Totally Telford is a Telford & Wrekin Council resident magazine, celebrating the towns within the borough and the incredible people, businesses, and organisations that make Telford and Wrekin a fantastic place to live, work, and visit.
ISSUE 3 • SPRING 2022
HIGH STREET EDITION
Small business, big heart
• Eco friendly shopping • Business grants & funding • High Street Heroes Awards • High Street Celebration 2022
Welcoming 2022 with our traders and you
SHOP EAT MEET
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Saturday 9:00 am – 4:30pm 11 Market Street, Wellington, Telford, TF1 1DT.
Welcome
Welcome to the ‘High Street’ edition of Totally Telford magazine. Inside you will find an exclusive mix of interviews, reviews and features that highlight the absolute best that the shops and businesses on our high streets have to offer. Our vision is to protect, care and invest to create a better borough. By investing £4.8m across high streets, we’re helping to make town centres more vibrant places that people will want to visit. There is a rich vein of talent running through this borough, from budding business people to experienced retailers. We’re working alongside them to boost business, support local jobs and our economy. In these pages you will meet some of our inspiring entrepreneurs as well as discover more about the work going on in our local communities. We hope this edition will inspire you to take pride in your local high street – that’s what we’re working to deliver. Let’s all continue to shop locally and champion independent businesses, because where you shop matters to all of us!
Councillor Shaun Davies Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council (Labour)
Councillor Lee Carter Cabinet Member Neighbourhood Services, Regeneration and the High Street (Labour)
We are looking for interesting stories about the exciting things you are doing to make a difference for our next editions, so if you have a story to tell, we would love to hear from you! Email us at totallytelford@telford.gov.uk
With thanks to our contributors
Acknowledgements: European Regional Development Fund. The Toybox, Ironbridge. Kings Menswear and Suit Hire, Oakengates. The Little Green Pantry, Wellington. Boulton’s Butchers, Madeley. Newport Market Society, Newport. Jolly Good Pantry, Dawley. Wellington Town Council. Severn Gorge Countryside Trust. Oakengates Town Council. Great Dawley Town Council. Ironbridge Gorge Parish Council. Madeley Town Council. Newport Town Council. Wellington H2A. Love Wellington. Love Madeley. Rob Finney Photography.
This magazine has been created by Telford & Wrekin Council
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May 4 May 2022
40’s classic FREE midweek Movie – The Way to the Stars The Anstice, Madeley 6 – 8 May 2022 Wellington Festival Various locations across Wellington 13 May 2022 Let’s Dance Music Night – 40s swing to 60s soul The Anstice, Madeley 14 & 21 May High Street Celebration Dawley, Ironbridge, Madeley, Newport, Oakengates, Wellington 20 May 2022 Create an organza butterfly Severn Gorge Countryside Trust, Ironbridge
April 1 April 2022 Music in the bandstand Dawley High Street 6 April 2022 Create a willow obelisk Severn Gorge Countryside Trust, Ironbridge 7 April Friends! The musical parody The Place Telford
13 April 2022 Family friendly Easter walk Severn Gorge Countryside Trust, Ironbridge
13 April 2022 Great Dawley tea dance Dawley Town Hall
19 April 2022 Easter Egg Trail Hartshill Park, Oakengates 23 April 2022 Spring into St George’s Day Telford Town Park 30 April – 8 May 2022 Ironbridge Walking Festival Ironbridge Gorge
28 – 29 May 2022 WW2 Weekend 2022 Ironbridge 28 May 2022 Water’s Edge Fest Chetwynd Deer Park, Newport
10 April 2022 Line Dance Festival The Anstice, Madeley
11 – 16 April 2022 Easter Bunny Trail Madeley High Street
28 May 2022 Madeley Celebrates the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Madeley High Street
12 – 18 April 2022 High Street Easter Trail Wellington High Street
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WHAT’S ON
June 2-5 June 2022 Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations Telford Town Park 3 June 2022 Platinum Jubilee Big Lunch Dawley High Street 4 June 2022 Wellington Midsummer Fayre / Queens Jubilee Various venues in Wellington
July 1 July 2022 Tears For Fears QE11 Arena, Telford Town Park 2 July 2022 Tom Grennan QE11 Arena, Telford Town Park 3 July 2022 Bryan Adams QE11 Arena, Telford Town Park
9 July 2022 Newport Show Chetwynd Deer Park
18 June 2022 Dawley Day Dawley High Street
This is just a taster of the events across Telford and Wrekin this spring and summer. It’s not an exhaustive list. All event details were correct at time of publishing.
