BID urges people to 'rediscover Bradford' as district reopens

Business leaders want people to look at the city centre, its shops and leisure attractions, “with fresh eyes” and seek out places they may not have visited recently to show just how much the city centre has to offer.

Bradford Business Improvement District (BID), the limited company funded by levy-payers to help promote and develop the city centre, has teamed up with the Telegraph & Argus to launch the Rediscover Bradford campaign to encourage shoppers to support their local businesses as they fight to get back on their feet after the lockdown.

Ian Ward, BID chairman, said: “Very many people have not been able to visit the city centre for months but, now non-essential retailers can open again, it’s the perfect time for them to come back and take a look at what they’ve been missing.

“But we’d really like people to go a little bit further than that and approach it with fresh eyes.

“It’s easy, when you’re very familiar with a place, to get into a routine and just go to the shops and cafes and pubs and so on that you know without really looking around you.

“We all take what we know for granted a little but, as shopping in the city centre has been a limited experience for quite some time, why not take this as a brilliant opportunity to try new shops and visit streets that you might have overlooked in the past.

“You never know, you might just be surprised.”

He said looking anew at the city centre would also give people a chance to really appreciate how much it has in terms of its historic buildings and “stunning” architecture.

BID manager Jonny Noble said that, although the pandemic had led to the closure of a number of household names, there were also new shops and businesses to seek out and more were on the way when the Government’s roadmap allowed further easing of restrictions.

He said: “High streets in towns and cities across the country change all the time, with businesses coming and going.

“Bradford is no different and, in many ways, it makes the city centre an exciting place to visit.

It’s always worth a look down a street you don’t normally visit, just to see if something new has sprung up or a new venue has opened its doors

"A number of hospitality businesses will be opening their doors to serve customers in new, updated or expanded outside areas so it’s well worth looking out for them too.”

Mr Noble promised that visitors, shoppers, residents and those able or needing to work in the city centre would be guaranteed a friendly welcome.

He added: “We know Bradford city centre is a changing landscape and it has a very loyal customer base.

“If there’s one thing that keeps people coming back time and time again, it’s the friendliness of those who work here and the warmth of the welcome you’ll receive.

“Bradford people are renowned for their friendliness and neighbourliness and that is nowhere more evident than in the way shoppers and visitors are greeted here.

“You will always get service with a smile and a friendly welcome because that’s how Bradford does things.”

Steve Lowe, commercial director at the Telegraph & Argus and LOCALiQ, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Bradford BID to help promote everything that the city centre has to offer at this crucial time.

“Businesses – particularly retail and hospitality - need our support at this critical moment and there is definitely an element of ‘use it or lose it’ about the future of the city centre.

“If we want the heart of our city to thrive, we have to patronise the shops, cafes, bars and restaurants, the hairdressers and beauty salons, to visit the leisure attractions when we’re allowed to and encourage others to do the same.

“There has never been a more important time to shop local and show those local businesses that we’re with them and we want to enjoy their services – and their friendly welcomes – for many years to come.

“So I’d say to our readers: ‘Please come back to town, approach it with an open mind, and Rediscover Bradford city centre.’”