Judges from the Great British High Street (GBHS) team visited Northwich on Thursday 11th October to tour the town and see how it shapes up compared to other locations around the UK.
The town has been nominated in the ‘Rising Star’ category of the Great British High Street Awards 2018, sponsored by Visa, recognising the nation’s most ambitious high streets which are taking the lead and working together to revive, adapt and diversify.
Northwich’s application, led by the Northwich Business Improvement (BID), focuses on the community spirit and engagement that exists in the town, with a spotlight shone on the many events, initiatives and projects that have been delivered in Northwich.
These include Northwich In Bloom, which saw businesses, local schools and organisations working together to bring colour to streets and buildings, the development of Pocket Park near the Bull Ring and the installation of artwork in the subway below Chester Way.
On judging day, representatives from GBHS were told about the community cohesion in Northwich and visited a range of businesses including Northwich Art Shop, Abdas, Crate Hair and Crafty Stitches to hear directly from traders within the town.
They also saw a number of finished projects first-hand and had the chance to ask questions about them.
Northwich BID Manager Jane Hough was in the town centre for the judges’ visit and believes Northwich is in with a fighting chance of scooping the Rising Star award.
“It was great to meet with representatives from the GBHS team alongside members from Northwich Town Council and let them know about the amazing work that businesses, volunteers and organisations are constantly delivering in Northwich.
“Judges were very impressed with the community spirit that exists here and the way in which businesses work together to bring about positive change and help bring visitors to the town.
“We’re now eagerly looking forward to the results which will be revealed at a ceremony in November and I’d just like to say thank you to all of our partners, retailers and volunteers who have worked so hard to make Northwich the place it is today.”
As well as judges’ votes, 30% comes from social media with a hashtag, in this case #GBHSNorthwich, used to count votes for town.
You can vote here or simply post to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with #GBHSNorthwich and #MyHighStreet.
Keep up-to-date with the latest news from around the town by liking Visit Northwich on Facebook.
