Chichester BID kicks off 2024 Proudly Independent, Proudly Chichester campaign

The campaign officially launched on Thursday 4th July with a photocall at the Market Cross followed by a networking event for the city’s independent business owners and staff. The event took place at Chichester Cathedral and provided a valuable opportunity for connections, collaboration, and mutual support.

Throughout July, Chichester BID will invite people to discover the wonderful array of independent businesses in the city centre with business owners featuring in a series of videos, showcasing both their businesses and personal stories. The BID has also launched a spotlight series to highlight independent businesses offering workshops, pampering, fashion, food & drink and gifting. These are available to download from chichesterbid.co.uk.

To reach new audiences, Chichester BID has partnered with V2 Radio to create engaging content featuring the station’s popular breakfast presenter Tanya McCarthy and mid-morning presenter Neale Bateman, who will conduct interviews with indie owners on topics such as micro-brewing and pilates.

Helen Marshall, CEO and Chair of Chichester BID, said: “We love our independents here in Chichester, and they truly deserve a month dedicated to them! In the past year, we’ve welcomed a significant number of new independent businesses within our city walls, spanning sectors from fashion and jewellery to homewares, beauty, arts, crafts, and food and drink. Our city is now home to a remarkable array of independently owned businesses, bringing a unique quality to our high street that no other city can replicate. These businesses infuse our community with passion and a true sense of togetherness.”

New independent businesses enriching the city centre include fashion retailers Ruby London and Albaray, antiques and collectables outlet Denzil & Betty, beauty salons HD Hair and Hannah Prior Beauty, and solicitor firm Bennett Griffin.

Chichester BID’s online business directory, Chichester Buzz, lists every independent business in the city, offering search functionality by category, dog-friendliness, and those accepting The Chichester Gift Card.

Helen Marshall continued: “Many newcomers like Jam Café and We Are Yarn are hosting wonderful workshops, inviting people to enjoy and learn new skills. It was delightful to see Albaray celebrate the Chichester Festival of Flowers with a stunning window display created by fellow independent Hedge Rose. The UK’s city centres are often described as ghost towns – yet here in Chichester, led by our independents, we have a thriving and vibrant community celebrating talent, creativity and all things local.”

In addition to welcoming new businesses to the city this year, several independently owned businesses have refurbished their premises in the last 12 months, showing a commitment to the city and their customers. These include Open Design Studio, RL Austen, Timothy Roe, The Fat Fig, The Barn and The Park Tavern.

As part of the campaign, independent businesses are being encouraged to display 'Proudly Independent, Proudly Chichester' flags and window stickers, create social media content featuring their 'Proudly Independent' branding and use Independents Month as a platform to launch competitions or in-store events.

Chichester BID hopes the public will embrace and engage with the campaign by discovering new independent businesses in the city and sharing the message with friends and family.

For more information about the campaign, visit chichesterbid.co.uk/chichester-independents.

For a full list of Chichester’s independent businesses, visit chichesterbid.co.uk/chichester-buzz.