ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT specialist Helen Miller and Northampton retailer Julie Teckman have outlined their vision for the town centre after joining the board of Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District.
Ms Teckman, who owns Vintage Guru in St Giles Street, and Ms Miller, assistant director enterprise and employability at the University of Northampton, have begun work with their fellow directors to oversee the BID’s work to make the town centre a better place to work, live and visit.
Pictured: (from top) Julie Teckman; Helen Miller; Sali Brown.
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The pair join a board that is jointly headed by newly appointed co-chair Sali Brown, of Chelton Brown Lettings & Sales, and Franklins Solicitors partner and head of business services Andrea Smith. Previous co-chair Kerry Reynolds stepped down at the BID’s AGM.
“As a town centre retailer, I am well placed to understand the needs of businesses, the concerns we have and also the aspirations we have to make Northampton somewhere to be truly proud of and I cannot wait to roll up my sleeves and get stuck in,” Ms Teckman said.
“The next few years have the potential to be hugely exciting for our town centre and I want to make sure things are done right so that both shoppers and businesses have a town centre they want to visit.”
Projects currently under way in Market Square, Abington Street and Fish Street are intended to unlock the town centre’s potential, added Ms Miller. “It has been a tough time for town centre up and down the country but we are now starting to realise different ways they can be used and that natural evolution has begun.
“The university has a big role to play in that, with much of our student population now living in the town, so I am keen to work closely with businesses to ensure all audiences are catered for and that we as a campus are closely linked to the town in every way.”
BID operations manager Mark Mullen paid tribute to previous co-chair Kerry Reynolds. The regional director at Metro Bank stepped down at the end of her term. “I would like to thank Kerry for the passion, determination and professionalism she bought to the team throughout her term and the BID will continue to strive to deliver projects of value for our businesses that attract more people into our town centre,” Mr Mullen pictured below said.
