“Let's Celebration Towns”: Visa honors eight UK towns for their contribution to business and community prosperity

Visa, in partnership with the British Retail Consortium (BRC), has honored Altrincham, Armagh, Boscombe, Northwich, Sherborne, Shrewsbury, Waltham Cross and Weston super-Mare in the 'Let's Celebration Towns' awards.

This national showcase aimed to highlight the remarkable efforts of UK cities in boosting thriving local businesses and communities.

The initiative builds on the success of 2023, which saw winning cities invest in a range of community projects, ranging from historic tourism in Annan to cultural events in Pontypridd. By recognizing these cities, the initiative aims to highlight the unique qualities that make each city special while promoting the adoption of best practices for business-led growth across the country.

Following a rigorous selection process from a shortlist of 32 cities, these eight winners were assessed in four key categories identified in Visa's 'Towns Vitality Roadmap': business environment, people and skills, infrastructure and sustainability. Each city will receive £15,000 of direct investment into a local community project or initiative, along with a tailored support program for local businesses.

Mandy Lamb, Managing Director UK & Ireland at Visa, expressed his excitement about the impact of the initiative, saying: “At Visa we are committed to improving economies so that everyone in the local communities they serve can benefit. This initiative puts cities at the forefront of our efforts and supports Visa's goal of advancing growth and prosperity at the local level.”

Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium, echoed Lamb's sentiments and emphasized the importance of celebrating the diversity and contributions of British cities. She commented: “Following the success in 2023, it is exciting to hear more examples of how areas are helping to support high streets and communities so that best practice can be spread more widely across the country.”

Visa's Let's Celebration Towns initiative marks the second year of celebrating and recognizing the invaluable contributions of local communities and economies across Britain. This initiative aligns with Visa's broader commitment to digitally empower eight million small businesses across Europe, reinforcing Visa's commitment to advancing economic development and prosperity at the grassroots level.