A business bonanza heads Wyre’s way

Wyre has scooped a national jackpot – a massive £191,000 worth of business support to boost four of its town centres.

As the sole winner of the Revive and Thrive Challenge, Wyre Council gets to spend six months working with some of the finest retail and marketing minds in the country.

Altogether 24 business and consultancies have contributed to an overall prize package that includes tools, training, mentoring and key skills to kick start new schemes in Fleetwood, Cleveleys, Poulton and Garstang.

The expertise that the council will be able to tap into covers everything from street and window dressing to merchandising and customer profiling. There are also physical prizes such as smartphone apps, publications, digital window screens and even a machine for removing chewing gum from pavements.

Delighted Councillor Gordon McCann, economy portfolio holder at Wyre Council, said: "In many ways this prize package is more valuable than cold hard cash. It allows us to learn alongside experts to create action plans that are proven to work.

"We'll be able to introduce new ideas that have previously eluded us and build further on the work that our Wyred Up network and Get ReWyred support schemes have already done bringing businesses closer together to future proof our local economy.

"The potential for attracting more visitors to our town centres as a result is huge and for that we are indebted to the Revive and Thrive judges who decided we were the worthy winner."

More than 100 areas originally entered the competition and Wyre was the only one of seven finalists to submit a multi-town entry. The gamble paid off and the council will now talk to each of the prize-givers to tailor a package that will be deliverable across all four towns."

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For further information please contact: Nikki Wilcock, Communications Manager Tel: 01253 87527