Harrogate BID Newsletter December 2024
Hello all and welcome to the first Harrogate BID Newsletter of 2025! A very Happy New Year to you all!
We hope you all had a fantastic time over the Christmas and New Year period, however you were celebrating. It’s always such a positive, uplifting time in our town and 2024 was definitely no exception.
As well as being our first newsletter of the new year, it’s also my first as the BID Chair in our town. I’d like to start off by thanking our former Chair, Sara Ferguson, for taking over for the last few months of 2024. Sara has been a vital cog in the BID machine in Harrogate ever since the idea came to light back in 2019 and we’d like to wish her all the best for her future endeavours!
As we move further into our second term in the ‘jewel in Yorkshire’s crown’, we’re excited to reveal details of new campaigns, events and services we’re planning to introduce for 2025, so watch this space…
Kicking off 2025 we have the return of the Harrogate Self Care Week, which promises the chance to empower your health and wellbeing to kickstart the year in the best way possible! The week-long programme of events, starting on January 20th, will feature a series of classes, workshops and sessions all about self care – so get involved if you can!
The BID team are also preparing to host the organisation’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) next week, looking back on a jam-packed 2024 as well as looking ahead at our impressive plans for this year…
Annually the BID team sends out a post Christmas survey to understand your views, your businesses performance and what you’d like to see more or less of moving forwards. Please do take the time to complete this survey as it genuinely provides us at the BID, as well as our partners, the key ingredients for the success of the future festive offer.
Yours sincerely,
Simon Midgley
BID Chair
Harrogate Self Care Week set to return as dates and launch event confirmed
Harrogate BID is thrilled to announce the return of the Self Care Week for 2025, offering the chance for visitors and residents to kick-start the year in the right way by boosting health and lifting wellbeing.
Following the success of the inaugural event earlier this year, the Self Care Week will return to the North Yorkshire town on January 20th, 2025.
Organised by the town’s Business Improvement District (BID), the week-long programme of events, the majority of which will be free, will offer the opportunity to the people of Harrogate to empower their health and elevate wellbeing with a series of themed classes, sessions and workshops.
The official launch event will be held at the Turkish Baths, offering the chance for visitors to indulge in relaxation and exhilaration in the Frigidarium, steam room, heated chambers and plunge pool.
BID expands to continue vital work with largest team since forming in 2019
Over the past year, Harrogate BID has expanded to shape its largest team since forming back in 2019, bringing in new skills and knowledge to develop the organisation.
Since late 2023, the Business Improvement District’s (BID) team has doubled from an original three people to six now employed by the not-for-profit organisation.
As the BID moves further into its second term in the town, Chief Executive Matthew Chapman and the Board of Directors saw it fit that the team continues to grow to help the group to benefit its levy-paying Members and allow them to see a positive return on investment.
Harrogate BID prepares to host AGM
The Harrogate BID team are delighted to share the date and location for their Annual General Meeting (AGM) this month.
The meeting will be held on Thursday, January 16th from 5,30pm at the Doubletree by Hilton Majestic Hotel & Spa. During the AGM, the BID team will host a presentation to share details on the project, campaigns and events delivered in 2024 and the future plans for the upcoming year.
There will also be the opportunity to ask questions to the BID Team and Board, who oversee the organisation’s delivery.
New street art installed to brighten up vacant unit
Harrogate BID recently commissioned a new street art installation to brighten up one of the vacant units in the town centre.
The new design, which can be found on the former Debenhams unit, features an eye-catching image to wow local businesses, visitors and residents!
This is just one of a number of creative projects delivered by the Business Improvement District in 2024, with plans for even more as we move into 2025…
Sustainable Harrogate hosts first meeting in town
Harrogate BID was delighted to host the first of many sustainable meetings between a newly formed group to work on the North Yorkshire town’s strategies for a better future.
Those in attendance at the meeting at Artizan Cafe included North Yorkshire Council, Zero Carbon Harrogate, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, Harrogate Convention Centre, Harrogate Flower Shows and Harrogate in Bloom.
The attendees were carefully selected by the BID team as key pioneers for the project as the town strives to move forward and work to become more sustainable.
The first meeting involved highlighting both the positive and negative aspects of sustainability in Harrogate and linking these to the 17 key Sustainable Development Goals (SDA) adopted by organisations worldwide.
‘Harry Does Egypt’ talk in Harrogate
Harry Satloka is giving a talk on Saturday February 1st about his epic cycle ride to Egypt.
Taking place at the West Park United Reformed Church, the format of the evening will include a welcome drink and nibbles, followed by a special introduction from Harry on his journey, and first course of supper.
Harry will then conduct the main presentation, talking about the ups and downs of his adventure and delving into further detail.
This will be followed by a dedicated Q&A session and vote of thanks.
BID encouraged shopping local to support Harrogate over Christmas
Harrogate BID aimed to encouraged both residents and visitors to the town to support Harrogate over Christmas by shopping local to help create a busy festive period.
The Business Improvement District (BID) was keen to support its levy-paying Members by helping to boost both footfall and spend over the Christmas period in the North Yorkshire town.
The BID works hard all year round to drive people into the town centre to shop, eat and drink, organising a series of campaigns, events and services to do just that.
Record entries for Harrogate Christmas Shop Window Competition with dazzling displays
The Harrogate Christmas Shop Window Competition set another record in 2024 with the highest number of dazzling displays across the town centre yet battling it out for the crown.
The annual festive awards offer the opportunity to members of the town’s business community to show off their creative side and design a decorative display for the Christmas period.
The Business Improvement District led on the 2024 contest, with support from the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce.
The group chose to change the dynamic of the competition slightly, splitting entries into categories for shops, pubs and restaurants, professional services and hotels.
An awards ceremony, held at Mama Doreen’s in early December, saw The Cheeseboard crowned the overall winner, as well as claiming the top prize in the shops category.
HUQ update on summary of data from across 2024
We sent out a full report to summarise the HUQ data for the year in December, looking at all of the aspects of the data, from footfall and density to catchment and dwell time!
We have also created a graphic to summarise the HUQ figures from across a busy Christmas period in Harrogate, which can be seen above.
If you would like to see the latest report, or have any questions, please email us on info@harrogatebid.co.uk
Latest Harrogate BID Blog looks back over 2024 and ahead into New Year
Following another jam-packed, successful year for the Harrogate BID team in 2024, we’re already well underway with plans as we move further into our second term in the ‘jewel in Yorkshire’s crown’.
We’ve got a number of new ideas in the pipeline, which we’re hoping to bring to light throughout 2025. We’ve received so much positive feedback on our events in 2024, with our Members stating they’ve helped to drive both footfall and spend into the town centre at important times of the year.
Old favourites, from the Harrogate Dog Show and Music Weekender, to the Celebration of Fashion and Lego Trail, are set to return in 2025, with plans to make them even bigger and better than in previous years!
We’re always researching different ways to develop the offer in Harrogate, and we’ve got a few new plans in place to do so…