25 June 2022 Armed Forces Family Day Donnington Broadoaks Park
Have you spotted anything different in your local high street recently? We’ve been working closely with our town and parish councils preparing for a day of celebration coming to a high street near you! Across two Saturday’s in May, high streets across Telford and Wrekin will host a day-long event for local residents and visitors to enjoy. Each high street will offer a unique line up of activities including live entertainment, local storytelling, new art installations, fair rides and more… Saturday 14 May 2022 – Oakengates, Madeley, Newport, Southwater Saturday 21 May 2022 – Dawley, Ironbridge, Wellington 14 & 21 May 2022 Dawley, Ironbridge, Madeley, Newport, Oakengates, Southwater, Wellington
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LOYAL TO LOCAL
With fewer shops sitting empty a definite shift is taking place and the local area is welcoming new businesses to the high streets which sit at
the heart of our local communities. As a direct result, more residents are
Over the last two years, Telford & Wrekin Council has invested over £2 million in innovative initiatives to regenerate our borough high streets from refreshed shop fronts to the Young High Street Challenge. high street community Building a thriving
enjoying our high streets and supporting local businesses – exactly the results the project was hoping to achieve. Property façade improvements Since 2018, many high street shops have received a facelift through a shop front improvement programme to help brighten and improve the overall look of our towns. Grants and funding Over 60 businesses have been supported through ‘revive and thrive’ grants helping high street enterprises to launch or diversify, creating more than 200 local jobs . 95% of businesses who have been supported through Telford & Wrekin Council’s Pride in Our High Street initiative remain open on our high streets today. The High Street re-imagined – Young High Street Challenge The Young High Street Challenge has invited over 1,000 secondary school pupils to share their ideas as the next generation of high street business owners and entrepreneurs resulting in a permanent shop and youth market in Wellington. The Wellington Youth Market was the combined vision of pupils from Burton Borough and Haberdashers Adams School and opened in summer 2021.
The revamped space hosts live music and comedy shows, and it complements the market’s new food market, which hosts late night events and
has proven to be highly popular.
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LOYAL TO LOCAL
The average rate of empty units on Telford and Wrekin high streets is Did you know? 6.28% 53% below the national UK vacancy rate* i
Make it last. There is a place for large national chain stores and big supermarkets offering convenience and one- stop shopping but that local independent business down the street may offer something a little bit different, or a locally- made product that’s not available in bigger stores. Speciality stores will be able to offer a far wider range than the biggest supermarket. There are plenty of ways you can help support your local economy by thinking first and seeking out a local business to see what they have to offer. Buy less. Choose well.
Why not?
Try the menu at a local restaurant for lunch or dinner Purchase a birthday present at a local gift shop. Many of them sell locally produced goods Order a local veg box to be delivered to your door Support your local butcher and baker
*UK vacancy rate 14.5% as at end of July 2021
You could discover some great products and services right here on your doorstep.
What’s next? A further £4.8 million has been
committed to the ongoing development of our high streets. Find out more about the grants and funding available to existing high street businesses and those looking to start a business on the high street on page 22.
“The Young High Street Challenge is a great way to reach our younger audience. It helps us raise awareness of
the challenges facing high streets and the value of buying locally. It’s also a terrific way to teach youngsters basic business skills and inspire them to launch their own high street shop one day”. Councillor Shirley Reynolds Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families (Labour)
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LOYAL TO LOCAL – DAWLEY
Dawley Dawley’s town centre has always been a hub of the community, with historic and beautiful buildings including Dawley Town Hall, St Leonard’s Church, The New Jewel pub – formerly the Lord Hill – and the Market Hall Clock, all marked with prestigious blue plaques. A High Street Investment Fund was established in 2020 by Great Dawley Town Council to help businesses diversify and adapt to changing circumstances during the pandemic. Along with the high street grants available from Telford & Wrekin Council this has given the town a real boost. With continued investment, Dawley now has an empty shop rate lower than the national average and boasts an array of independent businesses from florists, dog groomers and a beauty parlour to a dance company. “Our goal is to re-energize our high street and get it bustling again,” said Ian Preece, Deputy Mayor of Dawley. “Our love for our town has resulted in the creation of the Dawley’s Great campaign, which promotes Dawley businesses on social media to project the welcoming image it deserves. “We have some amazing businesses waiting to be discovered and more to open soon including Small Talk Nurseries, which will operate in the heart of town and provide day care for up to 100 children.”
