Month: October 2024

Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk has been shortlisted by the National DogFriendly Awards 2024 in the UK’s most dog friendly town category.

Last year the town won silver and was crowned the most Dog Friendly town in England, now it has its sights set on gold and winning the national award.

The DogFriendly Awards recognise and reward dog friendly places and pet businesses that go the extra mile for the benefit of the UK’s 12.5 million dogs and their owners. Winners of the DogFriendly Awards in each of the categories are chosen by public vote with the winners announced at a ceremony in London on Thursday, 21^st November.

With more pet owners now taking their pooch on holiday with them,  Bury St Edmunds has developed its own dog friendly scheme to help visitors and residents easily identify where their four-legged pal is made welcome. Around 140 shops, eateries, places to stay, attractions and more which have signed up to the scheme, can display a blue paw print logo sticker and water bowl.

Chief Executive of Our Bury St Edmunds BID, which now includes the town’s official tourism brand Bury St Edmunds and Beyond, Mark Cordell said: “It is fantastic that Bury St Edmunds has reached the finals for a second time, two years in a row. Last time we were England’s most dog friendly town, this year we hope to be the most dog friendly town in the UK.

“Not only does Bury St Edmunds welcome dogs in many of our businesses, but many go the extra mile offering items on their menus, free snacks for dogs and more and many of our local accommodation businesses offer dog stays too. It means that residents and visitors know that they don’t have to leave their four-legged member of their family at home when they visit the town allowing them to visit and stay longer.

“In addition, this last year the town’s tour guides now offer dog friendly tours to visitors and St Edmundsbury Cathedral has become dog friendly and has even published a dogs of the Cathedral calendar for 2025.”

Jon Kay, who founded the town’s dog friendly scheme with help from Bury St Edmunds Town Council, Our Bury St Edmunds BID, and Bury St Edmunds and Beyond, said:

“We are super proud to be a finalist again, which is reflective of what we already believe – that Bury St Edmunds is one of the most dog friendly places in the country. The accolade is a testament to the combined efforts of local businesses and a passionate group behind the scenes going over and above to make our four legged friends welcome. We are excited and hopeful for the awards but know competition will be tough.”

For more information about Bury St Edmunds Dog Friendly Scheme visit www.dogfriendlybse.co.uk or watch the video on YouTube, which gives a real dog’s eye view of the town.  For more details about other things to see and do and where to stay visit www.burystedmundsandbeyond.co.uk.

Rewarding staff over the festive season can present a corporate challenge – parties, bonuses and different festivals to celebrate can mean the same thing might not work for everyone, but recent research shows that gift cards remain a firm favourite when making work teams feel valued.  And the Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card which can be spent in more than 70 shops, restaurants, wellbeing and other businesses in the town centre has become a popular corporate festive gift for both staff and clients since its launch four years ago.

The initiative from the Business Improvement District (BID) organisation helps to lock more spending into the local economy, further supporting the town centre.  The card is Mastercard-backed and an e-card version has also recently been launched allowing multiple people to receive it immediately or on a date within six months, simply by uploading a list of recipients.

Business Support Manager at Our Bury St Edmunds Mike Kirkham said: “The way companies celebrate at Christmas and other important festivals has changed in recent years, particularly since the pandemic.  Rewarding staff or clients with a gift card, giving them the option of where to spend it, perhaps on a treat for themselves or to help their own festive spending go further is much more flexible and will be appreciated by many. For existing organisations already using physical Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Cards for their colleagues, the digital option presents a new opportunity to reward their team with an e-card that can be delivered on a date or time of their choosing, enabling planning efforts and minimising administration involved in gifting their people a local reward.

“The Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card is also a great Christmas present for someone who’s not easy to buy for and is also well within most ‘Secret Santa’ budgets too.”

The fintech company behind Town & City Gift Cards which provides the Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card is Miconex.  Managing Director Colin Munro commented: “The introduction and enhancement of digital gift card options for organisations is part of Miconex’s continued investment in the technology supporting our gift card programmes so we can stay at the forefront of gift card trends, give employees what they want and make it easier than ever for organisations to choose local.”

Meanwhile to buy the card as an individual gift could not be simpler. It can be ordered online either as a card that’s posted out or as an e-card and a number of shops in the town centre also stock the card where it can be picked up free of charge and loaded with the gift amount online.

For more information visit www.ourburystedmunds.com.

 

Who would have thought that the arrival of a small bear in a duffle coat and holding a marmalade sandwich would have created so much excitement in Bury St Edmunds? It’s been a real joy to see people of all ages sitting on the bench with Paddington at arc Shopping Centre and taking selfies. If you haven’t seen him yet, he is part of the Paddington Visits nationwide trail ahead of Paddington in Peru opening in cinemas next month.

