The year-round programme of events kicked off in April with a colourful mix of characters from the widely-acclaimed Covent Garden Entertainment Company taking up residence in North End and treating spectators to all the glamour, thrills and spills of the circus.

With acts that included ‘one of the strongest ladies alive’, acrobats, jugglers, clowns, unicyclists and stilt-walkers, the street entertainers took the Town Centre by storm with their, sometimes daring and often hilarious, brand of showmanship.

In June, the street entertainment took on a distinctly seaside flavour with North End being transformed into a beachside setting, complete with deckchairs, sand sculptures, comedy lifeguards, balloon sculpting and intrepid acrobatics.

“These days, we all want so much more from our shopping experience,” said Croydon BID chief executive, Matthew Sims.

“It’s not enough anymore just to find the products we are looking for at the right price. Retailers have to entice us in and once they have us, they have to make sure our shopping experience is well beyond our expectations.

“Here at Croydon BID, our aim is to make sure that when deciding where to shop on a Saturday, people choose Croydon, so our events are focused on adding something a little extra to the town that is both memorable and offers something a bit different,” he added.

Street LIVE! will be back in town again over the summer, when the Covent Garden entertainers return with a Croydon Fringe themed event on July 26th followed by an Urban Sports Day on August 23rd. A Halloween celebration is scheduled in too on October 25th.

And the fun doesn’t stop there.

Working with the staff and highly talented performers from Croydon’s very-own BRIT School, the BID has plans for a special BRIT LIVE! event later in the year, following on from the triumphant appearance of the school’s all-male youth dance company, Khronos, at last year’s Christmas lights switch-on celebrations.

A Stand Up LIVE! comedy festival, organised to support the town’s night time economy is also being scheduled in and, as ever, the whole year’s activity will culminate in the BID’s annual Christmas lights switch-on event on November 13th, marking the official start of the town’s festive season.

Supplementing all this live entertainment, a series of quarterly continental markets is also being scheduled in the town, the first of which took place between June 11th – June 15th providing visitors with a taste of the unusual and exotic.

Organised in conjunction with the Market Square Group, the World Village Market featured exotic world cooking, homemade, healthy foods together with ethical traded, eco-friendly arts, crafts, clothing and jewellery.

“This year’s programme of events got off to a really impressive start, helping to increase visitor numbers by almost 7% compared to the same day the previous year and generating lots of positive feedback about the quality of entertainment provided and the really great atmosphere created in the town,” said Mr Sims.

“With such an impressive array of seasoned and up-and-coming performers to entertain visitors and inject some extra fun into the Town

In ContactSummer 2014

Croydon’s Town Centre entertainment entered an exciting new phase this spring when the BID launched its brand new, action-packed series of ‘Street LIVE!’ events, showcasing the skills of some of Britain’s best-known street entertainers and the talents of up-and-coming comedy and musical performers.

Street LIVE! comes to town

Centre, it promises to be a truly exciting year ahead for Croydon. It’s definitely the place to be to soak up the fantastic atmosphere and I hope that as many people as possible will come and take advantage of all of the entertainment that will be on offer.”

To keep abreast of what is planned, visit www.croydonbid.com.

Contact Us: Tel: 020 8603 0050 Email: info@croydonbid.com

Eight months after it was first launched, Croydon BID’s Check Out Croydon loyalty card has been given a big thumbs up by shoppers.

Contact Us: @croydonBID www.croydonbid.com

In an online survey to test how well the card has been received, 89% of respondents said they would recommend Check Out Croydon to friends and family.

Since its introduction last October as a means of boosting Town Centre trade, the card which rewards customer loyalty with instant discounts and unique offers has proved popular with consumers and businesses alike.

A total of 60 local businesses have signed up to the scheme, currently promoting over 80 offers via the Croydon BID website.

The discount card is open to everyone

and since its launch, more than 5,000 people have activated their cards making themselves instantly eligible for all the offers available. Well over half of that number are resident in Croydon.

Nearly 3,000 transactions have been made since the scheme was introduced, saving consumers a combined, estimated total of £44,000 and resulting in increased revenue for the businesses taking part.

The top five businesses that have benefited from the scheme so far, by number of transactions are: McDonald’s Centrale (970); TM Lewin (335); YO! Sushi (240); BHS (232) and Yates’s (198).

“Check Out Croydon is delivering exceptional value both to customers who have activated their cards and to local businesses whose response to the scheme has been extremely positive,” said Croydon BID’s business liaison executive, Keely Dench.

“The results to date are a clear indication that the scheme is heading in the right direction but as with all new schemes, there is always room for improvement.

“The consumer research that we have recently undertaken has provided us with valuable feedback that will help us to shape the future direction of the scheme and we’re also looking at ways in which take-up of the card can be boosted,” she added.

