But Incredible Edible is just one of many projects in this busy town. The AMT member is Todmorden Town Council (http://www.todmordencouncil.org.uk ), which has achieved recognition under the Quality Parish and Town Council Scheme. This is designed to provide benchmark minimum standards for parish and town councils and promote enhanced relationships between local councils, principal authorities and community and voluntary sector organisations.

Todmorden Pride (http://www.todmordenpride.org.uk ), established in January 1998, is the local community partnership which brings together a range of representatives drawn from all sectors of the community of Todmorden.

The objectives of the partnership are to forge a sustainable future for Todmorden as a community, exploiting its considerable architectural heritage and environmental advantages.  To date the Partnership has defined a forward strategy for Todmorden and assisted in the development of several areas of the town.

Todmorden is one of five towns in the Upper Calder Valley which is part of the UpperCalder Valley Renaissance initiative – the first project anywhere in the UK to tackle the challenging and complex job of transforming an entire valley (http://www.ucvr.org.uk).  This 14 mile section of the Calder Valley in West Yorkshire was earmarked by Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency, as an area ripe for regeneration on all levels.

Exciting plans for the redevelopment of Todmorden Town Centre are gathering pace. The Council, Yorkshire Forward and the Town Centre Renaissance Project Board have been working together to progress plans for the area. One step is the purchase of the former Rose Street Health Centre, which will be demolished and replaced with a high quality temporary landscaping scheme. This will ensure the town centre retains its aesthetic appeal for residents and visitors alike.

There are also plans for the creation of a new mixed use centre in the heart of the town, with retail units a café, and small business units as part of a regional initiative to identify a number of sites for the location of new business workspace facilities.

Totally Locally Todmorden is part of a Calderdale-wide campaign to raise awareness of the great local shops in the area and how shopping locally can support local jobs (http://www.totally-locally.co.uk ). Totally Locally is not about never shopping in a supermarket, online or in a city – but it is about taking a fresh look at what is available on the doorstep and investing in those businesses and the local town.

Todmorden is now officially a Fairtrade Town, an award given by the Fairtrade Foundation to towns across the UK who are helping to promote Fairtrade within their own communities. This award was presented to Todmorden in February 2010 and Todmorden Fairtrade Group wish to thank the Town Council, businesses, schools, churches, community and voluntary groups – everyone has helped to achieve this award and together we are making a real difference to real people!

Fairtrade Todmorden has its own website (http://www.fairtradetodmorden.btik.com ) with a local listings page where you can find where Fairtrade products are used and sold, check out events planned in the dates for your diary section and take a look at what the group have been doing in the campaign update section.

The website http://www.todmorden.org has many links to other websites about Todmorden, while  a history of the town and further links at at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todmorden

The seminar, on Thursday, 25 February, was organised by the North Yorkshire Towns Alive Programme – a collaboration between North Yorkshire County Council and Action for Market Towns, supported by the Big Lottery Fund Click here for a detailed programme and event information.

Cath Grimsey kicked off the day by explaining how and why she had developed shoplocalNY, which had started in Bedale in 2009 but rapidly spread to other towns in North Yorkshire. The project model involves a website, membership and loyalty cards linked to discounts and special offers. There are currently 190 business members and nearly 10,000 cards have been distributed (sold).  Cardholders can claim promotions/discounts on goods and services from any member shop or business while the business directory on the website promotes ‘hidden gems’ on the local High Street. Click here to read Cath’s presentation.

Chris Windridge then presented the experience of Caterham Shopsmart. Although Caterham’s loyalty scheme only began in August 2009, over 1800 people are now members and 50 shops and local businesses are now part of the scheme, which continues to expand. The scheme offers free cards to the public, who register basic details in return to get one. The free aspect is aimed at reducing barriers to entry for shoppers. Click here to read Chris’s presentation.

The third presentation of the morning was a frank and open portrayal of the potential pitfalls of loyalty cards by Mark Barnes, Town Centre Manager Louth. Mark has been working with loyalty schemes for a few years, working with various towns and organisations such as the Civic Trust. Click here to read Mark’s presentation.

After tucking into a delicious buffet of local produce, the delegates split into three groups to consider the issues involved in setting up or expanding a shop local scheme in their own towns, before returning to the plenary and the opportunity to question the panel of speakers.

The day concluded with a presentation by Hannah Bowden of amti who presented the main findings of her recent research project into the role of loyalty cards in market towns. The research looked at a variety of schemes and considered issues ranging from the reasons behind peoples’ different approaches and methodology, to costs and funding sources and the collection of customer data. Click here to read Hannah’s presentation.