Also next month we will be looking ahead to the festive season as the Our Bury St Edmunds Christmas Lights Event takes place from 3pm on Thursday November 14.
If you plan to be in town that evening, you’ll find lots of stalls with gifts, festive food or supporting local good causes and a range of entertainment on stage throughout the afternoon and evening, as well as street entertainment. It’s a great chance to do some Christmas shopping and, as with all our major events, it is absolutely free admission. And as our town centre shops and businesses start to decorate their windows for Christmas, watch out for details of how to vote for your favourite later in the month when we hold our annual Best Festive Window competition, which is always hotly contested.

We celebrated with a number of our member businesses recently at the Bury Free Press Business Awards. Our Bury St Edmunds BID sponsors the Customer Service Award and many congratulations go to The Wine Cellar who were the winners this year. Other member businesses to be shortlisted for awards on the night included The Evidence Rooms, Shuffle Board Café and Starlings. Starlings also have a very exciting weekend coming up, as on the morning of Sunday November 3 they will have the Premier League Trophy on display in partnership with Panini. Be sure to get there early if you want to take a photo.

It’s good to see new businesses opening in the town centre. We’ve welcomed Oliver Bonas to arc Shopping Centre and at the beginning of November Lisa Angel will open on Abbeygate Street. However a sad loss to Abbeygate Street has been the closure of Gastrono-me. Mike and Gemma who owned the business have been very supportive of the BID and I’ve known them for around 12 years. It is always sad when such a well-established independent business closes but it is a salient reminder of the challenges of running a business at the moment particularly with the post-Covid and cost of living issues facing everyone. Bury St Edmunds is not immune to these challenges and I hope that any announcements in the Budget next week don’t make things more difficult for our members and their customers. With a Government priority of economic growth, making decisions that reduce the amount of disposable income available is not going to help.

Everyone’s favourite bear has taken a seat in Bury St Edmunds as part of Paddington Visits, a far-reaching trail spanning the UK and Ireland.

Paddington Visits launches in Bury St Edmunds as part of trail celebrating everyone’s favourite marmalade loving bear

Today, fans of all ages took a pew next to Paddington as STUDIOCANAL unveiled a statue of the marmalade loving bear in Bury St Edmunds.

Launched as part of Paddington Visits, a trail of Paddington Bear statues across the UK and Ireland to celebrate the forthcoming release of PADDINGTON IN PERU, arriving in cinemas on November 8th, Paddington took a seat on a bench in arc Shopping Centre and was immediately embraced by the local community.

With passersby stopping for selfies, Bury St Edmunds is one of 23 locations taking part in Paddington Visits, a trail which will see the special statues appearing in cities, towns, and beauty spots all over the UK and Ireland. Everyone in Bury St Edmunds buzzed with excitement as they gathered to welcome its newest neighbour: a meticulously crafted and painted statue sporting the wise bear’s signature red hat, blue duffle coat, and, naturally, a marmalade sandwich in paw.

Families and children can embark on an adventure to find their local Paddington, with locations ranging from John O’Groats to Land’s End, Westport Co. Mayo to London, and, of course, a very special stop in Newbury, the hometown of Paddington’s creator, Michael Bond.

With Paddington coming to towns, cities and beauty spots, STUDIOCANAL has teamed up with Ordnance Survey to help intrepid explorers discover Paddington in various locations in the UK and Ireland, head on over to Ordnance Survey’s website to learn more.

Allan Hassell, Centre Manager at arc Shopping Centre commented: “It was lovely to welcome Paddington to arc Shopping Centre today. The statue and bench will be a real talking point in Charter Square, and I’m sure Paddington’s many fans will be as thrilled as we are to see him here.”

Mark Cordell, Chief Executive of Our Bury St Edmunds BID added: “I am delighted that Bury St Edmunds is part of the Paddington Visits UK and Ireland trail. Paddington on his bench will be another free attraction in our town centre that will be perfect for selfies, photos and videos to share on social media. With the new film ‘PADDINGTON IN PERU’ opening in November, people will be eager to see it and I’m sure it will generate a lot of interest around our three cinemas: Abbeygate, Everyman and Cineworld.”

Speaking on the launch of Paddington Visits, a spokesperson from STUDIOCANAL commented: “We are delighted to launch Paddington Visits, a trail which will see everyone’s favourite bear bringing fun, kindness and warmth to communities across the UK. We hope that everyone seeks out their local Paddington, whether that’s dropping by for a chat about your day or to enjoy a marmalade sandwich or two while enjoying the view! Paddington is ready to welcome everyone!”

Paddington Visits launches ahead of the bear’s latest cinematic outing, PADDINGTON IN PERU, in UK and Ireland cinemas November 8. This new adventure will see Paddington return home to the Peruvian jungle to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, now a resident at the Home for Retired Bears. With The Brown Family and Mrs Bird in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mysterious disappearance plunges them into an unexpected journey from the Amazon rainforest to the mountain peak of Peru.