A series of road-shows is currently being planned in conjunction with some of the town’s top employers as a means of reinforcing the benefits of the scheme and encouraging people to register for it.

“As an entirely free scheme, providing great discounts and offers, all I can say to those who don’t yet have a card is: call in at any of the participating stores or the Croydon Visitor Centre or visit www.croydonbid.com to find out more.”

Winners all-round with Check Out Croydon

Croydon resident Audrey Lyttle has more reason than most to appreciate the value of her Check Out Croydon card.

After activating her card in April, lucky Audrey found she was the winner of our ‘Get Activated’ competition, winning herself £200 worth of vouchers donated by Croydon’s Centrale and Whitgift Shopping Centres.

Get Activated winner

Where should Croydon BID focus its efforts in future? How well do you think we’ve been doing so far? These are just two of the important questions being asked of businesses in our 2014 Croydon Town Centre Perception Survey which, by now, you should have received and returned, either via email or direct via the research team.

Your views countThe survey of 400 Town Centre users and 200 businesses is being conducted on our behalf by management consultants, The Retail Group and all responses are treated in absolute confidence.

A big thanks to all those who have already responded and, for those who haven’t already done so, there is still time to air your views.

To request a secure log-in to our on-line survey, simply send an email to

Mike.Evans@TheRetailGroup.co.uk or, alternatively, call the Retail Group on 0844 209 8480 and they will arrange for a questionnaire to be sent to you and collected within 24 hours.

The results, which are due out in the autumn, will be used to help to determine the BID’s future focus and how it channels resources.

Your views are vital to us – thank you for taking part.

To take part email:

Mike.Evans@TheRetailGroup.co.uk

to request a secure login to the survey

Working with deep cleaning experts, Community Clean, the BID has increased the number of days it funds a dedicated, deep-cleaning service in the town from two to three, focusing efforts on particularly busy areas.

Regular wash downs, chewing gum and graffiti removal are all par t of the work that the team carries out, supplementing the street cleaning ser vice that is statutorily delivered by Croydon Council.

In addition, the cleaning team works closely with businesses and individuals to identify and tackle specific ‘hot spot’ areas that include poorly maintained and neglected pieces of land as well as those needing immediate wash down or disinfection.

Over the past seven years, in excess of £1million has been invested by the BID on behalf of businesses in projects to improve the cleanliness and appearance of the Town Centre.

In the last year alone, an area equivalent in size to eight football pitches (over 55,000 square metres) was deep-cleaned in the Town Centre, following re-introduction of the BID’s deep-cleansing and ‘grot spot’ service. Determined to build on last year’s achievements and to maintain established standards, the BID’s cleaning team will remain committed to grot spot cleaning in the Town Centre over two days while on the third day, they will be directed towards deep cleaning activities over

smaller areas.

“Maintaining a high standard of cleanliness is incredibly important when it comes to ensuring that all those who use the Town Centre feel comfortable in their daily surroundings as well as helping to increase the town’s overall appeal,” said Croydon BID chief executive, Matthew Sims.

“Our commitment to increase the number of cleaning days from two to three is a clear indication of our desire to continue delivering a consistently high standard of service that meets the current demands and needs of our locality, using a mixture of modern technology and good old fashioned hard graft,” he added.

Contact Us: Tel: 020 8603 0050 Email: info@croydonbid.com

Croydon BID has boosted its deep-cleaning programme in the Town Centre, in the drive to ensure the town’s streets are fresh, clean and pleasant for everyone to use each day.

Along with areas of land it plants up at Reeves Corner, Thomas Turner Path and the junction of Wellesley Road and George Street, the floral displays are part of a series of measures utilised by the BID to add vibrancy to the local landscape and transform the town’s appearance.

“The benefits that greening can bring to an area are undeniable. There are a number of locations around the town where it undoubtedly can have a positive impact on first impressions, such as the Terrace Hill site opposite East Croydon station where we

created a living wall over a year ago,” said Georgina Dawkins, head of operations at Croydon BID.

In addition to the four existing locations, the BID aims to double the number of areas it plants up over the coming months. Options currently being considered include areas of land adjacent to Croydon College and West Croydon station as well as a site alongside Dingwall Road.

“We’re always looking for new opportunities,” added Georgina. “Working in partnership with BID levy payers such as Croydon College, means we can address issues of perception and image whilst helping to maximise the amount of budget available.

“As soon as one season commences, we start planning for the next to ensure there’s plenty of year-round colour to brighten up the town as people pass by on their daily business. This year is no exception as we’ve already started thinking about Christmas!”

Say hello to

the team!Introducing brothers Ilidio (left) and Agostinho Viera, members of our fantastically hard working deep-cleaning team.

