North Tyneside Council’s innovative package of business support for Wallsend town centre is being recognised at a prestigious national awards ceremony held at the House of Lords.
Wallsend is shortlisted for Visa and the British Retail Consortium’s Let’s Celebrate Towns competition 2025, in the High Street Transformation category.
The North Tyneside town is among 50 on the shortlist of towns from across the UK that are building thriving local economies, with six category winners set to receive £20,000 to fund a local community initiative.
Wallsend impressed with its targeted business support including the exceptional work of town centre liaison officer Wayne Young, who has played an instrumental part in attracting and supporting 19 new businesses to the town centre since starting in 2023. His alter ego, Roman soldier Max Maximus, can be seen helping promote business initiatives, with a nod to Wallsend’s rich history.
North Tyneside Council set up a High Street Transformation board for Wallsend in 2023, bringing together residents, voluntary organisations, businesses, council officers and councillors for regular meetings. At that time there was a high level of vacant retail premises, around 15 percent, and concerns over the look and feel of the high street.
One innovative solution is a series of 18 historic shop shutters around the town, to combat the shutters-down feeling during the day, when businesses such as takeways are closed. Working with Wallsend Local History Society, these now form a Historic Shutter Trail which celebrates Wallsend’s proud heritage.
Investment in shop fronts saw grants of up to £5,000 on offer to improve shutters, signage and accessibility. Every business along the high street had their signage washed and the Council painted street furniture and bollards to bring back a sense of pride.
The Council’s business support team has hosted two new markets inside the Forum Shopping Centre, and taken on an 18-month lease of a vacant unit to create a pop-up shop, giving independent businesses a chance to test their retailing skills for free, with guidance and support.
Community spirit has been strengthened by setting up a popular What’s App group for Wallsend businesses to share information and support, and six school safaris have seen local school children spending time in local businesses.
Regular sessions at Wallsend Library hosted by The Business Factory offer a Welcome Toolkit to Starting a Business, with support to develop a business plan, marketing strategy and financial management skills. Four businesses have been helped with fully-funded staff placements through North Tyneside Council’s Employability and Skills service.
The Wallsend High Street Transformation is part of the Town and High Streets Innovation Programme, funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, administered by the North East Combined Authority.
It is part of North Tyneside Council’s Ambition for Wallsend, creating a vibrant and connected town that is attractive to residents, visitors and employers.
The scheme has included a sustainable transport route between Segedunum Roman Fort and the town’s Metro and bus stations, featuring public artworks, an improved children’s play area and a new crossing point on the main road.
The Digital Wallsend Programme in 2024 provided local businesses with access to digital tools, including digital health checks, tailored support and digital marketing campaigns.
Other digital innovations include public wifi, new CCTV, an interactive kiosk in The Forum shopping centre to promote local activities, and the Shop North Tyneside App used by 76 businesses in Wallsend. The Roaming Romans app leads visitors on an interactive heritage trail round the town, with 10,000 downloads in 2024. A new augmented reality experience outside Segedunum called Meet the Romans is set to follow in 2025.
A programme of 14 events has been delivered to drive footfall, attracting almost 50,000 visitors, and the Ambition for Wallsend Facebook page has built up over 1,200 followers since launching in January 2023.
One of the Wallsend businesses to benefit from the support on offer is Claire’s Cakes. Owner Claire Watkin said: “A member of the team from The Business Factory is dedicated to offering support to small businesses in the shopping centre and Wallsend town centre.
“We’ve had fantastic support over the years and I told him I was ready to focus on building our online presence. He explained there was fully-funded support available to help businesses connect with more customers and I was over the moon to be accepted on to the programme.
“I was given six hours’ support from a digital specialist who helped set up a new website and improve my Facebook page.”
Councillor Carl Johnson, Deputy Mayor for North Tyneside and cabinet member responsible for Regeneration, Culture and Economic Development said: “I am extremely proud to see the hard work of the Council’s business support team along with our excellent community partners recognised in this prestigious Let’s Celebrate Towns competition.
“Wallsend town centre has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, modernising the high street, attracting visitors, and embracing the latest digital technology.
“With funding from the Towns and High Streets Innovation Programme, our team have used a forward-thinking approach to make sure Wallsend’s high street remains vibrant and relevant in these changing times.”