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CANTERBURY IS BLOOMING
new bespoke cleaning service to preserve our beautiful streets, a fresh Christmas lights scheme to inspire people to visit and linger longer when they are here, lobbying for better 4/5G, dedicated funds to support the development of public WiFi in Canterbury to boost growth and development opportunities, and funding for events and festivals that attract local residents and a diverse flow of visitors to our city.
“Canterbury BID is now firmly established as a key partner in the management of the city centre and respected by government and industry partners at local, regional and national level. We will continue to work with local organisations and institutions who influence the city’s operation and vitality.”
In addition, she added that on a national level, the organisation is set to represent Canterbury in the All Party Parliamentary Group for town and city centres.
As Lisa noted, within a fluctuating
retail and economic landscape, the BID team recognises that each business and organisation faces individual challenges, and it has
consequently taken on board feedback received during its re- election ballot process. She added: “We meet with businesses individually and oversee working groups with them, to understand how to best meet their needs. This will continue to help shape our thinking going forward, ensuring that we deliver activity that will benefit all businesses within the BID area in Canterbury. In our first term we raised an additional 20% on top of levy, which meant we could invest over £2.9 million into Canterbury city centre,” explained the CEO, who said the importance of the scheme was recognised by a number of businesses outside of its direct area of coverage. Furthermore, she revealed that a number of such firms have opted to become voluntary levy payers in order to ensure Canterbury continues to flourish. Commenting on the BID’s progress as part of its business plan, Maria Cockburn, owner of Canterbury fashion store Antoine et Lili, added: “The work that the BID undertakes in Canterbury is vital in order that businesses are heard and our money is invested in projects that make a direct impact.”
Sharing her views, Sarah Wharton, owner of King’s Mile jewellery store 925 Silver, described the free training sessions organised by the BID as being “brilliant” and a major bonus for small businesses in the area. While there remains much work to be done in supporting businesses in the area through testing economic times, it is clear that many companies believe the BID’s work is continuing to make a notable difference.
MARVELLOUS! At the height of this summer, Canterbury BID invited the judges of the Royal Horticultural Society South & South East in Bloom to visit Canterbury – wowing them with the city’s glorious blooms. The Canterbury in Bloom Committee, led by the BID, is formed of 20 local community groups, businesses and local authority members who work tirelessly to keep Canterbury’s gardens, parks and streets flourishing throughout the year. But the judges were not only awarding merit for horticulture – they were also looking to see strong community engagement, and this was reflected in the work undertaken year-round by the Canterbury in Bloom Committee and all of the partners. Preparations for judging included deep
cleaning Greyfriars Gardens, community litter picks throughout spring, 400 hanging flower baskets hung, and even a river clean to ensure that the judges left with a positive lasting impression of Canterbury. The city’s hard work paid off as, on Friday 13th September, at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, Canterbury City was awarded Gold (Canterbury was one of 49 entries from Kent, with only 48% receiving gold).
CANTERBURY BID ACHIEVEMENTS IN ITS FIRST FIVE YEARS:
• £2,983,085 invested in the city centre. • 23 miles of Christmas lights. • 4.9 million flowers displayed across the city. • 13 miles of city streets cleaned. • £80,000 invested in business led initiatives. • 285,000 visitors to the city for BID supported events.
• Led Canterbury to win Purple Flag accreditation five years in a row and receive Gold in Britain in Bloom.
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