A city in northeast England is working with the charity sector on a major retail initiative, which is believed to be a first of its kind in the country.
Sunderland City Council and Business Improvement District (BID) announced this week that they were working with the charity retail sector to increase footfall and drive awareness as part of the city’s retail strategy.
The “proactive plans” to partner with the charity retail sector across the city form part of an initiative supported by the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Charities key to city’s ‘strong retail strategy’
Sunderland is currently undergoing transformation and economic regeneration, with new developments including the creation of a new eye hospital, more businesses and housing.
To meet future needs, city leaders have recognised that Sunderland needs “a strong retail strategy”.
Sunderland City Council and the BID, alongside other partners such as Sunderland University, are now engaging with the city’s charity sector to establish ways in which they can work together to unlock more footfall and drive awareness.
The joint initiative will be rolled out around this year’s Pride in Sunderland event, which takes place throughout June.
As part of this, the city’s charity sector is being supported to help engage with new audiences and support the Pride activities.
‘Could be rolled out across the country’
Welcoming the initiative, Robin Osterley, chief executive of the Charity Retail Association, said “the contribution the sector makes to the high street shouldn’t be underestimated”.
“We’ve never previously seen a local authority and a BID put together an organised approach like this to engage with the charity retail sector and also put some money behind it,” he said.
“This is definitely a pilot which we’ll be watching really keenly to see if it is something that could be rolled out across the country, to showcase how this sector can help drive regeneration.”
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