Case Study 4 - Working with Letchworth BID to support our town centre economy

Joseph Vallely, Asset and Relationship Manager

Outcomes mets:

  • The town centre is vibrant

We have always enjoyed a good working relationship with the Letchworth Business Improvement District (BID), but the pandemic allowed us to work together in a more dynamic and proactive way to support our retail tenants and the town centre more generally.

We shared regular updates about how the Foundation and other organisations could support tenants and how they could get the help they needed during lockdown. This was cascaded to all BID members via social media, email and phone calls, with the BID Manager answering questions and fielding enquires back to the Foundation.

We worked together to help retailers become COVID-safe, so that they could continue operating. And we got on board with a new Shop Local campaign to encourage the community to support our town centre, especially our independent retailers.

This collaborative approach has resulted in us working on a joint ambition to aid the recovery of our town centre and raise awareness of the fantastic range of independent retailers in Letchworth. We have seen a deeper appreciation for these retailers, many of whom are doing better than ever, and we are working to keep the momentum going into 2021.

“The Coronavirus outbreak brought many challenges for our local businesses and organisations. But it also showed us what good work means: not only to provide support and guidance but also a sense of purpose and belonging. Working in partnership with the Foundation has been both important and rewarding. The crisis has changed how we work and improved how we understand and support our town in its recovery.” Chris Wilson, Managing Director, Letchworth BID