A grant scheme offering businesses in Stafford, Stone and Eccleshall up to £20,000 to drive more footfall to town centres is making a return.
The latest High Street Boost campaign makes a kicks off tomorrow (30 July) with a free workshop being held at The Post House in Greengate Street, Stafford, starting at 4.30pm.
Further sessions are planned in August, September and October.
Grants from £2,500 up to £20,000, plus expert business support, are available for independent retailers looking to improve their shop fronts, meet sustainability targets, or step up their marketing and digital promotion campaigns.
The initiative is backed by Stafford Borough Council and is being delivered by Shropshire-based business growth specialists Good2Great.
Sally Themans, pictured above, Head of Place and Regeneration Specialist at Good2Great, said: “We are delighted to be bringing High Street Boost back to the area following the huge success of the first roll-out last year.
“The application process is straightforward, and we will have High Street Boost advisors on hand at our launch event to explain everything.
“Our interactive workshops cover a wide range of content, targeted at retailers, including marketing to attract footfall, customer loyalty and service excellence, maximising income and making margin, practical sales pointers, and visual merchandising.”
She added: “We want to help businesses stand out, attract more customers, and contribute to a thriving high street in our beautiful towns.
“In addition to this new round of grants, High Street Boost offers one-to-one targeted business support from specialist advisors, designed to support independent businesses.”
Among the businesses to have benefited from previous High Street Boost funding is Stafford’s Johny Todd Limited which specialises in handcrafted leather, metal, wood, and textiles.
John Todd, from the firm, said the programme had been ‘unexpectedly valuable’ to help identify areas needing improvement and that their mentor ‘offered invaluable fresh perspectives.’
And Maggie Jennings from Tudor House Holistic Centre, also in Stafford, said taking part in the project had given her the confidence to ‘make practical changes that have really made a difference”.
To register for the launch event, and to find out more, click here.
