Did you know that your high street may have a champion? High Street Champions is a scheme launched by Business in the Community (BITC) to help support the high street.
Mary Portas
The scheme has a number of large companies involved, which include: Boots, Co-operative Group, JD Wetherspoon, Lloyds, Marks & Spencer, The Post Office and Wilkinsons who are matched to one of the 27 Portas Pilot Towns that is in need of regeneration. Each High Street Champion is usually a Store Manager from the chosen company who will work with a team to support and encourage the town to meet its objectives.
The scheme has three objectives that the High Street Champions must follow. They are:
Speaking of the scheme, which has been in place since April of this year, Stephen Howard BITC’s Chief Executive, said: “With one in ten shops empty on UK high streets, and depressed footfall in many towns and city centres, High Street Champions has been devised in response to the urgent need to transform the town centres.
“Successful high streets require collaboration between the community, local authority and local business leaders – no one group holds the solutions and it is only through working together and thinking innovatively that we will see the change so desperately needed.”
So what companies are supporting which town?
| High Street Champion | Portas Pilot Town |
| Marks & Spencer | Ashford, Kent |
| JD Wetherspoon | Bedford, Bedfordshire |
| Wilkinsons | Bedminster, Bristol |
| Boots | Berwick, Northumberland |
| The Post Office | Brighton, London Road |
| Boots | Chrisp Street, Watney Market, Roman Road, Greater London |
| Lloyds | Croydon, Greater London |
| Co-operative Group | Liskeard, Cornwall |
| Boots | Margate, Kent |
| Wilkinsons | Nelson, Lancashire |
| Co-operative Group | Newbiggin by the Sea, Northumberland |
| Boots | Rotherham, South Yorkshire |
| Co-operative Group | Stockport, Greater Manchester |
| The Post Office | Stockton on Tees |
| The Post Office | Sydenham, Kirkdale and Forest Hill |
| JD Wetherspoon | Tiverton, Somerset |
Speaking of their involvement in the scheme, Caroline Walters, head of personnel & customer services at JD Wetherspoon, said: “Wetherspoon is committed to the high street and pleased to be involved with this campaign. Each year, we invest more than £45 million in new pubs, primarily on the high street, creating more than 1,500 jobs.
“The high streets are vital to their respective communities and it’s important that we continue to look at ways of regenerating high streets across the UK.”
Do you think the scheme can help save the high street? Or do you feel that people will simply visit if they want to, no matter how a town centre is regenerated?
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