Nite School, and Neuron Pro Audio + Leeway Creative who supplied the audio equipment, and the nearby Colby’s bar.
• For future festivals, we could look to allocate a few pitches for select local streetfood vendors + pop ups, incorporate more interactive activities, and add some additional sheltered areas, which would serve to enhance engagement further.

2. Attracting People to Stretford Town Centre

The festival attracted a large and enthusiastic crowd. One senior local resident remarked to me that they had ‘not seen Stretford this busy since the 70s’. Marketing efforts were strong, but we could improve by starting promotions earlier and utilizing more local influencers to reach a broader audience.

3. Improved Perceptions of Stretford

StretFest significantly boosted the town centre's image through vibrant activities and positive media coverage including articles by the likes of the MEN. Continuing the beautification efforts and incorporating more art installations could enhance this effect. We should also focus on post-event publicity with photos / videos of the day shared with local news outlets, capturing and sharing some positive testimonials from attendees & residents would be a powerful ‘social proof’ tool.

4. Reducing Loneliness and Social Isolation

The inclusive activities and volunteer programs fostered community connections effectively. For future events, we could organize designated networking zones to help individuals form deeper connections, for example ‘conversation benches’.

5. Reducing Health Inequalities and Celebrating Diversity

• Health and wellness programs and cultural activities were well-received and highlighted Stretford's diversity. To build on this, we could expand the range of health services offered, including mental health workshops, and introduce more cultural exchange sessions, along with ensuring that there are opportunities for artists from diverse backgrounds and those with disabilities to be able to perform and to be included - I have a few ideas & connections I will look to incorporate for this next year. Ensuring all events are accessible to everyone remains a priority and could be improved with better signage and assistance for those with disabilities.
• Additional Suggestions
• Stage and Performance Feedback: I personally received excellent feedback for our collective efforts at Café Del Carpark. People especially liked the name, and the tongue-in-cheek DIY community feel the stage had owing to the the efforts made on dressing the stage & surrounding area. The music played by the DJs was described as being very well suited to the very diverse range of attendees, and was enjoyable for all. As a result, the stage maintained strong attendance levels throughout the day, including throughout the England Euros match. Colbys moving their bottle bar from directly behind their premises to beside the stage made a huge difference to their visibility and sales, as directing customers to the bar in its original location was proving difficult - this should be replicated from the beginning next year.
• Logistics and Safety: whilst there were no major safety concerns at Cafe Del Carpark, continuing with prioritising the number of visible volunteers for crowd management will fortify overall experience and safety in future. One or two Portaloo toilets (including a wheelchair accessible one) would be an enhancement for Cafe Del Carpark- the closest toilets to the stage were:

1. inside the Public Hall (the entrance to which saw heavy traffic throughout the day

2. Colbys which has one toilet cubicle, but was only accessible via the front entrance of the bar when it opened, a little later in the day.

Although the Cafe Del Carpark area was very clean and tidy during and after the event, the main visible bin did need to be emptied a few times throughout the day, so I felt that the stage could have benefitted from more visible bins.

• Sustainability Efforts: Colby’s were serving drinks in biodegradable plastic cups which was great. Introducing and promoting eco-friendly practices, such as recycling bins/ stations and further reducing single-use plastics as far as possible, would ensure continued alignment with community values and boost the festival's sustainability.

Securing funding for future StretFests will allow us to build on these successes, address areas for improvement, and continue fostering a vibrant, connected, and healthy community in Stretford.

Excellent day the town was very busy. We personally took a lot more than normal on our store and I saw lots of smiling faces roundabout.

What impact did being involved in the festival have on your organisation?

Please provide any evidence or comments about the impact on your organisation based on the responses above but also what else worked well or what could be improved.

6 responses

• It was lovely to see people enjoying the hall who had never been in before. It was one of the rare times all rooms were open to everyone and many people enjoyed the range of activities throughout. We received lots of questions about other activities and events going on which will increase overall engagement. Using the outdoor space gave a real feeling over community ownership of the land and space. The 'vibe' around the car park area was wonderful and working with other local businesses through the project has created new networking and collaboration opportunities for the future.
• I don't have the info to verify this, just anecdotal and an educated guess.
• See separate document. My answers are based on St Matthews Church and community organisations. Taking part in StretFest was not about self promotion in any way for my events business, it was about community.
• We had a brilliant time, with games and crafts in the mall. It would have been good if we knew in advance exactly where we would be, as it would help us plan. Stretford Mall and Little Green Sock Project did loan us a table to help, which was good.
• However, we ended up in a brilliant position and I think the craft activities was a good addition to the mall. We would definitely be interested in doing something again next year.
• On an individual level I would like to express my thanks to the very welcoming team of organisers for allowing me to join and make a mark on the festival at Café del Carpark. It gave me great pleasure to be able to utilize my skills & experience in stage management, design, content creation and event promotion on my own door step at the inaugural StretFest!
• The planning team is a wonderful, hardworking and passionate group Stretfordians and I think we now have a brilliant forum and platform upon which to build not just The StretFest, but to empower more collaborations & plan more events to drive footfall in the area as the regeneration work is completed. I hope that the team we’ve created are able to continue to meet on a reasonable cadence to bring ideas to the table to build the excitement around Stretford, and I am very eager to contribute my skills / experience as we strategise, grow and further our objectives.
• Speaking on behalf of the DJ collective I am a cofounder of, Nite School, the festival was an excellent opportunity top play a part in and help to shape a local Stretford-based event, as opposed to our usual experience with events in the city centre. The collective agreed to play for no fee, so we can’t comment on financial impact, however the festival provided a fantastic networking opportunity and gave us excellent local visibility.
• Lots of new people in the town which was great for spreading the word. Next year With the roadworks, hopefully finished the access,parking And availability of food will automatically be improved. Now that the local traders know how good it is I think they will look to extend their hours into the evening.

Select all the options that characterise your support / involvement in our future plans 9 responses

Please use this space to provide any other feedback about The StretFest that we could consider as part of our reporting and planning for future events. Many thanks!

• 1200 people visited the library on the day - usual number for a Saturday is around 120-150.
• DEAD GOOD 11/10
• I have completed a sustainability review for the Cafe Del Carpark element using the new DATE tool which is part of a pilot scheme that Manchetser City Council are involved in. I would be happy to meet with other organisers to roll this out for the whole festival which may help with future funding bids.
• Absolutely outstanding job - we can't wait to see what 2025 brings!
• It was a really positive, enjoyable day with the community joining together
• in addition to my feedback document I just wanted to highlight what an amazing job was delivered by Clare, she was easy to work with, adaptable and available, she made collaborating easy and I think that is to be commended. I know it was a team effort but i was so impressed impressed with Clare i wanted to feed it back. Shes an asset to the hall.
• It may be good to have the programme available in advance, as it helps explain what is going on for the day. This will help people plan what they want to do, especially when there is a craft trail involved. Could there be a big version of the programme up in key areas in Stretford? Maybe the Mall, public hall? This would also benefit many people who are not on social media.
• Marketing and promotion was very good and professional which helped to make the day successful. range of activities available in the town was amazing well done