If you have got questions about starting a shop local scheme, why not check out our North Yorkshire Shop Local online forumwhere people experienced in developing and running loyalty card campaigns are ready to answer your questions.

Could YOUR town and YOUR project be a winner in the 2010 National Market Town Awards?

We want to give towns the chance to shout from the rooftops about the innovative projects they have been working on over the past year.

Our market towns are at the hub of life in rural England and we want to celebrate projects which enhance the vitality of small towns.

The awards are organised  in association with the international news agency The Press Association as media partners, with loyalty specialists Savvy UK  Ltd as sponsors of the eight regional awards.

The awards are an excellent way for people to raise the profile of their towns and the activities that have been taking place to improve the quality of life for residents and businesses alike.

The awards are in four categories: Business and Economy; Environment and Culture; Social and Community; Partnership and Strategic Working. Regional winners will be announced at events in each region in June and July. Also, in each region, one of the four category winners will receive the additional accolade of “Regional Market Town Award Winner” and will go head-to-head at the Action for Market Towns Convention in Chippenham in October, where the overall national winner will be decided.

What to do next?

Click on the links below to download information about the awards and anapplication form for your region:

Introduction and project criteria

Notes for guidance on submitting an application

East of England application form

East Midlands application form

North East application form

North West application form

South East application form

South West application form

West Midlands application form

Yorkshire and Humber application form

Take a look at the 2009 winners

What sort of projects win Market Town Awards? Take a look at last year’s winners by clicking on the links below:

Click here for information about the National winner – Faringdon ECOWEEK

Click here for information about all the 2009 winners

About SAVVY UK Ltd

We are pleased to be sponsoring the Regional Market Town Awards and be involved in the AMT awards taking place around the country.

Savvy International develops wireless smart card applications which have been implemented and proven in Singapore, Australia and Malaysia. Savvy UK Ltd was formed in May 2005, to help towns and businesses across the UK thrive, using this innovative technology.

Our first town loyalty scheme in the UK won AMT’s National Award in 2006 and is still going strong, so we’ve become expert at setting up this type of successful community-based loyalty scheme.

Everything we do is based on people carrying a single smart card that provides access to a wide range of local services. We have now developed many other applications including cashless parking, based on this core ‘one card for life’ principle.

As a result, we expect this ever-growing set of applications to make a major contribution to the success of many UK towns and councils by providing compelling incentives to ‘stay local’.

Please see www.savvy-loyalty.co.uk or call 0845 4585 356 for further details.

The winner of the prestigious National Market Town Awards 2009 is an innovative eco-project in Faringdon, Oxfordshire. The winner was announced on 13 October at the Action for Market Towns Convention in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

ECOWEEK was a project aimed at moving Faringdon to a smaller and more sustainable footprint. 2,300 people enjoyed 33 separate low-carbon events, from visits to hi-tech plasma waste facilities to tours of low-tech allotments. The local community ate ecoburgers, cycled into the summer solstice, and even broke a world record for hugging a wind turbine along the way! ECOWEEK involved the whole community – from birdwatchers right through to bread-baking watermill lovers.

The project made good use of new media for awareness and publicity, including a detailed www.ecoweek.info website, blogs, forums, email distribution lists, viral marketing, Google Adwords campaign and links to a digital magazine. ECOWEEK 2010 is already being planned.

“a multi-faceted project which motivated and involved the whole community”

ECOWEEK first won the South East regional heats of the Market Town Awards. They then went head-to-head with seven other regional winners at the Action for Market Towns Convention. Announcing the winner, the judges said they felt it was ‘a multi-faceted project which motivated and involved the whole community’ and that the Faringdon team deserved national recognition for all their hard work and positive outcomes.

The National Market Town Awards are run by Action for Market Towns and each year celebrate the great variety of volunteer-led projects that are helping to regenerate and sustain small towns throughout the country.

The Awards were presented by Catherine Hammant, Chairman of Action for Market Towns, and Lorraine Connolly, Head of the Community Newswire at the Press Association. The Press Association is media partner of the Market Town Awards.