Locations taking part in the Paddington Visits trail include:
• Ashby de la Zouch – Ashby Spa WI Garden
• Birmingham – Medicine Terrace
• Bury St Edmunds – arc Shopping Centre
• Cardiff – St David’s Centre
• Chester – Foregate Street
• Westport, County Mayo
• Edinburgh St Andrew Square Garden
• John O’ Groats – John O’ Groats Sign Post
• Lanark – High St
• Land’s End – Land’s End Sign Post
• Liverpool – Liverpool ONE
• London Paddington – Connaught Village
• London Westfield – White City, W12
• Manchester – Hardman Square
• Newbury – Northbrook Street
• Newtownards – Conway Square
• Penrith – Town Centre
• Peterborough – Queensgate Shopping Centre
• Reading – Broad Street
• Salisbury – Fisherton Street
• Southampton – Westquay Shopping Centre
• Sunderland – Bridges Shopping Centre
• York – Dean’s Park

Picture caption: Paddington Visits launches in Bury St Edmunds ahead of the beloved bear’s return to the big screen in PADDINGTON IN PERU, in cinemas from November 8th 2024

Community leaders in Bury St Edmunds have joined forces with businesses to work towards making the town even more accessible to the less able and those living with dementia or disabilities.

An Inclusivity Community Conference was hosted last month at St Edmundsbury Cathedral supported by the Our Bury St Edmunds Business Improvement District (BID).   A number of organisations from the health and social care sector including Leading Lives and Community Catalysts took part and delegates also included the town’s MP Peter Prinsley and Town Council Chair Diane Hind. 

The conference organisers included Sue Hughes DL and Canon Pastor and Sub Dean at the Cathedral the Reverend Canon Matthew Vernon with input from Suffolk County Council’s Adult and Community Services department.  Mr Vernon commented: “Although there are already legal requirements in place to make reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities, this initiative is looking at going much further than that wherever possible.  We are looking at encouraging better understanding of a range of conditions and disabilities to ensure everyone feels welcome.  Engaging with professionals in the health and care sector and seeking their expert advice is a first step and it’s also important to remember that not every disability is immediately apparent but being able to offer a helping hand or a little more time can make a big difference.”

Work has already started in some areas of the town centre to improve inclusivity.  In February this year Our Bury St Edmunds BID worked with local provider Three Eggs Training to offer a workshop for town centre businesses to better understand neurodiversity and so provide a better experience for customers who are not neuro-typical.  The BID has also previously worked with Suffolk MIND to offer workplace mental health support following the pandemic.

Chief Executive of Our Bury St Edmunds BID Mark Cordell said: “One of the key objectives of the BID is to increase the numbers of people visiting our town centre and I hope that by working together we can all have a greater understanding of what we can do to make people with disabilities or different needs feel more confident and comfortable about coming into Bury St Edmunds.  By making positive changes there is an opportunity for new customers to come here and feel welcome which is what the BID and our business members want.”

The conference agreed to promote inclusive and accessible businesses with a logo and window sticker which will feature the rose of St Edmund.  Details of the requirements to be met in order to join the initiative will be announced in due course.

St Edmundsbury Cathedral are celebrating being a dog friendly Cathedral with a new 2025 calendar featuring dogs in the Cathedral.

12 local pups were photographed around the building for the calendar, including a border collie giving a sermon, a Scottish terrier playing the Cathedral’s organ and a cocker spaniel using a kneeler. The desk calendar features a different breed each month of the year, with models supplied by those in the cathedral community.

Marketing and Communications Manager, Catherine Rayson, created the calendar with photography by Tom Soper Photography and printing by local firm, Premier Printers. She says, “With Bury St Edmunds being voted the most dog friendly town in England last year, we wanted to celebrate the fact that dogs are very welcome at St Edmundsbury Cathedral. All our models were so well behaved and gave me two of the most fun workdays I’ve had in a while!”

The launch of the new calendar comes just a few weeks before Bury St Edmunds compete once again in the National DogFriendly Awards. The awards honour and acknowledge establishments that go above and beyond to accommodate the UK’s 12.5 million dogs and their owners, ensuring a welcoming and supportive environment.

The calendar will be on sale from Tuesday 1 October in the Cathedral Shop and via the Cathedral reception. Copies cost £10.00.

Dogs have been welcome in St Edmundsbury Cathedral for some time, with a request that they be kept on a lead. Some pups are even regulars at services, like May’s model, Mikey. Visitors and their furry companions will find a water bowl outside the Cathedral and a warm welcome in the form of a dog treat from the welcome desk.