We’re proud to announce that Erika Rushton has won the Game Changer award at the Insider North West Property Awards 2020. Competition for the award was stiff, with a number of well-deserving finalists shortlisted alongside Erika.
We are sure most of you are familiar with Erika by now, as she led our board of directors in the position of chair since 2009, only stepping back in November 2019 – a role which she took on in a voluntary basis, driven only by her passion for positive change. Erika has played an integral role in the success of Baltic Creative CIC over the past decade and remains be heavily involved in our work as an active board member.
Commenting on her win, Erika said:
“I am truly honoured to be recognised by Insider for this award and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the backing of my colleagues at Baltic Creative.
“Baltic Creative itself has been a game changer for Liverpool’s digital and creative sector and the city’s economy as a whole. From day one, we have been passionate about developing a company and spaces that are community-owned and that the investments we make are for the benefit of that community. I’m proud to have played a role in making that a success. Now – off to do some more game changing!”
Under Erika’s guidance, Baltic Creative’s growth plans have exceeded all expectations and it is now regarded as one of Liverpool’s biggest regeneration success stories. In our 2016 business plan, we announced our hope of growing our footprint to 90,000 sq ft by 2021. Today, we’re already managing 118,000 sq ft and we’re home to over 180 Creative and Digital businesses, most of which are SMEs, and their 600-plus employees. Despite the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic, we remain resilient and are continuing to pursue our growth ambitions.
Mark Lawler, our MD said:
“I know I speak for the whole team when I say that Erika is a force to be reckoned with; creative, incredibly hard-working, insightful and informed, she is a real force for good in the community. She is a great listener and her ability to work through challenges and take the board and team with her is one of her greatest attributes. Erika truly deserves this award and I’m personally looking forward to continuing to work with her as we explore what’s next for Baltic Creative.”
10 years ago, the Baltic Triangle area of Liverpool was considered a red-light district – it is now a bustling, creative district populated by some of the city’s fastest-growing and most exciting businesses. Baltic Creative has been instrumental in making this happen and Erika has been without a doubt, a driving force behind our success.
