YOUR TOWN CENTRE NEWSLETTER Autumn 2019 Keep up-to-date with the latest Rochdale Uprising BID news, information and Mural Festival opportunities to ensure that you Art has long been a story in Rochdale with many of the town’s attractions featuring get the most from your Business exhibition spaces and permanent galleries. But when the museums and galleries have Improvement District. closed what art is there to see? Rochdale now has twelve amazing large outdoor murals to see all year round – no entrance charge, no opening and closing times – just there to be enjoyed all year VISA Great British round for everyone. The festival which took place over the August bank holiday weekend, High Street - rising star!! was led by Rochdale Council in collaboration with the internationally acclaimed street art Following a successful submission by the BID, the town centre has been duo, Nomad Clan. The festival showcased shortlisted in the Government’s Great British High Street Awards, putting local and internationally renowned artistic it in the running for up to £10,000. talent, as well as some of the diverse networks of creative organisations in and After a rigorous selection process led by a panel of independent judges, around Greater Manchester . the area has been shortlisted for the Rising Star category, which celebrates high streets which are taking the lead to adapt and diversify. It is one of only 28 high streets across the country in the category, and the only one in Greater Manchester, which celebrates up and coming local communities who are transforming their future. The shortlisted bid highlighted all the work taking place in the town centre, which is the middle of a £400m transformation programme. Lorenzo O’Reilly, Rochdale BID Chair, said: “I’m really proud that the town @uprisingfest centre has been shortlisted for this prestigious award run by the Great British High Street. It reflects how the town centre has progressed in a Paul Ambrose, BID Manager, “The BID was few short years”. more than happy to support this unique and exciting project. The murals deliver a new “We are showing that by partners collaborating, sharing ideas and adopting dimension to the experience of the town and a progressive attitude, this is making the town an improved place to visit, positively build on Rochdale’s growing shop and work. Initiatives like the business support scheme, the pop-up reputation as a town that it is diversifying its shop and holding additional events like the Time Machine have made a offer. I look forward to seeing additional huge difference. But we realise there is still plenty of work to do and that’s murals in the town centre”- why we are relentless in exploring ways of improving what the town centre has to offer”. For more information and the festival visit: www.uprisingmuralfestival.com For more information about the Great British High Street Awards 2019, visit: thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/high-street-of-the-year-awards/rising-star-award-finalists This project was delivered through BID Business Plan Objective 2 – Smart and Attractive. The winner will be announced in a ceremony in London in November. YOUR TOWN CENTRE NEWSLETTER Autumn 2019 Town Centre PARTICIPATING St Mary’s HUNTERS LANE Coffee Trail VENUES in the Baum 1. Medicine Tap 3 PENN ST 2 The Esplanade, OL16 1AQ Rochdale ST MARY’S GATE Pioneers YORKSHIRE ST Whether you are a lover of lattes, mad about Museum 2. Pudding Paradise 7 mocha or all about the simplicity of an 105 Yorkshire St, OL16 1DR Americano, your coffee of choice could see you BAILLIE ST 3. Roasted & Toasted Rochdale help both local businesses and the environment. 17 The Butts, OL16 1ES Interchange 4 4. Abaco NEWGATE Starting from Tuesday 1st October – International (in the Bus Interchange) 1 SMITH ST Coffee Day – a number of independent Smith St, OL16 1YG 5 River Roch businesses are participating in Rochdale’s first 5. Arts Cafe Historic Bridges ever coffee trail, introduced by the Rochdale The Esplanade, OL16 1AQ 2 DRAKE ST A58 Rochdale Business Improvement District. 6. Russells Cenotaph The Wheatsheaf PACKER ST Shopping Centre, 9, THE ESPLANADE 8 OL16 1JZ Collect a stamp at all participating venues and To the Train Station Rochdale NELSON ST Town Hall you will receive a free reusable coffee cup, 7. Clock Tower Rochdale Town Hall, Touchstones 6 created from recycled plastic, specially designed Museum The Esplande, OL16 1AB by The Paper Concept, which provides high quality alternatives to single-use plastics. Jayne May, Project Executive of Rochdale BID, said: “The Rochdale BID Coffee Trail is the perfect blend of helping our independent businesses whilst helping the environment. So many of us enjoy a cup of coffee on the go in the morning, and we hope that by providing a special one-of-a-kind cup, that people will begin to reuse