About Us

The Our Bury St Edmunds BID was created on 1st April 2010 and was successfully returned for its third 5-year term, which commenced on 1st April 2020.

What Is a BID ?

As of 2023, there are over 300 BIDs in the UK, with five in Suffolk, located in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds Lowestoft, Newmarket and Felixstowe.

The concept of a BID ( Business Improvement District) is to allow local businesses within a specified geographical area to provide a percentage of the rateable value of their trading unit to be paid to an independent, not-for-profit organisation, which then spends the money on behalf of the businesses, delivering additional benefits to those already required to be provided by statutory authorities to improve the trading environment for their members.

For a BID to be introduced, there is a requirement of a ballot whereby all businesses above a stated rateable value and within a geographical area are invited to vote on whether a BID should be introduced.

There is also a requirement to set a rateable value threshold for those businesses entitled to vote in a ballot and who will become BID members should the outcome of the vote be in favour of the BID.

Since the first ballot in 2009, this threshold has been set at £10,000 in Bury St Edmunds…

The Our Bury St Edmunds BID was created on 1st April 2010 and was successfully returned for its third 5-year term, which commenced on 1st April 2020.

Every existing BID must hold a ballot every five years when all BID members are allowed to vote and indicate whether they want the BID to continue. Our next ballot will be held in 2024.

Of those businesses who voted in the most recent ballot, 84% asked that the BID continue, the highest level of support we have received at the three ballots over the past ten years.

The exact number of BID members can fluctuate due to businesses opening and closing, but as of 1/4/23, there are over 400 mandatory BID members. We also have over 30 members who choose to be a BID member even though they may have a rateable value below our £10,000 threshold or be located outside of the BID area (the designated BID area is on pages 24&25 of our current Business Plan which you can download below).

Contact the Team

Chief Executive

Mark Cordell

Mark has held the position of BID CEO since February 2011 having previously completed a 32 year career with the Suffolk Constabulary. He has overseen the development of the BID during this period and contributed to the increasing reputation of the town centre as one of the top retail and visitor destinations in the east of England. He lives in the town centre and is proud to be representing the interest of town centre businesses.

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Business Support Manager

Mike Kirkham

Mike joined the team in 2017 having served as a police officer for 31 years with Norfolk Constabulary and Metropolitan Police Service during which he gained partnership and management experience in the public and private sectors. In addition, he was part of the Home Office, 2012 Olympics planning team and a security advisor with Suffolk Constabulary. Mike loves living and working in Bury St Edmunds, is an amateur astronomer, and a keen cyclist

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Events Manager

Jackie Regan

Jackie has previously worked for the Town Centre Management Company in Bury as well as in Stowmarket in a similar position. She returned to this role in January 2011. She has considerable experience in co-ordinating events and oversees the very successful Spring Fayre, Motorsport East, Food & Drink Festival, and the Christmas Lights Event every year.

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Head of Marketing

Sue Warren

Sue manages promotion output for both the Our Bury St Edmunds BID brand and the visitor brand Bury St Edmunds and Beyond. She has wide range of experience in marketing and communications working at senior level in agencies and in-house for a number of large local, national and international organisations, including seven years running her own marketing and communications consultancy in East Anglia. A former journalist and news editor, she spent the first part of her career in local and evening newspapers.

Digital Marketing Manager

Dominika Woloch

Dominika joined Our Bury St Edmunds BID with over seven years of marketing experience, specialising in content marketing and social media strategy. She has worked in-house and within agency settings, giving her a well-rounded perspective on effective marketing strategies. Having worked with non-profit organisations in the past, Dominika is excited to bring her expertise to Bury St Edmunds, aiming to deliver impactful results that benefit the local community.

Chair

David Marjoram

David Majoram is the owner of One Bull, and joined the board in April 2023 and became Chair in July 2023.

Vice Chair

Allan Hassell

Allan joined the board in May 2022, before accepting the role of Vice Chair in November 2022. Allan’s retail career began in 1990. He moved into shopping centre management in 2003, where he enjoys a huge variety of daily challenges. Most recently, Allan was appointed as Centre Manager for arc Shopping Centre in February 2022.

Chair of the Town Council

Diane Hind

Diane Hind is Chair of the Town Council is a Board member in that capacity. She is also a Cabinet member of the District Council, where she holds the Resources portfolio. Diane joined the Board in January 2025.