Thornton Heath will be spruced up with local firms benefitting from free business support thanks to a £2.7million investment by Croydon Council.
Shops will be smartened up, better signage put in place and public art introduced to make the High Street and neighbouring roads a more inviting place to visit and shop.
Almost £150,000 of Croydon’s New Homes Bonus grant from central government has been earmarked to ensure Thornton Heath’s businesses have the skills and expertise they need to expand and succeed.
The council has appointed Croydon Voluntary Action to run the recently launched business support programme, ‘Business and Enterprise Support Thornton Heath’, which is a key element of Croydon’s drive to boost business on the high streets of its many district centres.
Councillor Mark Watson, cabinet member for the economy and jobs, said: “I’m delighted to announce the introduction of this exciting new package of tailored business support for Thornton Heath.
Mark Watson and Bhupendra Solanki visiting Doris Florist
“We’re using physical improvements to shop fronts and the public realm as a springboard to help revitalise the area. But what’s critical is the changes aren’t just on the surface. Businesses need to step up to the challenge and offer a wider range of better quality goods and services to meet growing local demand. By working together we can really make things happen.”
Firms who sign up to the support programme will receive one-to-one support or training in a range of areas including company registration, in-store merchandising, food safety, marketing, website development, tax returns, business planning, accessing finance, and recruitment practice – including how to take on work placements or apprenticeships.
CVA, which won the contract to manage this part of the programme, is a locally based charity that has been working with communities in Croydon for over 100 years. CVA successfully undertook a similar business support and job-creation project in London Road West Croydon where 60 new businesses were started and over 80 new jobs were created over two years.
Any local businesses wanting to find out more about the BESTH project can contact CVA’s enterprise manager, bhupendra.solanki@cvalive.org.uk