“High streets play such an important part in our everyday lives. We’re working hard to keep them vibrant and exciting places. So I’ve been delighted to see new
businesses opening up across Telford & Wrekin high streets that our different communities can enjoy”. Councillor Andy Burford Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, Integration and Transformation (Labour)
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DAWLEY – A THRIVING COMMUNITY
Off to a cracking start
£10,000 High street start up grant awardee
Jolly Good Pantry 35 High Street, Dawley TF4 2EX
Q: You started out as Jolly Good Eggs back in 2016 as a home-based business, what attracted you to open on Dawley High Street? A: After expanding to market stalls in Dawley, Newport and Madeley we increased our range of goods to breads, cakes, jams, pickles and pies. We had been looking to open a shop for about a year and felt we could really fill a gap in the market in Dawley, as both the butchers and the fruit & veg shop had closed down several years ago. Because our focus is on locally made and sourced products, we don’t really compete with the local Co-op and we are helping attract more people to shop in Dawley. A crucial factor was the support from Telford & Wrekin Council, in the shape of the £10,000 High Street Business Start-Up Grant – without it we couldn’t have gone ahead. And we have had such support from local people, they are so loyal and now we have customers coming from Oakengates, Wellington, all across Telford. Q: How important is the focus on local products? A: Local quality produce is what we are all about. All our eggs come from local farms and we have supply deals Jolly Good Eggs started out as a fresh egg delivery business, but husband and wife team Brian and Ros Jolly expanded into market stalls and then, aided by a Telford & Wrekin Council Pride in Our High Street business start-up grant, they opened their shop, the Jolly Good Pantry, on Dawley High Street last year.
with popular local producers like Crystal’s Cupcakes, the Shropshire Spice Company, Snowdonia Cheeses, pickles from the Funky Food Factory in Cannock, the Famous Russell’s Pies – originally from Broseley and now based in Madeley – breads and cakes from Catherine’s Bakery as well as local jams and honey. It means we are a little local business supporting lots of other small local businesses, and we can tell our customers where everything comes from. One of the joys of our shop is our relationship with our customers, answering any questions they have and just generally having a chat. Q: How fresh are those eggs? A: All our eggs are freshly laid, within a few days of appearing on our shelves or being delivered. Each one has a use-by date stamped on it and usually they have at least three weeks. Of course, there is always the glass test – put an egg in a glass of water and if it floats, treat it with care! These days people are advised to keep their eggs in the fridge, but I will admit I tend to keep mine at room temperature – I think they cook better. Q: What are the other benefits of shopping locally? A: Apart from the great quality and the convenience, this is an environmentally-friendly way to shop with a low carbon footprint as we
keep things as local as we can so our products have never travelled far and packaging is minimal. It is wonderful to see just how many of our customers bring back their egg boxes each week for re-use.
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LOYAL TO LOCAL – IRONBRIDGE
Ironbridge Ironbridge High Street, which stretches along the Wharfage and beyond, is steeped in history with independent shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants housed in buildings dating back to Georgian and Victorian times. It sits at the heart of Ironbridge Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site attracting 1.3 million people each year, most of whom take the opportunity to walk across the world’s first cast iron bridge, dating back to 1779. Other attractions include the home of Merrythought Teddy Bears, the world-famous teddy manufacturer, which launched in 1930 and is currently based at the same location. Among its shops, The Bolthole sells furniture refurbished by Jay Blades, host of BBC’s The Repair Shop. Ironbridge has seen considerable upgrades to its shop fronts in recent years thanks to the Telford & Wrekin Pride in Our High Street programme, bringing shop frontages back to life, painting them in heritage colours and restoring original features. A handful of retailers have also received high street start up funding, so that new businesses are supported to flourish alongside those that are already established.
