Night time economy businesses in Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre will receive extra support during the festive period thanks to new funding being secured.
Newcastle Under Lyme’s Business Improvement District (BID) has received £3,800 from the Police Commissioner’s Safer Streets Fund to provide two First Aid Responders on key Saturday dates throughout November and December, including Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
The responders will be in addition to those who currently cover the town on Friday evenings, funded by Safer Streets and managed by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.
It is hoped the initiative will alleviate pressure on essential resources such as Staffordshire Police and the Accident and Emergency Unit at Royal Stoke University Hospital.
Charlotte Pearce, manager of Newcastle-under-Lyme BID, said: “We are incredibly thankful for the support provided by the Police Commissioner’s Safer Streets Fund who have also supported the BID in a community art project that focuses on Violence Against Women and Girls.
“This funding will be instrumental in ensuring that our town centre remains a safe and welcoming place during the festive period.
“The first aid responders will play a crucial role in providing assistance to those in need and supporting our local businesses. By doing so, we aim to ease the burden on our valued local resources, such as Staffordshire Police and staff at Royal Stoke.”
- Newcastle-under-Lyme BID, which has just welcomed Simon Hilton of design agency Central Designs and Caffe Java to its board of directors, has also secured funding to transform an underutilised and graffiti-covered alleyway on Scarlett Street with a mural focusing on women’s safety. Local artist Rob Fenton is currently working on the ‘get home safe’ mural, funded by the Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office.
