Battle for Britain’s Best High Street Begins
Welsh Secretary sounds clarion call for Wales’ high streets to enter Great British High Street competition
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns has today (20 June 2018) called on communities across Wales to enter their villages, towns and cities into the Great British High Street competition 2018.
The competition celebrates the great work that is being done to revive, adapt and diversify the nation’s high streets and is an opportunity for councils, businesses, community groups and volunteers to learn from the very best.
The last competition in 2016 saw 900 entries from across the UK and over 500,000 public votes with Blackburn’s high street crowned Britain’s best. Prestatyn’s high street in north Wales was a close runner up in the coastal communities category.
In 2014, Colwyn Bay ran out winners in the coastal category.
This year a new award structure has been developed and winners will be named in each of the four UK nations – Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland - across two categories: Champion High Street and Rising Star High Street.
The Champion High Street category will recognise the nation’s best high streets while the Rising Star High Street category will recognise the nation’s most ambitious high streets, which are taking the lead and working together to revive, adapt and diversify.
An overall High Street of the Year in Great Britain and Northern Ireland will also be named.
So with new categories and new prizes at stake, the Secretary of State for Wales said he expected to see far more competition entries from Wales’s high streets this year.
Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:
The Great British High Street competition is a chance to showcase the strengths of Wales’ high streets, to bust myths about the long-term future of our town centres and to reward the local talent, team-work and energy that goes into making our high streets great places to visit, work or live.
This is why I am proud to be the advocate for the Great British High Street competition in Wales. We want to find the hidden gems the country has to offer. So whether you’re a market town, coastal village or city centre, there are so many high streets across Wales doing fantastic work. Let’s get behind them and put Wales’ high streets firmly in the running to take the plaudits when the winners are announced in the autumn.
This year it is easier than ever to enter your high street into the awards.
If you are a local community team, association or authority that represent your high street then click here to register your interest and receive further information and instructions on how to apply.
If you are a member of the public and you would like your high street to be entered into the Awards then please get in touch with your MP or your local authority directly to encourage the council to register on behalf of your community.
Notes to editors.
- Details of how to enter the competition can be found at: www.thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk or via @TheGBHighSt on Twitter.
- ENTRIES CLOSE AT 23:59 22ND AUGUST 2018
- Shortlisted finalists will be invited to an awards ceremony in London in November celebrating the high streets that are succeeding and influencing change.
- In addition Visa GBHS Street Teams will be visiting randomly selected high streets during the Awards to promote entered high streets and surprise and delight local businesses and consumers with activities and giveaways
To enter your high street you will need to be a representative of a:
- Business Improvement District
- Local Authority
- Parish Council
- Town Team
- Coastal Community Team
- Town Centre Partnership
- Community Interest Company
- Chambers of Commerce
- Trading Association