“It’s great to see new shops open on our high streets, small businesses help our local economy and create jobs. It’s vital we keep supporting our high street businesses, as for every £10 spent, £3.85 stays local”. Councillor Eileen Callear Cabinet Member for Visitor Economy, Employment and Skills (Labour)
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IRONBRIDGE – A THRIVING COMMUNITY
All fun and games The Toybox is an independent, traditional toy shop opened on the high street in Ironbridge by Vonny Simmons in December 2020, backed by a £10,000 Pride in Our High Street ‘revive and thrive’ grant from Telford & Wrekin Council.
£10,000 High street start up grant awardee
The Toybox 34 High Street, Ironbridge, TF8 7AG www.thetoyboxironbridge.co.uk
Q: How did you get started? Do you have a background in toy retailing? A: Absolutely not. The roots of the business come from a day out with my grandson.
Q: How has the first year gone? A: I thought this would be a business that would make enough to just tick along but it has been fantastically busy. People increasingly want to shop locally and there is real demand for traditional toys, particularly wooden toys, as well as educational and craft toys to make things like
potato clocks or build-your-own doorbells. We hope that we’ve created a beautiful shop where children and parents experience a sense of wonder as they enter and leave with toys that last a lifetime. There’s an element of nostalgia for parents and grandparents; people just love looking around the shop, we love working there. My husband is a surgeon but he and three of my grown-up children have all got involved. We have seen Ironbridge becoming increasingly busy. Of course it is a popular place to visit, particularly for families and those with
I wanted to buy him a toy to mark a lovely day and couldn’t find anything that wasn’t a TV tie-in or wrapped in plastic packaging. Talking to friends and family it became clear that there wasn’t a shop that sold the kind of traditional toys parents and grandparents often want to buy for children. Q: How did you end up in Ironbridge? A: The idea of a toy shop started to grow,
and I had worked at the empty unit on the high street in the past. It’s a wonderful historic building that was built around the time of the bridge and was used as the Ironbridge Gorge Museum shop for a time. I’d been chatting to one of my daughters, fantasising about what we could do with the shop; I mentioned it to my husband, Adrian, who responded: “That’s not the worst idea you’ve ever had.” We put a business plan together and then discovered we could apply for a revive and thrive grant from Telford & Wrekin Council. That made all the difference. We remortgaged the house to buy toys and stock and were able to use the grant for the work on the shop premises.
young children, but it has a growing reputation as a shopping centre too. Telford & Wrekin Council’s support has obviously helped a lot and there is a great community feeling among the
traders in Ironbridge. When we set up a Christmas grotto with Santa Claus so many other shopkeepers said it had helped boost their trade as well.
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LOYAL TO LOCAL – MADELEY
Madeley The last few years have seen change for the better in Madeley town centre. Sally Themans, of the
Love Madeley social media group, said: “We launched Love Madeley to provide a platform for people to share the positive things about the town, not just its shops but the community as a whole. “We organised a Halloween
pumpkin trail with retailers last year which encouraged children and their parents or grandparents to explore the town centre. It was such a success we are running another trail this Easter. “We have seen growing numbers of businesses start up or move into empty premises with the help of the council’s Pride in Our High Street grant programme. The restoration and reopening of The Anstice building has had a really
profound positive impact on Madeley.” The Anstice is one of more than 50 listed buildings in the area.
“Investing in our high streets ensures our communities feel stronger and safer. We’ve invested £79,000 in installing CCTV, so our residents and business feel protected and looked after”. Councillor Paul Watling
It dates back to 1870 and is today home to a library, café, ballroom and bar. A new arrival in the town centre is Boulton’s Butchers, following a £150,000 investment, while the major Tesco store is now providing electric car charging points.
Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities (Labour)
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MADELEY – A THRIVING COMMUNITY
Master butcher at work
Boulton’s Butchers, Unit 13 Madeley Centre, New Road, TF7 5AH
£10,000 High street start up grant awardee
Master butcher Martin Boulton and his wife Nikola run Boulton’s Butchers in Little Dawley and have now opened a new shop in Madeley’s Anstice Square – the first butchers shop in the town for many years. Q: Why have you expanded into Madeley? A: We had been looking to open a new shop in the area and knew there was demand for a butchers in Madeley – people have mentioned it when visiting our shop in Little Dawley. We saw the empty premises as we came out of the Tesco superstore store over the road and decided to put in an application. They are actually owned by Tesco, so we didn’t expect them to approve – they had turned down several previous applications for different shops – but they came back to us in just a few minutes and said they thought it was a great idea. Tesco are closing their own butchery counters and we’re not going to compete with them – we are an artisan butchers. It’s been a major commitment for us – selling our house and our van, investing around £150,000 with a high-tech counter especially made in Valencia. But it just feels right, and we have had terrific support from the people of Madeley and a £10,000 Pride in Our High Street grant from Telford & Wrekin Council. We are eternally grateful for the help towards the mammoth overall cost. As we worked on the premises everyone walking past would ask when we were opening; local people are really looking forward to it.
Q: How important is this for Madeley? A: This is the return of a proper butchers shop for the first time in over a decade. Martin did his apprenticeship at the old Banks Butchers in Madeley more than 30 years ago and this is bringing a traditional shop back to the town centre. There’s something special about a butchers; people come in for the banter and to meet friends as much as to buy meat although our meats and pies are very good indeed! It will be an upmarket ‘farm shop’ style butcher with products, including vegetarian and vegan food, as well as fish, all sold at affordable prices. We are also creating jobs, with counter staff and two new apprentice butchers – its really important to encourage young people to learn these traditional skills. Q: Are we seeing a change in shopping on the high street? A: Absolutely. Covid has played a big role in people returning to shopping locally. They enjoy the happy banter with friendly shopkeepers as well as being able to buy good quality produce. It is part of bringing life back to our town centres, making them busy and attractive places. We are wanting to promote a community hub, where everyone can come along for a pleasant catch up, do their shopping and hopefully leave with a smile on their faces. We welcome people’s ideas on what they would like us to sell and will embrace the spirit of the community.
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LOYAL TO LOCAL – NEWPORT
Newport Newport is a town rich in history, with its roots dating back to Saxon and Norman times and the
12th Century St. Nicholas Church standing proud at its heart. Today Newport takes the appearance of a
Georgian town with its beating heart, a gorgeous high street, home to over 200 businesses including independent boutiques and leading stores offering everything from cookware to candles, literature to lingerie and furniture to finery. Alongside the shops sit a broad range of public houses, cafes, and eateries, while a weekend market sells fresh produce on Fridays and Saturdays. The Telford & Wrekin Council borough towns incentive scheme was established in 2007 and Newport has since received significant investments, including a major rehabilitation of the canal and its surrounding area. The indoor market at the town’s historic Market Hall building, which was rebuilt in 1860, has also recently been renovated. With multiple bars and pubs, a music venue and nightclub the town also enjoys a booming night- time economy.
“We want everyone to enjoy our high streets, so it’s important we continue to improve accessibility for everyone. We also want to encourage more people to use public transport whenever they can and if people get active by cycling to their local shops, better still”. Councillor Richard Overton Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, Enforcement and Transport (Labour)
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NEWPORT – A THRIVING COMMUNITY
Drink. Relax. Enjoy.
Society, Old Market Hall, 11 Stafford Street, TF10 7LU
We are providing a platform for local bands, with a series of live performances planned into the spring. We are not just creating something for the people of Newport, but for the wider community around Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire. We are planning to offer food in the future and all our beers and ciders will be unique to us – people won’t find them on sale anywhere else nearby. Q: Opening during the time of Covid must have been a challenge? A: It has been a major investment for us and we originally secured planning permission back in early 2020, so Covid slowed everything down. But we are committed to this idea, recreating the kind of independent venue that we ran in South Africa. And we are getting a great response from people since we opened last summer. We have retained the historic details of this landmark building, which was built back in 1860, and being on two levels gives us great flexibility. This public house has got amazing features of the original space that it was used for and combined with modern industrial chic, it has the most amazing atmosphere; the look and feel of a city bar in the heart of a small country town. Q: So, exciting times ahead? A: Yes; we have big plans as Covid restrictions are relaxed and we get past the post-Christmas lull. But one thing we are keeping is our table service. It was introduced because of the coronavirus regulations but our customers like it and it would mean cutting our staff if we got rid of it. We had great loyalty from the 25-30 people who work here – they helped see us through a very difficult time for the hospitality industry – and we want to show loyalty to them in return. It is part of what makes Society Newport a special place to work and to come and have a great night out.
