Welcome to the February issue of the Andover Town Centre Partnership’s newsletter. We have been working hard to organise and promote town centre activities and events to increase footfall and would ask all businesses in the town centre to join the partnership to help support the work we do. The Town Centre Partnership currently stands at just under 100 members and our key activities continue to focus around the following main areas:

1. Events & vibrancy

2. Marketing & promotion

3. Environmental improvements

4. Support to businesses in the town

It was a busy Festive Period for the Town Centre Partnership which organised a range of activities to support businesses and increase footfall. We kicked things off with Small Business Saturday at the beginning of December – more details inside – and ran the ever popular Festive Window Display. Looking ahead to the New Year we are excited to announce we will be launching at least one new Town Centre event in June on the High Street as well as continuing with established successful events like the Festival of Motoring. Visit our website www.andovertcp.co.uk for further details. Our next Steering Group meeting is on Wednesday 21st February at 6pm in the Star and Garter and you are very welcome to attend. For more information on our activities or to join the Partnership please contact Gemma Thompson.

Steph Briggs of La di da Interiors won the 2018 Festive Window Competition

July 2017 ANDOVER TOWN

CENTRE PARTNERSHIP

NEWSLETTER February 2018

2017

Festive Window Competition Judging of the annual

Andover Town Centre

Festive Window

Competition, was just

one of the many

activities organized by

the ATCP in the run up

to Christmas last year.

Town Centre Manager

Gemma Thompson was

joined by The Mayor of

Test Valley, Cllr Carl

Borg-Neal, Cllr David

Drew, Cllr Iris Anderson

and Cllr Len Gates to

judge this year’s

entrants. Despite a

record number of

businesses taking part

and a very high standard

of designs, the judges

unanimously agreed

that La di da Interiors at

the rear of 34 Bridge

Street were worthy

winners. They were also

particularly impressed

with last year’s winners

Mooch and Jim’s

Barbers who were

awarded joint runners

up.

Hampshire

Chamber of

Commerce

Magazine

All ATCP members are

entitled to receive a free

copy of Business News –

Hampshire Chamber of

Commerce’s monthly

magazine worth £4.75.

The Hampshire Chamber

of Commerce Business

News is arguably the most

powerful business-to-

business publication in the

county. Hampshire

Chamber Business News is

a true reflection of its

members and the voice of

business across the region,

containing up-to-date

news on the Chamber and

its vibrant membership.

The publication is read by

the region’s key business

influencers including:

Directors, Chief Executives

and Partners.

If you would like a copy

please contact

Gemma Thompson

Join the Clean Team at the Andover Town Tidy Day

2nd March 10am-11am

The ATCP are once again organising the annual Town Tidy which is taking place on

Friday 2nd March 2018. This successful event is now in its third year, so you may be

familiar with it already and is held in conjunction with the Great British Spring Clean

weekend.

The event starts outside the Guildhall at 10am and we will litter pick around the Town

Centre until 11am when we congregate back at the Guildhall to see how much we have

managed to collect. In previous years we have had around 40-50 volunteers from local

businesses and the community come along to show their support and tidy up the town

centre. Equipment is supplied by TVBC Environmental Services and their Street Scene

Team will be carrying out additional cleaning and maintenance jobs in support of the

event.

We would be delighted if you could join us for this worthwhile annual activity and

would appreciate it if you could confirm whether you will be able to attend or not.

Please do pass this invite on to your colleagues and contacts if you feel appropriate -

the more the merrier! Contact Gemma Thompson if you would like to come along at

andovertcp@gmail.com

Last year despite the terrible weather we collected masses of litter and a bike!

Some of the rather wet and bedraggled litter pickers from Town Centre businesses who volunteered at the 2017 Town Tidy! Fingers crossed we get a dry day this year!

It’s bright at The Lights

The new year started with a

bang at The Lights sold out or

limited availability shows

throughout January, and the

rest of the season is proving to

be just as popular. It really is

no sales gimmick to ask

customers to book early to

avoid disappointment!

