Opportunities and Imagination: Loconomy at Northfield Beach Festival
Connecting People with Local Jobs
From 24–27 July, Loconomy was proud to play a key role in the much‑loved Northfield Beach Festival, which welcomed over 12,000 visitors across four sun‑filled days. Commissioned by Northfield Community Partnership, our marquee created a space where local people could connect with both practical opportunities for today and creative visions for the future.
A Local Jobs Tent That Made a Real Difference
At the heart of our contribution was the Local Jobs Tent, led by Patricia White, MBE, Principal Associate in our Local Economies practice, with support from Ajminara Begum, Pre‑Employment Lead. Together, our team welcomed more than 300 local residents who were keen to explore new work and training opportunities.
Our jobs board, packed with vacancies from Northfield and the surrounding area, proved to be a real draw. With QR codes linking directly to live applications, and helpful support from Selly Oak Job Centre, we were able to guide many visitors through same‑day applications, particularly for training and pre‑employment opportunities.
The interest we saw highlighted the diverse needs of the community, including:
Apprenticeships and training pathways
Part‑time roles for women returning to the labour market
Opportunities for school and college leavers
Hybrid and part‑time professional roles
Volunteering and re‑entry opportunities for those facing long‑term unemployment or health challenges
Visitors told us how much they appreciated having access to experienced coaches and personalised advice in a welcoming, community‑based setting, with a real focus on local jobs and opportunities.
Imagining Northfield’s Future Together
Alongside the jobs tent, Loconomy worked in partnership with Neighbourhood Works to deliver an engagement process designed to support the creation of a new Community Plan for Northfield.
As this was a community festival, the process was designed to be fun, accessible, and family‑friendly, with a particular focus on engaging children and young people.
The exhibition celebrated the rich heritage of Northfield and Longbridge — from its proud manufacturing history to much‑loved landmarks such as the Austin Houses, the swimming pool, and the library. Alongside this, we created a giant skyline montage of Northfield’s iconic buildings printed on a large canvas, inviting people to draw the features they’d like to see in the future.
In all, more than 400 people contributed their ideas, shaping both a vision for Northfield’s future and a set of clear action priorities for the Community Plan. These contributions will be captured in a series of community illustrations, to be displayed in local venues and used as a centrepiece for the Plan.
Looking Ahead
This experience has shown us the real potential of community‑based jobs events and creative engagement projects, delivered in partnership with organisations such as Northfield Community Partnership. We’re excited to build on this momentum and explore how we can create more spaces like this in the months ahead.
A heartfelt thank you to Northfield Community Partnership for commissioning us, and to everyone who took part in making the Northfield Beach Festival such a success.
Images courtesy of Iza Korsak and Cori Jones