£10,000 High street start up grant awardee
David and Stephanie Brinkworth have transformed the Lower Market at Newport’s historic Grade II listed market hall into Society Newport, a pub and live music venue attracting a growing customer base from across Telford and Wrekin and the wider Shropshire area. Q: What are you hoping to achieve with Society Newport? A: We are creating something completely unique for Telford and Shropshire; an independent venue that offers something completely different for local customers – the sort of stylish venue they would normally expect to find in a big city. With our bar downstairs and a mezzanine level for special functions, we also have what we think is the largest TV screen of any licensed premises in the country – 3 metres by 2 metres – so we can show football, rugby and other major sporting events.
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LOYAL TO LOCAL – OAKENGATES
Oakengates
Oakengates is an ancient market town boasting a range of award-winning real ale pubs, restaurants, cafés and shops. It is also a thriving creative community, home to Telford’s theatre
and performing arts venue The Place – showcasing spectacular national acts, comedians, musicians, and the celebrated yearly pantomime – and to The Wakes, an iconic building housing community activities, clubs, events and festivals. The town centre is celebrated for its shopping, including many independent outlets, and a weekly market provides a great source of additional local produce. Several new small businesses have opened on Oakengates high street in recent years, including
“Thriving high streets can create such a buzz for communities and are really important for those people who are feeling a bit low. To be out and about amongst other people in a safe environment is so important for our mental health”. Councillor Kelly Middleton Cabinet Member for Leisure, Public Health and Well-being, Equalities and Partnerships (Labour)
Gems haberdashers who are celebrating their fourth business anniversary this year thanks to a Telford & Wrekin Council start-up business grant. Many businesses have also had their shop fronts improved, enhancing the main street’s overall appeal.
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OAKENGATES – A THRIVING COMMUNITY
Wear better, look better
£3,500 High street diversification grant awardee
Kings Menswear and Suit Hire, 13 Market Street, Oakengates, TF2 6EL www.kingsfashion.co.uk
Mal Johnson launched his Kings Menswear formal suit hire business a decade ago, moving into 13 Market Street in Oakengates five years ago. Last year, backed by a £3,500 Telford & Wrekin Council diversification grant, he moved into retailing and tailoring suits for female and non-binary customers as well as men under the name Kings Fashion. Q: How has diversification changed the business? A: We have expanded into sales of suits and accessories, such as ties and shirts, as well as launching a tailoring service for female and non-binary customers, so we can take the suit of their choice and change its masculine nature, giving it a more feminine cut and style. Given the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic we also expanded our website to handle orders and operate Zoom appointments. My daughter has joined myself and my wife, so we are a real family business now. And we use a couple of seamstresses based nearby so we are bringing more work to Oakengates. Q: What has been the customer response? A: It has proved extremely popular, with a lot of return business. We have served all three daughters in one family and it has become clear there was a considerable amount of demand just waiting to be tapped into. I’m not aware of any business like ours, certainly in Shropshire, so we are getting customers coming quite some distance – even people from Australia and Thailand attending family events here.
As things slowly get back to normal we have seen a
lot more people coming in; customers enjoy the personal service, the friendly banter and the relationship that is formed. This is why we see customers returning to us time and again, not just for suits but for socks, shirts and other accessories. We aim to provide a VIP service without the VIP price tag and our growing customer base seems to show that is what people increasingly want. Q: Does that mean more people are shopping locally? A: Yes. People seem to be rediscovering the enjoyment of shopping within their local community, meeting their friends and establishing relationships with traders on their high street. It is hugely rewarding to provide a service customers clearly appreciate and Oakengates is seeing the benefit – I think there’s only one high street premises that is empty in the town at the moment and that is the pub, the Black Horse. With the railway station, it is very easy to get to Oakengates so we are not just seeing a growth in local customers but also people travelling in as it becomes an increasingly popular and lively shopping destination. Q: What’s next for Kings Fashion? A: We are very keen to be more sustainable and move towards being a more ecologically friendly shop. One of our suppliers is now making suits out of recycled plastic bottles. You would never know, because the material is so soft and comfortable, and we believe there will be a lot of interest in this kind of product.