Shows to look forward to in

March and April include music

from The Lionel Ritchie

Songbook, A Vision of Elvis

and Bon Giovi; theatre from

The Pantaloons with War of

the Worlds, and the acclaimed

Teechers from Blackeyed

Theatre Company, and great

comedy from Tom Allen, Lee

Hurst and Shappi Khorsandi –

all stars of the comedy circuit

and household names. Or for

something new why not try

original live music in the Arena

from The Mustangs or special

interest speaker Johnnie

Walker from BBC Radio 2,

discussing the days of Pirate

For all your music, comedy,

theatre, dance and special

interest speakers, look no

further than The Lights – the

best of the arts live and local

in Test Valley. View the whole

programme or find out more

www.thelights.org.uk or pop

in and chat to the Box Office

team.

BID Update Business Improvement Districts (BIDs’) empower local businesses to improve their own future and the future of their town centre. There are around 300 in the UK with many more new BIDs starting up each year since their launch in the UK 2003. BIDs are actually a special type of company set up by local businesses. Company boards are made up of local business representatives, but there are no shareholders. Every penny of income has to go towards providing services that improve the local trading environment. They get their funding from a small levy on businesses based on the rateable value of their premises, from inward investment and grants, and by taking on contracts to do with other town centre services themselves. Last year on average BIDs got 8% of their funding for additional income streams other than from the levy on local businesses. BIDs are very good at generating value for traders and a better experience for customers. Unlike other companies, they are voted into existence. The local traders proposing the BID put together a business plan with all the services they intend to provide. Then the local council administer a ballot and every business in the area that would have to pay the levy gets a vote. Businesses look at the potential improvements to their trading environment and weigh them up against the cost of the levy and vote accordingly. If the ballot is won then the BID is set up and keeps running for a term of up to 5 years. When the term is up, there is another ballot on whether traders want the BID to continue to provide services for another term. We have reached the crucial stage of consulting town centre businesses on what a BID should deliver. In other words what do businesses want from a BID to help ensure Andover has a healthy and thriving town centre. This will then determine the levy rate and the detailed “proposition” which will become the subject of the all-important ballot in October and November 2018. People will be visiting businesses in the coming weeks with a survey so please do take the time to engage and give us your thoughts. The BID represents a great opportunity for our town centre when now more than ever we need a boost and more control over its future. So please do engage and ensure your voice is heard. Gemma Thompson sits on the BID Steering Group and provides a two way link to ATCP members. If you have any questions, please contact Gemma or other members of the Steering Group via the website: www.andoverbid.com

The Partnership talked to Amy Mellor from David Mellor Jewellers about their move into the Chantry Centre

“One of the main reasons behind our relocation was because of how vulnerable we were in Waterloo Court. Although robbery is still a daily concern due to the stock we carry, we aren't in such an exposed/easily targeted area.

Since our new store opened at the beginning of November, we've been really happy

with our move into the Chantry Centre - we've seen an increase in passing trade

which we greatly lacked in our old premises and have been thrilled to see so many

of our old customers follow us into the warm!"

Andover Town Centre Manager

Gemma Thompson is a freelance Town Centre Manager, contracted for 10 hours per week for Andover by Test Valley Borough Council and Andover Town Council. Gemma is keen to talk to all businesses about their hopes and dreams for the town. Please get in touch: andovertcp@gmail.com

.

We’d love to hear from you …

If you have an interesting story that you’d like to share with other members, or want to give your view on the proposed BID or other local matters, do let us know. All Town Centre Partnership members are entitled to have their business featured in this newsletter, so please let us have details of any promotions or publicity material which you think we can help with. We are also very keen to publicise any local community events or activities, so please let us know of anything you think we should be featuring in the newsletter. To submit your article or letter simply email: andovertcp@gmail.com This is a bi-monthly newsletter produced by the ATCP. We can’t guarantee to include your article but we will do our best.

Small Business Saturday A Big Success

The Andover Town Centre Partnership organised a range of activities in the Town

Centre in December as part of the Small Business Saturday initiative.

Children were treated to free Face Painting and Balloons outside the Guildhall and

shoppers enjoyed festive music from local community singing group Sing for Fun.

Shoppers who used a small business could enter the £250 prize draw and were told

about the other promotions taking place across town by a roller skating Christmas

pudding.

Members of Test Valley Borough Council, Andover Town Council and the Federation

for Small Business were out in support of the event. Kit Malthouse MP drew the

winning tickets in the prize draw.

Town Centre Partnership member Dorthe Thomas said “We are delighted that our

clients won the prize draw and hope they enjoy using their vouchers in the salon.

Thanks to the ATCP for raising awareness of small businesses and encouraging people

to shop in town”.