BUSINESS
Reviving community
Transforming Telford’s high streets
Thriving business may not be the first thing that springs to mind when it comes to health and well-being But, a thriving high street brings benefits for the community around it. Across the country, many high streets face difficulty, yet ours tell a different story – a beacon of success, carving a path towards vibrant and bustling town centres. The latest statistics from the summer painted an impressive picture – out of 726 retail units scattered throughout the borough, only 49 remain unoccupied, 6.75%, significantly below the national average of 13.9%. Fuelling this remarkable turnaround is the ‘Pride in Our High Street’ initiative, a ground- breaking programme by Telford & Wrekin Council. Over the past four years, we have delivered a staggering £1.98 million through 336 ‘revive and thrive’ grants, igniting the spark of entrepreneurship and community engagement. Under this unique programme, we’ve awarded grants to support aspiring entrepreneurs and bolster our high street businesses during and beyond the challenges of COVID-19. These grants include various categories, including eco grants for implementing energy-saving measures, diversification grants for exploring new product lines or services, and digital grants to help businesses enter the e-commerce marketplace.
We have launched a new round of high street grants including: Trial start-up grant – up to £1,000 The start up grant provides a low risk opportunity for individuals to trial their high street business idea as a shop – either in an empty unit or local market. Start-up grant – up to £10,000 The high street start-up grant provides viability gap funding to businesses looking to open in a currently empty retail unit. The aim of the grant is to bring empty retail premises back into use. NEW high streets grants available
However, the transformation goes beyond economics; it’s also about aesthetics. Façade grants have been utilised to enhance the visual appeal of businesses, improving signage and kerb appeal.
“Our towns’ high level of retail unit occupancy stand as testament to our commitment to local businesses during these challenging financial times. “Through the ‘Pride
in Our High Street’ programme, we’ve woven together the resilience of local businesses and the strength of our communities.” Councillor Lee Carter Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for place economy and neighbourhood services
Find out more: View the funding criteria
TOTALLY TELFORD
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