The Norwich Lanes and Norwich Business Improvement (BID) have been successful in winning the Great British High Street of the Year Award.

The Norwich Lanes was selected as the winner for the City Category of the Awards and will receive a share of £50,000 and dedicated support and mentoring from industry experts. This national and highly prestigious award received over 135 entries across the UK and the Lanes faced huge competition to win.

Receiving this award is a fantastic achievement for the Norwich Lanes and Norwich BID who have received recognition on a local and national level. The judges were particularly impressed by the “leadership exhibited by the Norwich Lanes Association and its partnership with traders and Norwich BID to develop a strong brand, organising a series of innovative events and marketing campaigns”.

Support for the campaign saw a surge in footfall and has had a positive effect on business in this historic area of the city. Stefan Gurney (Executive Director of Norwich BID) commented “I am delighted that through the work of Norwich BID, the Lanes has have been successful in winning this prestigious award. The Lanes is a truly unique shopping experience, unlike anywhere in the UK, with a diverse range of creative independent retailers. The campaign received overwhelming support and we have seen a real buzz in the city during the campaign process. We hope that winning the Great British High Street of the Year Award will continue to attract visitors into city and put Norwich on the map as a leading shopping destination.”

Norwich BID made the application on behalf of the Norwich Lanes in August 2014 and was consequently shortlisted for the City Category of the Award along with The Style Mile in Glasgow and Park Street in Bristol. The Lanes campaigned to back the application and received overwhelming support from the public, business community and celebrities including Norwich City Director and National Treasure, Stephen Fry. The judges visited 21 shortlisted high streets including the Norwich Lanes before making their selection.

Jonty Young, Acting Chair of the Lanes Association commented “We are thrilled that our hard work has been acknowledged with this Great British High Street Award. We are a voluntary and community organisation dedicated to the preservation of the area for its residents, businesses and visitors. We look forward to using the funding to continue to promote this beautiful area through creative marketing campaigns and community events which celebrate local music, entertainment, art, culture and food”.

The award is good news for the tourism in Norwich and gives visitors another reason to holiday in the City. Nick Bond (Head of Tourism, VisitNorwich) stated “Huge thanks to Norwich BID for putting the Lanes forward. This accolade recognises the strong diverse high street offer in Norwich, something which is particularly attractive to people visiting the city and holidaying in the area.”

The Awards Ceremony will be held at the Palace of Westminster on Saturday 8^th November 2014.

www.norwichbid.co.uk

The Great British High Street of the Year Awards is a national competition which was launched by High Streets Minister, Brandon Lewis in June of this year, to search and celebrate the best high streets in the country. The awards aims to highlight how high streets are rising to the challenge set by consumers who are looking for increased convenience and more flexibility.

Established in November 2012 the Norwich Business Improvement District (BID) is run for local businesses by local businesses.  It is a simple and tried and tested way of increasing economic prosperity for companies of all sizes through collaboration.  The BID covers a defined area of Norwich where businesses plan how to improve their trading environment, identifying additional projects and services that develop the city centre and trade.

A largely pedestrian series of alleyways, the Lanes are steeped in history and houses some of the finest examples of Medieval and Georgian architecture. The Lanes is a highly creative environment, at the forefront of high street technology with the dedicated Discover Norwich App and Droplet technology allowing customers to pay their bill with a tap of their smart phone. The Norwich Lanes is a diverse mix – from antiques fairs to designer boutiques and fine jewellery to vintage sweet shops; there is something in the Lanes for everyone and every budget. On top of this the Lanes plays host to a number of vibrant community events organised by The Lanes Association which showcase the unique retail offer and cultural attractions. The most successful is the annual Lanes Summer Fayre which brings 15,000 visitors into the area and with extensive street fayres across the Lanes.

The Norwich Lanes Association is a voluntary and community organisation dedicated to the preservation of the area for its residents, businesses and visitors. The steering group consists of 7 representatives from different sectors including the Birdcage (public house), Creative Hub (design and marketing agency), Franks Bar (café/bar), Boats and Bits (Retailer) and Norwich HEART (Heritage Trust). Businesses in the Lanes have the opportunity to become a member, this includes a website listing and regular mentions on social media as well as PR assistance. The Norwich Lanes Association is supported by Norwich BID, Norwich City Council and VisitNorwich.

Many of the Lanes retailers are also award winning; Philip Browne was voted in the Top 25 menswear boutiques outside of London and Jarrolds has twice been awarded as Independent Department Store of the year. There are a high volume of excellent cafes, bars and gastro pubs including unique eateries such as the Waffle House, Apple Yard Co. and Franks Bar which came runner-up in the Observer Food Monthly Awards for Best Cheap Eats 2013. The Lanes is also home to a host of cultural venues including Open, the Maddermarket Theatre, as well as Norwich Arts Centre which won the Best Small Venue Award in 2013. The Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell is also situated in the Lanes and tells the city’s story, from the textile trade, to the production of shoes, chocolate and mustard.

The Lanes are asked the public to show their support for the Award by liking and sharing what you love about the Lanes, via Twitter and Instagram.Members of public also supported the campaign through participating on Facebook and Twitter.

Follow us on twitter @NorwichBIDUK

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