Bournemouth Town Centre Gift Card activity has increased significantly in the last few weeks, with a number of new businesses joining the scheme, increased promotion, and significant corporate purchases. We’d like to welcome 7 Scoops, Bowl Central, The Coconut Tree, Saltrock, South Coast Coffee, and Zim Braai to our Gift Card family. Gift Cards can…

Last week we welcomed those signed up to the first Bournemouth Town Centre BID Peer2Peer Board at AFC Bournemouth. It was a great first meeting, focused around a common passion for boosting trade in Bournemouth town centre, and sharing great ideas and exploring common challenges. The purpose of the Peer2Peer Board is to help encourage…

Last week we held the first of our new monthly Business Breakfasts. The idea is to bring town centre levy paying businesses together to discuss issues facing our town, connect them with like-minded businesses across the sectors, and look for innovative projects and solutions that the BID can underpin, broker or facilitate. Our thanks to…

Our Peer2Peer board is now full, but applications can still be made for the Customer Experience Programme, which includes some of the elements of the Peer2Peer board experience, but without the time commitment. The Customer Experience Programme is delivered by Insight6 and consists of a pre customer visit, mystery in store shop then post communication…

The ten-month Improving Experience Project was unveiled at AFC Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium by the Bournemouth Town Centre BID which is funding the project with support from BCP Council. Eleven non-competitive levy paying businesses from the retail and hospitality sectors have joined a new ‘peer to peer board. It will meet once a month for nine…

Look out for your copy of Engage, which will be delivered to our levy payers over the next week or so. This issue includes information on our recent Reconnect campaign, a special offer for discounted parking for levy payers and their staff in partnership with NCP, details on the new giving scheme aiming to address…

TWO major initiatives to improve the in-store customer experience in Bournemouth are being introduced by the Town Centre BID. The ten-month Improving Experience Project, funded by the BID and a grant from BCP Council has two elements A Peer to Peer Board for business owners with up to twelve non-competing businesses meeting once a month…

Due to the delay in easing of restrictions, the Africa Comes to Bournemouth event has been moved to August, and the location has also changed. It will now take place on Saturday 7th August and Sunday 8th August at the Triangle. If you would like to get involved in any way, let us know on…

Please note that there has been a change of date for the August Marvellous Markets, and it will now take place on 14th and 15th August. The August event has also moved to Beale Place. The full list of dates is now: 10th & 11th July – Beale Place 14th & 15th August – Beale…

At the Town Centre BID, we are working hard in partnership to ensure that we address two of the biggest issues that visitors have told us are important to them; safety and the customer experience. The Town Centre BID has been awarded an ARG (Additional Restrictions Grant) from BCP Council to deliver two projects, aiming…

Encouraging residents & visitors to reconnect with the town centre and its businesses Our Reconnect videos are now available to view online and on our @makeitbmth social media pages. Please share them if you can. Also look out for them across the Bournemouth Echo social media from 29 April. Watch the first few – more…

CONTACTLESS “giving points” will be set up across Bournemouth and Poole to enable people to donate £3 to help people sleeping rough. The initiative is part of the Change for Good fund to help homeless people make positive moves off the streets. The fund has already raised £10,000 in donations to its Just Giving page.…

We’re delighted to announce that we are working in partnership with NCP to bring discounted parking to Bournemouth Town Centre BID levy payers and their staff. If you are a Bournemouth Town Centre BID levy payer, you and your staff can now park at The Square (Richmond Hill) and Hinton Road NCP car parks at…

5-6 June – Horseshoe Common We now have a new date for the Marvellous Markets event on Horseshoe Common. The event was originally planned for last weekend but had to be postponed due to high winds and bad weather forecast. The Marvellous Market event will now take place on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 June.…

New Business Liaison Officer We’d like to wish a warm welcome to Susie O’Neill, who is joining the BID team as Business Liaison Officer to cover maternity leave. Susie will be working her way around town centre businesses to introduce herself. If you are a Town Centre BID levy payer and would like to meet…

26 & 27 June Umoja Arts Network are organizing a weekend of activities to showcase the best of African and Caribbean music, art, food and culture, supported by the Bournemouth Town Centre BID. On Saturday 7th August, they will be at Beale Place and on Sunday 8th August they will be at the Triangle. Activities…

 Horseshoe Common –  new dates to be announced shortly A brand new event called Marvellous Markets is coming to Horseshoe Common, and we have an opportunity for our levy payers to get involved. Would you like to host a market stall to sell your products/services? To help with costs, we have subsidised the stall fee for levy payers, so…

Chance for independent businesses to have their say Following on from the Build Back Better COVID Grimsey Review Supplement published in June 2020, Bill Grimsey is turning his attention to independent businesses and embarking on new research to find out how they survived the pandemic and what more can be done to support them. He…

The campaign asking people to work one day a week from their local has had venue registrations pouring in. Started during lockdown 3.0, Work from your local’s community driven campaign asking people to work one day a week from a local pub, cafe or community space has attracted interest from hospitality venues around the UK.…

Bournemouth Comes 4th In List of UK Towns & Cities For Shopping Destinations Bournemouth has come 4th in the list of the UK’s ten busiest towns and cities when it comes to people visiting non-essential retail. New research, from mobility research business Huq, has highlighted the UK’s ten busiest towns and cities for both footfall…

Encouraging residents & visitors to reconnect with the town centre and its businesses Our Reconnect Initiative is full steam ahead to brighten up Bournemouth town centre, and encourage residents and visitors to reconnect with the town centre and its businesses. A deep clean is well underway across the town centre in a major initiative in…