Westbourne Traders Association (WTA) is gearing up for the launch of ‘Westbourne for Christmas’, the theme of this year’s Christmas campaign for this unique shopping village. Steve Taylor, newly appointed WTA president and co-director of Fab Frocks in Westbourne commented, “We are thrilled to have received £13,000 from the Bournemouth Coastal Business Improvement District (BID) and this, along with member funds from the WTA, has provided us with a fantastic opportunity for the festive season and looking further forward in to 2015.”
Steve continued, “We are working with Bournemouth based Tandi Creative to create the campaign to market Westbourne in the two month period leading up to Christmas. This partnership would have been out of our financial reach in the past and has only been made possible through Coastal BID funding” “We are also delighted to be working with Westbourne based, Kate Shaw of KTPR who will be helping us with events we have planned in Westbourne over this period and especially making sure we showcase the unique mix of independent retailers and services on offer.”
There will be a packed programme of events in Westbourne in the run up to Christmas, including a festive Farmers Market. Many retailers will also have their own individual promotions and offers to ensure that shoppers will be spoilt for choice and making this a ‘must visit’ Christmas shopping destination.
Saturday 6th December will see Westbourne celebrate its annual, traditional Christmas Lights Switch on event which a special VIP guest. There will be a range of musical entertainment being performed throughout the day at various locations around Westbourne. This will include performances from Mungo Jerry, Bournemouth University’s Big Band, The Liverpool Victoria Choir and lots of involvement from local school children. Steve Taylor added, “Saturday 6th December was specifically chosen for this year’s Christmas event as it coincides with ‘Small Business Saturday’ – a national initiative which exists to support, inspire and promote small businesses and encourage people to go out and buy locally. We want everyone to know that Westbourne is open for business and a fantastic place to shop, with so many independent retailers, plus a wide choice of places to enjoy a coffee, and to wine and dine!”
Alun Williams, Bournemouth’s Coastal BID manager said, “We are delighted to have this opportunity to support Westbourne businesses, through an initiative led by the Westbourne Traders Association. It is also the first example of new local marketing activities in the BID coastal villages based on the retail research recently undertaken jointly by the Coastal BID and the NCTA”.
‘Small Business Saturday’ is in its second year in the UK, having originated in 2010 in the USA. Senior politicians, led by the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Ed Milliband; Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne; Secretary of State for Business, Vince Cable; Chuka Umunna, the Shadow Business Secretary and Matthew Hancock, the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, all took to the streets last year to encourage consumers to ‘shop local’ and support small businesses.
https://www.discoverwestbourne.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/discoverwestbournebournemouth
@WestbourneBH
https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/
Kate Shaw
