Who could resist the charm of Welwyn Garden City? We are blessed with our town centre, with its green spaces and expansive open areas, truly embodies the vision of our founder, Ebenezer Howard – a perfect marriage of town and country.

While we take great pride in our town, it is essential not to become complacent. We cannot deny it, everyone’s shopping habits are changing.

It’s convenient to shop online, not having to go in the shop when you can do it all from your phone. It’s just the way things are moving.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Mariana Bitonte, WGC BID town centre managerMariana Bitonte, WGC BID town centre manager (Image: Welwyn Garden City BID)

However, to ensure the vibrancy and prosperity of our local community, we need to consider the importance of supporting local businesses.

Shopping locally not only boosts the local economy but also contributes to environmental sustainability and strengthens community ties.

At the heart of this endeavour is the Wonderful Welwyn Garden City BID, we are an organisation dedicated to enhancing our town.

Funded by the businesses within the town centre, the BID team strategically invests the businesses funds to fulfil our business plan objectives.

You may already be familiar with the Wonderful Welwyn Garden City brand, which organises exciting events like the Christmas Lights, the World Food Festival, and the much anticipated Screen on the Green, which takes place next week (August 17 to 18).

Thanks to the support of local businesses, these activities are free for all the community to enjoy.

We don’t just do events. We also bring the lovely floral displays that adorn the town centre, we produce visitors guide to bring more people in to the town, we work with businesses to support them and help them save on their costs.

We also work with landlords and agents to support and encourage new businesses coming to the town, like the new organic deli that will be opening in the next few months and the retailer that (fingers crossed if everything goes to plan) will be taking residence in the old Debenhams building and the new hat shop in the Howard Centre.

We are grateful to the Welwyn Hatfield Times for giving us the opportunity to shout about our wonderful town in this fortnightly column.

For all the updates on the latest happenings in our town, we have an active presence on various social media platforms. Be sure to follow us and visit our website to stay informed about all the exciting activities and find out more about the BID. And remember to shop local this summer!