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LOYAL TO LOCAL – WELLINGTON
Wellington
Wellington’s fortunes have significantly improved in the last year thanks to several new businesses opening and a general return to local shopping. “Anyone who has been paying attention has seen that something great is currently occurring,” says Wellington H2A arts and heritage community group member Rob Francis. According to reports, 50 businesses established or relocated in Wellington in 2021, with retail and hospitality businesses occupying nearly half of the unit spaces, some made possible through Telford & Wrekin Council’s Pride in Our High Street grants. The opening of new shops has given the town centre a fresh lease of life, instilling a new sense of pride in the community and providing a new appealing offer. This includes the recently opened food court and outdoor youth market at Wellington’s indoor market, which also played host to a series of popular late-night events. Both Wellington Town Council and Love Wellington have been instrumental in capturing the story and using social media to share positive news about Wellington’s high street and its businesses.
“As we work together to decrease our carbon impact in Telford, we’re offering support and funding to our high street businesses to help them become more sustainable and eco-friendly. Funding
applications are open now for different projects, ranging from investment in energy efficient
lighting to eco toilets”. Councillor Carolyn Healy
Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Green Spaces, Natural and Historic Environment, and Cultural Services (Labour)
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WELLINGTON – A THRIVING COMMUNITY
Green agenda
The Little Green Pantry, 2 Crown Street, Wellington, TF1 1LP www.thelittlegreenpantry.co.uk
£10,000 High street start up grant awardee
Kelli King launched her Little Green Pantry business in 2019 and last year – aided by a £10,000 empty unit incentive package through Telford & Wrekin Council’s Pride in Our High Street programme – she moved the business from Wellington Market to Wellington High Street. Q: What is the Little Green Pantry? A: We are based on the principle of zero waste shopping; our food and household products are sourced locally where possible – reducing carbon emissions from transport – and supplied loose or in recyclable or reusable packing. We encourage our customers to bring their own containers where possible. There’s been a tremendous response from people, which is why I decided to expand to a high street shop unit. It is four or five times bigger than my market stall but I have been much busier than I could ever have expected. People really want to be able to shop more sustainably. People also want to be able to shop locally. That started during the Covid crisis, when we weren’t travelling, but I see in my own shop how people really enjoy being part of a local shopping community. They like having a personal relationship with shop keepers and meeting their friends while they are out and about. Q: How broad is your product range? A: We sell all kinds of dry goods – rice, lentils, grains, cereals, pasta. We also have a baking section with flours, chocolate and other ingredients as well as a herb and spices range. And we have ecologically-friendly cleaning and laundry products that have proved very popular with our customers.
Q: Can you really shop sustainably on the high street? A: Going green is easier and more affordable than you might think. More and more people are discovering just how easy it is and have really taken to the idea of bringing their own reusable containers when they come shopping. It is important to make sure we are competitive and I regularly carry out comparisons with the local supermarkets to ensure we match their prices or even offer a slight discount.
Q: Can other high street businesses do more to become greener? A: I am also a member of a group working with the town council to make Wellington a plastic-free community, encouraging traders to reduce single use plastics. There has been a lot
of support and now, as part of Pride in Our High Street, Telford & Wrekin Council has launched a series of £500 ‘eco’ grants to help high street businesses become more sustainable.
