Derby Cathedral Quarter goes for gold in Great British High Street competition

Derby Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District (BID) is in the running for an award as part of a nationwide search for Britain’s best high street.

The Cathedral Quarter has applied for the city location category in the Great British High Street awards, in recognition of the BID’s efforts to revitalise the area. Finalists in the awards will be announced on October 18 and will be subject to an online public vote at www.greatbritishhighstreet.co.uk. If successful, the Cathedral Quarter will win a share of the cash prize pot, and dedicated support and mentoring from industry experts which could range from one to one coaching to advice on digital marketing.

Martin Langsdale, chair of the Cathedral Quarter management group, which drives forward activities under the area’s BID status, said: “The Cathedral Quarter won the National BID of the Year recently in awards organised by the Association of Town and City Management and we hope to be equally as successful in this competition. “The Great British High Street recognises that city centres are a vital part of our community and make an important contribution to the economy through the billions of pounds they generate and the thousands of jobs they support. “The Cathedral Quarter is an historic and unique area of Derby, full of interesting and creative businesses. There is a great community spirit where businesses work together to promote each other and the Cathedral Quarter. Visitors are always positive about the area and its unique identity which stands out from the rest of the city.“Our application for the competition focuses on the successes achieved by the BID over the past eight years, creating what is now a recognisable brand for the area and working together under a collective vision to support and enable all businesses to benefit from the Cathedral Quarter as an attractive and vibrant environment with a sense of community and a lifestyle which is individual, diverse and inspiring. “We continue to work with partners to attract inward investment and new businesses into the area and spearhead a wide range of projects and events to support businesses, improve the visitor experience and increase footfall.”

The Cathedral Quarter’s application for the awards has been supported by Derby South MP Dame Margaret Beckett. She said: “I am very happy to support this application to the Great British High Street competition.  The success of our city centres is vital for our local and national economies and the role the Cathedral Quarter plays in creating a vibrant and attractive city centre in Derby is crucial.”

There are seven separate categories in recognition of the diversity of Britain’s high streets: City Centre; London; Town Centre; Market Town; Coastal Community; Village and parade of shops. The public can support the Cathedral Quarter’s nomination at www.thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk and if shortlisted will be able to vote for their favourite high street.

For more information about the Cathedral Quarter, please visit www.derbycathedralquarter.co.uk, like the Facebook page CathedralQuarterDerby and follow on Twitter @DerbyCQ.

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