• Let's Celebrate Towns

    image of a town street in a town with shops on either side of the road image of a town street in a town with shops on either side of the road

“Let’s Celebrate Towns”: Eight Towns Celebrated As Part Of Nationwide Showcase Highlighting UK Businesses And Communities

  • Mountain Ash, Pontypridd, Annan, Kilmarnock, Lurgan, Banbridge, Wythenshawe and Bromsgrove were highlighted for their support for local businesses and communities as part of ‘Let’s Celebrate Towns’ – a nationwide showcase celebrating towns across the UK run by Visa, in partnership with the British Retail Consortium
  • The awards ceremony took place in Parliament with the towns receiving up to £20,000 and a package of business support


Visa, in partnership with the British Retail Consortium (BRC), announced yesterday (1st March) the list of towns highlighted as part of Let’s Celebrate Towns, a nationwide showcase designed to celebrate the hundreds of towns across the country helping local businesses and communities to thrive. 

The ‘Champion’ awards highlighted towns that have demonstrated an exceptional ability to create a supportive environment that helps businesses and communities to thrive whilst the ‘Rising Star’ award recognised up-and-coming towns that are on their way to transforming the local economic environment and community:

Wales

  • Champion: Pontypridd 
  • Rising Star: Mountain Ash

Scotland

  • Champion: Kilmarnock
  • Rising Star: Annan

Northern Ireland

  • Champion: Banbridge
  • Rising Star: Lurgan

England

  • Champion: Bromsgrove 
  • Rising Star: Wythenshawe 

The towns will now receive up to £20,000 of direct investment into a local community project or initiative and receive a dedicated programme of support for local businesses.

The initiative highlighted a range of exciting initiatives, including business and council partnerships to drive investment, and local mentoring to support local businesses throughout the UK.

These projects not only showcase what makes our towns unique but also demonstrates how towns are adapting to new challenges and opportunities in a rapidly changing environment, as well as actively encouraging the adoption of best practice across the nation.

On initial publication of the shortlist, Mandy Lamb, Managing Director UK & Ireland, Visa, commented:

“At Visa, we believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere. That includes the local economies created in our towns; home to a rich diversity of independent businesses operating alongside major brands, restaurants, cafes and retailers.

We believe it’s time to put towns centre-stage. We hope that by championing our local business and communities, we can showcase the many advantages that come from fostering growth and prosperity locally.”

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said:

“I am delighted to be partnering with Visa on this brilliant opportunity to celebrate the diversity of our towns and highlight what makes them great places to live and work.

As a passionate advocate for retail, I’m excited by the prospect of identifying more stand-out examples of where towns are supporting businesses, and the people that help communities up and down the country to thrive. By doing this, we can also uncover important insights to ensure best practice is shared more widely across towns to help boost our businesses and high streets.”

One of those on the judging panel was Tony Danker, Director General of the Confederation of British Industry, who commented:

“I am delighted to be taking part in the Let’s Celebrate Towns initiative and look forward to showcasing where towns are supporting businesses – of all sizes – to succeed. Faced with a challenging set of circumstances across the country, a relentless focus on growth and unlocking prosperity – especially across towns – can ensure that every region, every nation, and every corner of the UK can flourish.”

Let’s Celebrate Towns is the latest initiative from Visa to celebrate and recognise the contributions of local communities and economies across Britain, following on from its Great British High Street Awards programme and commitment to digitally enable eight million small businesses across Europe.
 