They’re on the streets from around 4am until lunch-time, sprucing up the streets and dealing with some of the very worst types of soiling that a busy town such as ours can experience.

Look out for them next time you are out and about – you can’t fail to miss them in their new, Croydon BID branded uniforms!

BID boosts Town Centre deep-cleaning

Croydon’s bloomingCroydon’s streets are once again benefiting from a welcome splash of colour, following installation by the BID of over 200 hanging baskets and roadside barrier baskets around the Town Centre.

Awards distinction for CBCP

Rein tightens on street drinking and begging

The BID-funded Croydon Business Crime Reduction Partnership (CBCP) has been accredited with distinction in the national Safer Business Awards scheme.

Following the success of last summer’s joint campaign between the Met Police, the Safer Croydon Partnership and Croydon BID, a new Croydon Safer Streets initiative is about to be launched in the continuing drive to raise standards in the town.

Under the banner of the Croydon Safer Streets initiative, the Police, Croydon Council, Croydon BID, Westminster Drug Project and other drug and outreach services are working together to tackle the problem of persistent street drinking and begging and the impact this has on those working, living and socialising here.

ALCOHOL-FREE ZONE

Street drinking is an offence in this area

The crackdown on street drinking and begging in the Town Centre is about to enter a whole new phase.

The aim is to introduce a holistic approach towards identifying, engaging with, assisting and, if necessary, taking progressive enforcement action against repeat offenders, in order to provide them with the help and support they need to deal with their behaviour.

“Many people find street drinkers and beggars intimidating and it can seriously impact on how safety in the Town Centre is perceived,” said Croydon BID’s business crime reduction manager, Shaun Webster. “The fact is begging is an arrestable offence and the Town Centre is a designated no drinking zone which means alcohol can be confiscated.”

Now, in a concerted effort to get to grips with the

It follows a rigorous review of the processes and procedures the Partnership uses to deter and cut crime in the Town Centre in order to create a safer environment for all those who use it.

Since February, the CBCP has banned a total of 14 people from the Town Centre for persistent offending. In the last year alone, it has been instrumental

Contact Us: @croydonBID www.croydonbid.com

problem, Town Centre businesses are being urged to support the initiative by reporting any sightings or experience of anti-social behaviour direct to the BID as soon as the problem becomes apparent.

The information gathered will assist the partnership to build up detailed intelligence on the extent of the problem as well as to identify ‘hot spot’ areas where it occurs so that resources can be adequately deployed and individuals engaged with appropriately.

“Clearly this is a long-term issue and it is in everyone’s interests to find workable solutions to address the problems this sort of behaviour brings,” said Shaun.

“Business owners and employees can all play an important role in helping to tackle these issues by reporting

any sightings or problems directly experienced of anti-social behaviour immediately to me, either by calling 020 8603 0055 or emailing shaun.webster@croydonbid.com,” he added.

Over the coming weeks, new designated ‘Alcohol Free Zone’ signage funded by Croydon BID will be installed across the Town Centre reinforcing the message that street drinking is an offence.

About Croydon BIDOur aim is to ensure that Croydon increasingly is regarded as one of the best places in the South East to visit, work, live and do business by delivering positive change and improvements to the Town Centre that enhance its competitive position.

We represent the interests of around 600 businesses and our projects and services directly reflect their expressed, up-to-date priorities, namely: that the town should be made safer, cleaner, better promoted, more attractive and more accessible.

We are funded through a mandatory 1% levy collected from all businesses in the area with a rateable value of £40,000 or more. As a result, since the BID was first formed in 2007, in excess of £9 million of extra investment has been made on improving the Town Centre.

in reducing reported crime in the town by 10%,

instigating a series of initiatives to tackle crime, anti-social behaviour, begging and street drinking through intelligence-sharing with the Police, local businesses, licensees, Croydon Council and other key organisations.

Organised by the Association of Business Crime Partnerships (ABCP), the awards set out nationally recognised standards to ensure that business crime reduction partnerships around the country are operating

lawfully and in accordance with the Data Protection Act as well as with various codes of practice, designed to promote effective partnership work. To qualify for an award, partnerships must submit to inspection every two years.

In her accreditation report, ABCP assessor, Sandy Hobbs said: “The accreditation showed some excellent working practices and an energy from the scheme which is to be praised. The scheme manager’s attention to detail is second to none and his passion and

Left to right: Nick Baker, Shaun Webster

and Sandy Hobbs

enthusiasm are to be commended. I very much look forward to seeing how the scheme progresses. Well done CBCP. ”

Nick Baker, CBCP Chairman commented: “I’m pleased to see that the Partnership’s high standards of work, dedication and professionalism have once again been recognised through these prestigious awards. It’s a great credit to all involved and helps to highlight just how seriously we regard tackling crime and its reduction.”