this over a disposable one.” This project was delivered through BID Business Plan Objective 1 - Lively and well promoted. Halloween Festival This year the BID has organised a Halloween Rochdale Town Centre festival and the town centre will be taken over by an assortment of ghoulish celebrations – offering the perfect chance for little and big kids everywhere to get in on the spooky October action in 2019. FESTIVAL Event highlights, include a Family Halloween day at the Wheatsheaf Centre on Saturday 26th October, a Halloween cult film night at the Pioneers Museum on 31st October, spooky stories brought by Haunt Manchester at the Town Hall on 31st October and a Sugar Skull Halloween Parade at the Exchange Shopping Centre on 25th October. Paul Ambrose, BID Manager: ‘This new exciting event for the centre gives families an opportunity to come into town to enjoy a range of free events, boosting footfall and ultimately sales for our retailers, bars and restaurants. This scarily unique event is only for those who are brave enough to get into the Halloween spirit”! This project was delivered through BID Business Plan Objective 1 - Lively and well promoted. YOUR TOWN CENTRE NEWSLETTER Autumn 2019 Rochdale 360 Town Centre The BID has recently launched Rochdale 360. This pioneering new interactive Rangers guide combines a custom interface with virtual tours of businesses and places of interest allowing users to learn more about the towns retail offer, The BID has recently appointed two Town food and beverage outlets as well as buildings of historical importance using Centre Rangers. The Rangers will work with their computer, smartphone or in virtual reality. town partners and take a friendly approach to deter anti-social behaviour or disorderly Drone technology allows users to navigate their way around the town centre conduct and act as a reassuring presence to virtually before stopping at places of interest explains Dan Root of See Inside curtail potential crime. Rangers will also Manchester who’s firm developed the concept as a prototype with Rochdale serve as a welcoming presence, available to BID. “You can visit a restaurant and see its location to make sure it is suitable give information and assistance to before you make the booking or visit” businesses and visitors to the town. They will be the eyes and ears on the street, logging At Rochdale’s iconic Town Hall, which has been viewed almost half a million locations requiring improvements, such as times, users can even listen to the bells. littering or ASB, and work with relevant bodies to address any detected issues. The Rangers programme supports the BID’s initiative to boost safety and security in the town centre and is part of the BID’s overall commitment to enhancing the town’s inviting atmosphere for all who visit, work, study and live in Rochdale. Rangers will be easy to spot in their highly visible uniforms and will patrol the BID area. This project was delivered through BID Business Plan Objective 2 – Safe, Secure and Accessible. GC Business Growth In order to support new town centre businesses the BID has teamed up with the Growth Hub, who work in partnership with Rochdale Borough Council, to support businesses at all stages of their growth journey with their broad range of services. This free service offers expert one-to one business support in business planning, cash flow forecasting, start-up finance, legal requirements, marketing and more. Paul Ambrose, BID Manager, “The BID is delighted to be central to this U.K. The support is designed to give a new first and it is so important that we show off the town centre in a positive light. business the best chance of success, to help We have a fantastic selection of town centre businesses, and I’m delighted them thrive and reach their full potential. that the BID can support their hard work by offering virtual tours of their You can visit the GC Business Growth Hub at: businesses”. www.businessgrowthhub.com The interactive guide can be viewed at www.rochdale360.co.uk This project was delivered through BID Business Plan Objective 4 - A great business, leisure and If any town centre businesses are interested in a having the virtual tour for cultural offer. their business, please contact the BID office. This project was delivered through BID Business Plan Objective 4 - A great business, leisure and cultural offer. YOUR TOWN CENTRE NEWSLETTER Autumn 2019 Phone boxes get a deep clean! Thanks to concerns raised local by businesses to the BID Team, town centre phone boxes have been given a deep clean. Jayne May, Project Executive from the BID, “The cleanliness and tidiness of the town centre remains an important issue for BID businesses which is why we are committed to improving the town centre environment to make it a welcoming and attractive place for residents, visitors and workers”.