Let’s Celebrate Towns partners with IPM to announce this year’s shortlist at Manchester Metropolitan University
The Institute of Place Management will bring together towns, businesses and policymakers to celebrate the towns shortlisted in Visa and Nationwide’s Let’s Celebrate Towns competition, ahead of the awards ceremony in Westminster in December.
The shortlisted towns for this year’s ‘Let’s Celebrate Towns’ competition will be revealed at a breakfast event at Manchester Metropolitan University on 12 November, hosted in partnership with the Institute of Place Management (IPM).
In its fourth year, the competition received a record 494 entries, more than two and a half times last year’s total. Entries came from every nation and region of the UK, covering over 350 towns and more than 280 parliamentary constituencies, a clear sign of the energy and ambition in towns across the country. The shortlist will showcase the businesses, partnerships and community groups revitalising high streets, protecting valued places and strengthening the communities they call home.
Entries were judged across five categories: High Street Revival, Backing Local Business, Protecting Valued Places, Connected Places and Community Pride. Each category winner will receive a £20,000 grant to take their project further, with winners announced at a ceremony in Parliament in December.
The shortlist announcement comes at a timely moment for the future of the UK’s high streets, following the publication of the Government’s High Streets Strategy. ‘Let’s Celebrate Towns’ offers an opportunity to hear from those already driving change locally and to share the ideas and experiences that are making a difference in towns across the country.
As a pioneer of devolution, Greater Manchester is already showing what can happen when local leaders have the powers to drive regeneration and growth in their own places. As devolution extends across England, the towns on this year’s shortlist will offer practical examples of what local leadership can achieve, and lessons other places can put to work.
The invitation-only breakfast, held ahead of IPM’s Place Pizzazz conference, will bring together representatives from towns, local government, business and national policy. Guests will hear from a previous winner about what the award made possible, and share ideas on how to build on this year’s momentum.
Ian Harvey, Head of the Institute of Place Management and a judge for Let’s Celebrate Towns, said:
“Across the country, people are working together to make their towns better places to live, work and visit. These awards are an opportunity to recognise that commitment and share ideas that other places can learn from. Bringing the shortlist announcement together with Place Pizzazz gives us a valuable opportunity to connect these local experiences with wider discussions about the future of our high streets.”
Rob Cameron, Group Country Manager for UK & Ireland, Visa, said:
“We have been positively overwhelmed by the response to Let’s Celebrate Towns this year, with record entries from every corner of the UK. That tells us there is real energy and ambition in towns across the country, with communities coming together to make positive change happen. We’re proud to give these communities a platform, sharing their stories and ideas more widely and ensuring they are part of the national conversation about the future of our towns.”
Mandy Beech, Group Director of Retail Services, Nationwide, said:
“Thriving high streets are built by local people who bring communities together, and the number of towns represented this year shows the scale of what is already being achieved. As part of our Branch Promise, we’re committed to high streets for the long term, and our Towns Fund partnership with Visa is about backing the people making a real difference. With Government focus on high streets growing, now is the moment to learn from them and build on their success. We can’t wait to hear their stories in Manchester.”
