Annual Report 2023

Barrow BID – Annual Report 2023
Chair's Report
Chair’s Report – Year Ended 31 August 2023

As we conclude the second full year of the second term of the Barrow BID Company, we reflect upon another year of economic change, challenge and inevitable adaptation.

As the face of the high street continues to evolve, the economy too has presented challenges to our traders in the form of the “Cost of Living” crisis. Consumers are cautious and following a period of enforced lockdown, shopping habits have yet to (if ever) return to what we previously considered normal.

As a BID we too have experienced significant change, both in organisation and our approach to day to day activities.

Organisational Change

In the Autumn of 2022 we bid farewell to our BID manager, Colin Garnett and welcomed Paul Hodgson as his successor. As a former BID chair and national retail manager, Paul was ideally qualified to understand the challenges of our levy payers and steer the BID into a new era in it’s second term. We also welcomed Jason Forsyth as Marketing and Communications Officer, a new role intended to improve our communications with our stakeholders – a focus of growing importance.

The board of directors has seen several changes during the period also. With the departure of Rowen to a warmer climate and Paul to his new position of BID Manager we were somewhat depleted in numbers. I am pleased to report that by the end of August 2023, we boast 11 directors, having welcomed a grand total of six to the board. Each director possesses a unique wealth of experience and represents a vast number of levy paying businesses and their sectors. I personally feel that the board has never been stronger.

Events

As a BID, we are primarily known for our events programme and I am pleased to report that the year saw a jam packed schedule, each event attaining its own exceptionally positive feedback.

Highlights included:

Christmas – The introduction of the popular Santa Express land train, free parking on Shop Barrow Day and visits from Santa.
In May, Dino Day returned, attracting a record number of visitors.
Despite the adverse weather conditions, the ever popular Festival of Transport drew the crowds.
The Soap Box challenge returned in August, with a more community focussed approach, involving greater participation from local suppliers and partners, a real jewel in the crown.
We began to experiment with smaller scale taster events during the school holidays. Including a climbing wall, crazy golf course and even a Transformers visit which proved extremely popular with young families.
We also supported events such as Poochfest, Pride and Unity Festival.

Levy Payer Benefits

We continually seek ways to support and provide value to our levy payers. During the period we achieved this in a number of ways. From the delivery of Christmas trees during December, hanging baskets in the summer and “Dog Friendly Packs”, we certainly kept the team busy! Our Business Growth grant scheme continued to attract applications, and we were delighted to support 16 successful applicants with £16,747 of funding.

During the year, a key area of focus was the nurturing and improvement of our stakeholder relationships. We represented the town centre on the Brilliant Barrow Board, as a key partner in the market redevelopments funded via the Levelling Up Fund and the Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) scheme on Duke Street. Towards the end of the year, we spearheaded a new and positive working relationship with BAE Systems, who sought to improve their community engagement and social responsibility.

As I reflect upon the year’s activities, I am filled with a sense of pride and optimism moving into the third year of this term. With many exciting developments on the horizon both within our own organisation and the wider town centre, I believe we are uniquely placed to shape the future and support our levy payers as Barrow begins its upward ascent into recovery.

Jenny Fazackerley

Chair

Financial Summary
Click Here to open up the financial report from the year end 2023

Minutes of AGM
Click Here to open up the minutes of the AGM - May 2023

Chairman's Report
Click Here to open up the Barrow BID Chairman's Report 2022/23