April 2024 Newsletter
Hello everyone and welcome to the latest edition of the Harrogate BID newsletter!
We’re really starting to get stuck into the year now, with events coming around quickly!
We were delighted to again organise a successful Harrogate Dog Show, which saw thousands gather to celebrate owners and their furry friends. A huge thank you to everyone who helped to organise the event, our sponsors and all attendees – it was a great day!
We also attended the Spring Flower Show at the end of April to promote the brilliant offer we have in our town, as well as to launch the plans for the Floral Summer of Celebration 2024 – which won Gold at the Britain in Bloom awards last year…
We’re looking forward to hosting the Celebration of Fashion this month, which will again highlight the excellent retail offer in our town.
We said a sad farewell to our Street Ranger Chris at the end of April as he moves on to pastures new. We wish him all the best in the future and hope to see him around the town centre!
Luca, who has taken on the role after Chris’ departure, is now hard at work keeping our town centre safe, clean and welcoming for all.
You will also see our brand-new Town Centre Support Officer, Kiam, out on the streets around the BID area, so be sure to say hello!
It’s excellent to see the BID team expanding in Harrogate as we work towards achieving our objectives during our second term in the town!
Yours Sincerely
Andrea Thornborrow
BID Chair
Harrogate Celebration of Fashion 2024
The event, set to be held on the Piazza on Saturday May 18th, will highlight the excellent fashion and retail offer in Harrogate as models will display a range of outfits in specified categories throughout the day. The BID is still calling on businesses, models and influencers to get involved!
To find out more, email the team on info@harrogatebid.co.uk or visit the website here.
Harrogate Dog Show 2024
The crowds gathered at the third annual Harrogate Dog Show over the weekend for a day of top classes, wonderful workshops and all-round fun! More than 18,000 people passed through the Piazza area at the Victoria Shopping Centre as owners and their furry friends visited to visit the show on Saturday April 13th. If you’d like to see the official pictures from the day, please visit our Facebook page.
To read more on the show, visit the BID website here.
Spring Flower Show
The BID team attended the Spring Flower Show for the third year running, with the aim of promoting the excellent offer in Harrogate – as well as launching the plans for this year’s Floral Summer of Celebration, which won Gold at the Britain in Bloom awards last year.
To find out more, please click here.
Floral Summer of Celebration
The Harrogate BID team are delighted to announce that the Floral Summer of Celebration will return again this year with a brand-new theme – friendship. The unique floral trail will see fantastic displays placed in key locations around the BID area, allowing visitors to view the Harrogate offer and celebrate the town’s floral heritage as they pass by each exhibit.
This year’s event will highlight friendship in line with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2024.
Shop Front Match Funding Grant
Harrogate BID is delighted to once again announce the launch of match funding grants to support its members in making improvements to shop fronts and accessibility. Every year, the BID provides the match funding to levy paying businesses for support with improvement work.
This helps to create a great first impression for any visitors to the town – and allows residents and business owners in Harrogate to take pride in their town – tying into one of the BID’s term 2 objectives.
To read more, visit the BID website here.
Northern Powergrid investment in Harrogate
Northern Powergrid is preparing to carry out a programme of work with the aim of ensuring the local network in Harrogate has capacity to support future demand, as the population grows and more electricity is needed to power homes, local businesses and transport.
From now until summer 2025, Northern Powergrid’s contractor OCU will be working in the roadway, footpath and along grass verges to lay new underground electricity cables. They’re also upgrading several local substations to create capacity for new connections and economic growth.
HUQ update in April
The latest figures from HUQ show that the total footfall for April was recorded at 1,111,293. Hotspots within the BID area during the month include Station Parade, James Street and Parliament Street. Meanwhile, the data shows that people travelled from postcodes in areas such as Hartlepool, Carlisle, Chorley and Penrith.
Click here to view a document with a full update on the latest HUQ figures.
Latest BID Blog
In our latest blog, we’re looking to bust the ‘myths of Harrogate’ on footfall, shopping and visitors in our latest blog… Over recent months, we’ve heard grumbles that Harrogate is becoming a ghost town with too many empty units and not enough visitors from other areas. As a team working hard to improve our town centre, we know that Harrogate continues to thrive, but isn’t immune to national challenges.
To read our blogs, please visit this link.
‘Save the Date’ from Bus Company
BID member, The Harrogate Bus Company, would like to show you something very special and have requested that we share the below ‘save the date’ with you. The event will be held at The Yorkshire Hotel on June 18th.
To register, please click here.
Odyssey Gaming Festival
Harrogate BID is delighted to act as a partner of a new and unique event set to take place at The Crown Hotel in July this year.
Get ready to dive deep into the heart of gaming culture like never before! From the adrenaline rush of esports to the thrill of discovering exclusive merchandise, live Q&A’s from industry professionals, Online safety talks from North Yorkshire Police and HSBC and so much more.
If you’d like to find out more, or to get involved, please follow this link.
Great Caravan, Motorhome and Holiday Home Show
The biggest outdoor caravan, motorhome and holiday home show in the UK is back in Harrogate this year! We’re delighted to act as a partner for this event, which is a showcase for approved manufacturers to display their latest models, so you can be the first to experience them.
Last year there were 220 holiday homes and 140 caravans and motorhomes – with even more are expected in 2024.
To find out more, visit the event website here.