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HIGH STREET HEROES
Back in May 2021, after an uncertain time for many businesses, we launched our first ever High Street Hero Awards and invited you to nominate your favourite high street retailers for a chance of them being acknowledged as a High Street Hero. We were overwhelmed with the volume of nominations we received and the kind words put forward by residents. The love for your local high street retailers really shone through. Thirty high street businesses were selected as winners towards the end of 2021 and were named as our first set of High Street Heroes. These businesses are located in Ironbridge, Newport, Madeley, Oakengates, Dawley and Wellington, providing a wide range of services – from cafes and menswear shops to florists and supermarkets. Heroes Our High Street
Congratulations to all the award winners High Street Heroes 2021
“Huge congratulations to all our local businesses who have been named High Street Heroes. They are working
day in and day out to encourage people to shop locally and are helping to drive the local economy forward. Thank you”. Councillor Rae Evans Cabinet Member for Finance, Governance and Customer Services (Labour)
Ironbridge Eley’s Pork Pies The Bolthole The Christmas Shop The Toybox Wild Iris
Madeley Chop Shop Flares Hairdressers M&G House Fancy Goods Mrs Russell’s The Card Shop
Dawley Flowerfair Jenny Spoons Jolly Good Pantry Laura Deighton Dance Company Thomas Allsorts
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LOYAL TO LOCAL
Oakengates Gems Fabric Haberdashery Just Jackie’s Florist King’s Menswear
Wellington Anthony’s of Wellington
& Suit Hire Nisa Local Rustic Chef
Newport Box of Goodness Matthew’s Family Butchers Number 45 Waitrose What Women Want
Gratitude Café Nanny’s Bakery The Orbit The Walnut
HIGH STREET HERO
Nominate your favourite high street retailers for a chance to be featured in our loyal to local campaign. Whatever the reason we want to hear from you! #LoyaltoLocalTelford
www.telford.gov.uk/highstreetheroawards2022 High Street Hero? Do you know a
Make your nomination by scanning this QR code with your smart phone.
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GRANTS AND FUNDING
Help to boost your business Telford & Wrekin Council has now opened up applications for a range of initiatives which aim to support existing high street businesses and those looking to start up a brand new enterprise on the high street in Dawley, Ironbridge, Oakengates, Madeley, Newport and Wellington.
£4.8m invested in our high streets so they’re once again great places to meet, shop and do business.
Digital Grant The digital grant is available to all
Financial support is available to existing high street businesses who are looking to improve the look of their shop through a property façade improvements project or enhance their offer digitally or environmentally. ‘Trial start up grants’ and ‘Start up business grants’ are also available for individuals wanting to take their first steps into self-employment on the high street without taking on large risks.
existing high street businesses to equip themselves so they can trade effectively in the digital arena. Digital grants could pay for equipment to support online sales, automated payment systems, or could support business marketing. The grant range is £250 up to a maximum grant of £1,000.*
Start Up Trial Grant The start up trial grant provides a low risk opportunity for local entrepreneurs to trial their high street business idea as a pop up shop – either in an empty unit or local market. Full business support is available to help you get things off the ground. The grant range is £500 to a maximum of £2,500.*
Eco Grant The eco grant is available to all existing high street businesses to support sustainable projects
High Street Start Up Grant 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. The grant range available is £2,500 to a maximum of £10,000.*
and adopt a ‘greener’ approach. Eco grants could support the replacement of plastic packaging, investment in green gadgets or improve other sustainability aspects of the high street business. Maximum grants of up to £1,000.*
Property Façade Improvement Grant The property façade improvement grant is available to all existing high street businesses and can be used to replace fascia signboards, hanging signs and shop frontage painting. The grant range is £500 to a maximum of £2,000.*
* Terms and conditions apply.
Business support is available for all Telford and Wrekin businesses through the Telford and Wrekin Growth Hub. For more information search www.investtelford.co.uk
Find full information about the Pride in Our High Street grants and funding available at www.telford.gov.uk/prideinourhighstreet
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To get the best offers in town download the mytlc app
Be loyal to local and download today. Search mytlc
For more information visit www.telfordloyaltycard.co.uk
– at Telford Town Park 23 April 2022 – – 11am to 5pm – Spring Into St George ’ s Day
Keep your eyes peeled for St George and his dragon
MI n cI Dt hDe LKENEI NG HGTL AS NO DF Falconry | Jousting Sword Fighting | Minstrels Warrior Training | Archery Food and Drink | Crafts Brought to you by Telford & Wrekin Culture and Events Team
Telford Theatre shows in 2022...
Zog and The Flying Doctors
8 & 9 MARCH
Soul Sisters The Musical
6 APRIL
Giovanni Pernice: This is Me
28 MARCH
Jimmy Buckley
25 MARCH
Paul Zerdin: Hands Free
30 MARCH
Gordon Hendricks:
1 APRIL
Saturday Night at The G-House
Book now... www.telfordtheatre.com or 01952 382382
This magazine has been funded through the European Regional Development Fund, Welcome Back Fund
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