Malvern Hills District Council has recently been awarded regional champion for its work on supporting businesses and town centres during the Covid pandemic.
The Local Government Awards, created by The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), aim to recognise and celebrate the efforts of those that had made the biggest impact on small businesses during the Covid crisis and beyond.
The winners were announced on Friday, 14 October, during an online ceremony where Malvern Hills District Council was named as regional champion in the category for COVID-19 Support and Recovery.
The council fought off more than 400 entries from 250 other councils across the country to scoop the regional award.
The award was given to the council based on their work around supporting local highstreets and the various events, activities and campaigns that surrounded this.
Council work and support across the Malvern Hills District included:
• Recruited a Town Centre Recovery Officer
• Launched a Town Centre Support Scheme towards shop front improvements, security measures and digital enhancements
• Provided business support including workshops, 121 support and improved communication
• Safety signage and measures including installation of hand sanitiser stations across five town centres
• New events created and existing events supported
• Town centre activities and trails
• Radio, video and digital marketing campaigns
• Established a footfall data platform
• Consultation and support for development of Town Centre Plans
• Flags and bunting, lamppost banners, refurbished street furniture and market stalls have all been provided to enhance town centres across Malvern Hills
Cllr Daniel Walton, Portfolio Holder for Tourism and Economic Development at Malvern Hills District Council, said: “We are really proud of this achievement, we have all worked hard to support and help local businesses, high streets and communities who have all faced challenging times during the Covid pandemic, and it is great to be recognised for this work.”
Mike Goodall, FSB Development Manager in Worcestershire, said: “We received a huge number of high-quality applications for these all-England awards and the COVID 19 Support and Recovery category was one of the most keenly contested. Malvern Hills District Council’s entry impressed with its innovative, multi-faceted approach, which successfully delivered a broad range of support to local businesses and communities, at a time when it was needed most”.
Visit the link below for more information and to view the Malvern Hills Town Centre Plans.
Pictured: The Economic Development team at Malvern Hills District Council with Cllr Daniel Walton, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Tourism.