East Midlands Market Town Awards

Overall Winner
Project: Shirebrook Business Centre
Lead organisation:Bolsover District Council
Also winner of theBusiness and Economy category

Winner of the Environment and Culture category
Project: Buxton Visitor Welcome Scheme
Lead organisation: High Peak Borough Council

Winner of the Social and Community category
Project: Alert Box, Swadlincote
Lead organisation: South Derbyshire District Council

Winner of the Partnership and Strategic Working category
Project: Think Melton, Shop Melton
Lead organisation: Melton Town Centre Partnership

Read the East Midlands Market Town Awards press release

East of England Market Town Awards

Overall Winner
Project: Youthie and Youthie+, Swaffham
Lead organisation: Iceni Partnership
Also winner of the Social and Communitycategory

Winner of the Environment and Culture category
Project: Siam Gardens & Weavers Piece, Sudbury
Lead organisation: Sudbury Market Town Community Partnership

Winner of the Partnership and Strategic Working category
Project: Saffron Walden Public Realm
Lead organisation: Saffron Walden Partnership Board

Winner of the Business and Economy category
Project: Jobsearch, Ramsey
Lead organisation: Ramsey Town Partnership

Read the East of England Market Town Awards press release

North East Market Town Awards

Overall Winner
Project: Morpeth Arts and Culture Flood Recovery
Lead organisation:Greater Morpeth Development Trust (Market Towns Community Partnership)
Also winner of the Environment and Culture category

Read the North East Market Town Awards press release

North West Market Town Awards

Overall Winner
Project: A sustainable future for North Allerdale
Lead organisation: North Allerdale Partnership, now North Allerdale Development Trust
Also winner of thePartnership and Strategic Workingcategory

Winner of the Environment and Culture category
Project: Creative Egremont
Lead organisation: Egremont & Area Regeneration Partnership Ltd

Winner of the Business and Economy category
Project: County Square, Ulverston
Lead organisation: Ulverston & Low Furness Market Towns Initiative

Commendation
Project: Sandbach Market Square Regeneration
Lead organisation: Sandbach Partnership

Read the North West Market Town Awards press release

South East Market Town Awards

Regional and National Winner
Project: Faringdon ECOWEEK
Lead organisation:Faringdon Area Project
Also winner of the Social and Communitycategory

Winner of the Environment and Culture category
Project: Butterfly Garden, Hythe
Lead organisation: Hythe & Dibden Parish Council / Revital Hythe

Winner of the Partnership and Strategic Working category
Project: Caterham Meets Storrington
Lead organisation: ABC – A Better Caterham/Storrington Community Partnership

Winner of the Business and Economy category
Project: Wireless Godalming
Lead organisation: Waverley Borough Council, Godalming Town Council

Read the South East Market Town Awards press release

South West Market Town Awards

Overall Winner
Project: Community Sports Coaches
Lead organisation:Trowbridge Town Council
Also winner of the Social and Community category

Winner of the Environment and Culture category
Project: Old Railway Heritage (Community Project for Ilminster, Donyatt, Knowle St Giles, and Chard)
Lead organisation: Ilminster Forum

Winner of the Partnership and Strategic Working category
Project: What makes Stur so special? Sturminster Newton
Lead organisation: Sturquest, the Community Partnership for Sturminster Newton and surrounding communities

Winner of the Business and Economy category
Project: On View Art Project, Dursley
Lead organisation: Stroud District Council

Read the South West Market Town Awards press release

Read more about the South West Market Town Awards presentation in the Gloucestershire Market Towns Forum report

West Midlands Market Town Awards

Overall Winner
Project: Old Cottage Hospital Studios, Ledbury
Lead organisation:Ledbury & Area Development Trust
Also winner of theBusiness and Economy category

Winner of the Environment and Culture category
Project: Avon Meadows Community Wetland, Pershore
Lead organisation: Pershore Market Town Partnership

Winner of the Partnership and Strategic Working category
Project: Stourport-on-Severn Celebrating our Heritage, Forging our Future
Lead organisation: Stourport Forward and Partners

Winner of the Social and Community category
Project: A Healthy Future, Evesham
Lead organisation: Evesham Market Town Partnership

Commendation
Project: Ludlow Marches, Ludlow & Tenbury Wells
Lead organisation: Skillbuilders CIC

Read the West Midlands Market Town Awards press release

Yorkshire and Humber Market Town Awards

Overall Winner
Project: Incredible Edible Todmorden
Lead organisation:Incredible Edible Todmorden
Also winner of theEnvironment and Culture category

Winner of the Partnership and Strategic Working category
Project: Wallingfen Way B1230 Working Group, Howden
Lead organisation: Howdenshire Forward

Winner of the Social and Community category
Project: Driffield Community Street Survey
Lead organisation: Driffield Partnership

Winner of the Business and Economy catgory
Project: Bedale Heritage Partnership Scheme
Lead organisation: Hambleton District Council

Read the Yorkshire & Humber Market Town Awards press release

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