The franchise owner of Signs Express (Lancaster) has joined with a local community project to rejuvenate the Morecombe area.
Morecombe has been named as one of only 15 towns to be awarded a share of government funding to help rejuvenate the area. The £100,000 cash windfall is part of the Portas Pilot project, an initiative launched following an independent review of the future of the high street by retail expert Mary Portas.
As a community project, local businesses including Signs Express (Lancaster), community leaders and the general public all came together to back the campaign under the strapline ‘MoreCanBe Done’.
Thomas Somers, the franchise owner of Signs Express (Lancaster), was keen to financially support the campaign and help promote awareness in the area. It provided large format full-colour graphics in strategic locations across the town offering a dual purpose – covering unsightly vacant shop windows as well as encouraging community interaction and support for the initiative.
The marketing campaign for ‘MoreCanBe Done’ underpinned the application for the Portas Pilot project, which promoted the town’s vision of Morecambe as a destination for socialising, culture, wellbeing, learning, as well as shopping. With over 30 per cent of retail space currently unoccupied, the bid was targeted at improving the area close to the Arndale shopping centre.
Somers said: “After hearing in May that the town team had been initially unsuccessful, the application was reviewed and resubmitted and we are absolutely delighted to hear the news that we are one of only 15 towns to receive the funding award. We are very excited to now be able to put the plans into action and I am sure it will make a great difference to Morecambe and especially put the Arndale onto the map. We will continue to offer our community support along with other businesses in the area and the enthusiasm of the town team who have worked so hard to develop the campaign will be infectious across the community.”
Published: 22 August 2012
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