Introduction

FLYING THE FLAG FOR NORTHALLERTON

The BID’s marketing profile has been radically overhauled with a new website, rapidly expanding social media channels and the successful use of promotional videos to support high-profile campaigns encouraging support for Northallerton’s businesses.

Our Shop Local campaign was designed to encourage customer loyalty and drive footfall during the pandemic. It won widespread support and was highlighted on national and local TV and radio stations. It was also praised by local MP and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak.

Thousands of Shop Local cotton shopping bags and face masks were given out to shoppers and businesses. Window stickers were also provided for dozens of BID businesses and the theme was continued on giant billboards.

Other key themes during the pandemic included the Thank You campaign for workers in the NHS and essential services and the Open for Business campaign showcasing local businesses who were able to open their doors during and between national lockdowns.

Our dog-friendly promotions proved very popular with businesses. Stickers were produced for the 124 BID businesses who declared themselves dog-friendly, and the campaign also featured on billboards at the railway station and on Boroughbridge Road. A large-scale Christmas campaign included a Santa video, a countdown clock at the front of the Town Hall, a very popular children’s Elf Trail and funding for the largest real Christmas tree ever seen in Northallerton. We also organised a very successful Halloween Trail for children.

The new Love Northallerton website has seen a large increase in traffic and won widespread praise, especially for its upbeat video encouraging visitors to return to the town-centre to shop safely.

We have also worked hard to strengthen our presence on social media. Our Facebook followers have more than trebled since the start of lockdown and Love Northallerton is now much more visible on Twitter and Instagram, giving us a much bigger daily reach.

Our rebranded Little Book of Vouchers have been distributed to new audiences. Thousands have been sent to outlying towns such as Yarm, Thirsk, Leyburn, Richmond and Hawes, encouraging people to shop and spend in Northallerton.

CAMPAIGNING FOR FAIRER PARKING

The BID has campaigned vigorously for a fairer parking regime on Northallerton High Street and succeeded in persuading North Yorkshire County Council to double the normal 30-minute free provision to one hour from June 2020 to April 2021. This was in direct response to problems faced by businesses during the pandemic where queuing regimes and social distancing meant shopping and business visits took much longer than normal. Feedback from businesses was that the extra 30 minutes was warmly welcomed by customers and clients and this supports our long-term campaign for permanent solutions to Northallerton’s parking problems. We have consistently argued for a level playing field with neighbouring towns where free parking provision is much more generous.

CELEBRATING OUR BUSINESSES

The first national lockdown came into force just a week before our inaugural Love Northallerton Business Awards evening was due to be staged at the Golden Lion Hotel. The champagne was put on ice until November when the awards were showcased in an as-live ceremony on social media that proved to be an outstanding success. An audience of more than 9,000 viewed our celebration of Northallerton’s High Street heroes. These awards honoured the hard-working business people who make Northallerton so special. The number and quality of nominations exceeded all our expectations and we had 57 applications from large and small businesses in 11 award categories, plus a special achievement award that was chosen by the BID board.

Following the success of the inaugural event, it has been decided to stage the awards biannually.

SUPPORTING BUSINESS DURING THE PANDEMIC

In a year of three national lockdowns, the BID set out to give maximum assistance to businesses facing the major challenges of the unprecedented global pandemic. We launched a Hardship Fund - the only one of its kind amongst 330 BIDs in the UK - to help businesses who were particularly hard-hit financially.

Our e-newsletters, sometimes delivered at the rate of two a week, were particularly well received and contained important information on grants support and loans advice. Moreover, we gave practical hands-on advice to several businesses on accountancy, negotiating with landlords and setting up social media platforms to ensure they could continue trading. We had more than 1,300 direct engagements with businesses during this difficult period and also set up networking platforms for owners to discuss mutual challenges and concerns. Although our popular cardboard collection service was suspended during the pandemic, we provided businesses with alternative free disposal facilities at the Imprint yard on Tannery Lane.

Our support for businesses of all sizes remains ongoing as the local economy recovers from the effects of the global emergency.