Let’s Celebrate Towns – 2023 Winners' List

Wales

  • Champion:Pontypridd 
  • Rising Star: Mountain Ash 

Scotland

  • Champion: Kilmarnock
  • Rising Star: Annan 

Northern Ireland

  • Champion: Banbridge
  • Rising Star: Lurgan

England

  • Champion: Bromsgrove 
  • Rising Star: Wythenshawe 

“Let’s Celebrate Towns”: 30 Towns Shortlisted As Part Of Nationwide Showcase Highlighting UK Businesses And Communities

  • Towns across the UK have been shortlisted as part of ‘Let’s Celebrate Towns’ – a nationwide showcase celebrating the hundreds of towns across the UK run by Visa, in partnership with the British Retail Consortium
  • Towns including Grantham, Penarth, Pontypridd, and Portadown are in the running to be named Champion or Rising Star, as well as receiving up to £20,000 and a package of business support. 
  • A panel of independent judges spanning business, industry and regional bodies, will decide on eight overall winners, and is due to be announced at an awards ceremony in March 2023

Visa, in partnership with the British Retail Consortium (BRC), are today announcing a list of areas shortlisted for Let’s Celebrate Towns, a nationwide showcase designed to celebrate the hundreds of towns across the country helping local businesses and communities to thrive.

From Pontypridd in Wales, to Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland; Drumnadrochit in Scotland and Wythenshawe in England, towns across the UK have highlighted a range of exciting initiatives, including business and council partnerships to drive investment, and local mentoring to support local businesses, as part of the application process.

These case studies not only showcase what makes our towns unique but also demonstrates how towns are adapting to new challenges and opportunities in a rapidly changing environment, as well as actively encouraging the adoption of best practice across the nation.

For the next stage of the showcase, judges representing business, industry and local town associations, will meet to discuss the entries to decide upon eight overall winners. One of those on the judging panel is Tony Danker, Director General of the Confederation of British Industry, who commented:

“I am delighted to be taking part in the Let’s Celebrate Towns initiative and look forward to showcasing where towns are supporting businesses – of all sizes – to succeed. Faced with a challenging set of circumstances across the country, a relentless focus on growth and unlocking prosperity – especially across towns – can ensure that every region, every nation, and every corner of the UK can flourish.”

From a shortlist of 30, eight towns will be recognised across the UK; one ‘Champion’ and one ‘Rising Star’ will be named in each nation. The ‘Champion’ awards will highlight towns that have demonstrated an exceptional ability to create a supportive environment that helps businesses and communities to thrive. The ‘Rising Star’ award will recognise up-and-coming towns that are on their way to transforming the local economic environment and community.

Winning towns will receive up to £20,000 of direct investment into a local community project or initiative and receive a dedicated programme of support for local businesses.

On publication of the shortlist, Mandy Lamb, Managing Director UK & Ireland, Visa, commented:

“At Visa, we believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere. That includes the local economies created in our towns; home to a rich diversity of independent businesses operating alongside major brands, restaurants, cafes and retailers.

We believe it’s time to put towns centre-stage. We hope that by championing our local business and communities, we can showcase the many advantages that come from fostering growth and prosperity locally.”

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said:

“I am delighted to be partnering with Visa on this brilliant opportunity to celebrate the diversity of our towns and highlight what makes them great places to live and work.

As a passionate advocate for retail, I’m excited by the prospect of identifying more stand-out examples of where towns are supporting businesses, and the people that help communities up and down the country to thrive. By doing this, we can also uncover important insights to ensure best practice is shared more widely across towns to help boost our businesses and high streets.”

Let’s Celebrate Towns is the latest initiative from Visa to celebrate and recognise the contributions of local communities and economies across Britain, following on from its Great British High Street Awards programme and commitment to digitally enable eight million small businesses across Europe.
 

The Shortlist

  • Lurgan
  • Armagh
  • Drumnadrochit
  • Portadown
  • Annan
  • Farnborough
  • Thame
  • Carrickfergus
  • Grantham 
  • Tamworth
  • Coleraine
  • Broughty Ferry
  • Banbridge
  • Stevenage
  • Ashford
  • Bridgnorth
  • Altrincham
  • Barrow-in-Furness
  • Chester
  • Wythenshawe
  • Yate
  • Mountain Ash
  • Uppingham
  • Bromsgrove
  • Hitchin
  • Abertillery
  • Darlington
  • Penarth
  • Kilmarnock
  • Pontypridd