Cambridge BID are delighted to announce the appointment of three new board members that will strengthen the board as we go into our 10th year of project delivery.
The new appointments are Alison Wright, Owner of the 100-year-old Fitzbillies Bakery with branches on Trumpington Street and Bridge Street, Chris Douglas, General Manager of the beautifully refurbished Graduate Hotel and Garden House restaurant on Granta Place near the river and Philip Greer, Director of Sales and Marketing at the luxurious University Arms Hotel and Parker’s Tavern on Parker’s Piece.
Commenting on these appointments Ian Sandison CEO of Cambridge BID said
‘I am very pleased we have been able to attract business leaders from some of Cambridge’s most iconic businesses to the BID Board. This is a great testament to our work over the past 10 years and the value we are delivering for the city.’
The BID board has a broad sector focus and Alison will represent Independent businesses especially cafes and restaurants. The Visitor Economy is also vital to many businesses in the city and as we continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic Chris and Philip will represent the Hotel Sector and the Visitor Economy.
Commenting on her appointment Alison Wright said
‘I feel very lucky to live and do business in Cambridge. It has an amazing combination of history and innovation and of course, plenty of challenges. I’m looking forward to bringing my experience of running an independent business in the city centre to the BID board.’
Commenting on his appointment Chris Douglas said
‘I am very pleased to join the board of Cambridge BID to support its important work in many areas, that effect our residents, visitors and businesses alike. Cambridge is such a wonderful city, with many current and future challenges that I hope I can help navigate as part of my role on the board.’
This is an important year for Cambridge BID, In October we go back to our businesses and ask them to vote on a new 5-year business plan for us to continue our work through to 2028. The consultation for this began in January with our business survey, in February we received over 2000 responses to our consumer survey and in March we hosted several very productive business workshops. This will result in a new business plan being developed over the summer and put to the vote in the Autumn.
Commenting on this consultation Ian Sandison continued
‘The engagement with businesses and consumers over the past three months has been very positive and it is great to see the enthusiasm and energy there is for us to continue the work we do for the city. We are now assessing the survey and workshop outputs to include in our next business plan.’
This year Cambridge BID will deliver a full programme of events including 4 popular free film nights in the Market Square on May 20th, June 24th, July 22nd and August 19th. In the Rail station area, we will screen Wimbledon from 27th June to July 10th and the Commonwealth Games from Birmingham from July 28th to August 8th.
Our summer Magazine will soon be delivered to over 40,000 residents so they can see what’s on in their city this summer and make the most of this. Following on from the fantastic Cows about Cambridge art trail last year we will also be delivering a smaller art trail from mid-July to late September to encourage visitors to navigate the city.
Commenting on his appointment Philip Greer said
‘Cambridge is a fantastic city to work and socialise in and I am passionate about the city’s history and culture. I am incredibly pleased and proud to join the board of the BID and support this important work in driving the city forward and expanding its horizons.’
We will confirm our support for the nighttime economy by renewing our Purple Flag status. This is a nationally accredited award for cities that are safe to have a good night out. This work includes providing training for venue staff and customers on welfare and safety, funding taxi marshals and street pastors and supporting the Cambridge Business against Crime partnership.
As visitors return our ever popular on street Ambassador team will offer a first-class welcome to ensure they enjoy their visit and come again. Our business support work includes our Love Cambridge gift card ensuring spend remains in the city and our mystery shop programme that helps businesses offer exceptional service through staff assessments and training.
Commenting on a busy year ahead, Ian Sandison concluded ‘As we start our 10th year, we can look back with great pride on what we have delivered and look ahead to taking our city forward over the next 5 years.’
