Close to the South Downs with a wide variety of shops in the High Street, historic buildings, fine churches and delightful walks in superb countryside, this lovely village has many charming features, dating back to around 770AD. Devil’s Dyke, with its panoramic view of the sea, is only a few miles south.

With the atmosphere of a small market town, local people have always said that you can find everything in the town’s own shops without having to travel further afield. That was certainly the case in days gone by – and today there are few things that cannot be found here. It also has one of the oldest cricket clubs in the world, established in 1721.

With a population of over 5,500 this is no small village, so it is not surprising that there are five pubs within the parish boundary, plus restaurants and cafes which are constantly busy.

Having two free car parks ensures there is no excuse for not stopping to browse in the delightful gift shops and antiques centres, while calling in for a cream tea at one of the cafes in the High Street – or lunch at one of the splendid pubs. And in a weekend in June, the renowned Gardens & Arts festival is not to be missed.

What next?

• More about Town of the Week
• Read about Henfield at the Henfield Parish Council website
• Nominate your town by email to jamie.veitch@towns.org.uk

Lead organisation: Godalming Town Council

Staycation is an inexpensive project encouraging residents to stay local to help increase footfall for Godalming businesses during a traditionally quiet summer period.

The project also promotes partnership working within a wide range of community and commercial groups from the WI to the local semi-professional football club.

Godalming Staycation was commended in Business and Economy category of the South East Action for Market Towns Awards

AMT Members can view the full case study here.

Folly Regeneration Project, Faringdon, Kent

Lead organisation: Faringdon Area Project

In 1935, the eccentric Lord Berners built the Folly Tower on Folly Hill – a Folly on a Folly – as a birthday whim for his gay lover.

The Folly Regeneration Project has involved every corner of the community and is a true celebration of this surreal icon, which towers 260 ft above Faringdon, and secures its future for the benefit of residents and visitors alike.

Folly Regeneration Project was commended in the Environment and Culture category of the South East Action for Market Towns Awards.

AMT Members can view the full case study here.

Leatherhead and District Marketing Campaign, Leatherhead, Surrey

Lead organisation: The Leatherhead Area Partnership Limited

The Marketing Campaign was designed to proactively promote Leatherhead and District as a good place for business and encourage local procurement during the downturn.

Mole Valley District Council and the Leatherhead & District Chamber of Commerce are working with Prowse & Company Ltd to roll out a campaign, which promotes the area as a good location for business.

Leatherhead & District Marketing Campaign was commended in the Partnership and Strategic Working category of the South East Action for Market Towns Awards.

AMT Members can view the full case study here.

Community Centred (Phoenix Phase Three), Sandwich, Kent

Lead organisation: The Phoenix Community Resource Hub Ltd

This project saw the redesign and refurbishment of a dilapidated former 1960s youth club building. The aim of the project was to enhance the facilities and to increase the flexibility of the building.

The redevelopment also sought to improve the building’s environmental credentials and to encourage increased use of the building by community groups.

Community Centred (Phoenix Phase Three) was commended in the Social and Community category of the South East Action for Market Towns Awards.

AMT Members can view the full case study here.

What next?

• Find out more about the Action for Market Towns Awards 2011

The Risborough  Area Community Bus service is for residents in the Risboroughs and adjacent villages who are without public transport and for whom access to shops, leisure and medical facilities is difficult.

The service also helps to bring more people into the town for the benefit of local businesses.

A company limited by guarantee, with 6 unpaid trustees, was set up and registered as a charity in March 2010 to buy and operate the new community bus.  Leaflets and talks to local groups helped recruit a management committee of volunteers and thirty volunteer drivers.

Easy access for all
Once funding and the necessary licenses were in place, a daily scheduled service began operating to the residential areas of Princes Risborough, Monks Risborough and Longwick with a further service to the village of Loosley Row two days a week.  Because the average age of local residents is above the national average, a flat, low-floor and easy-access minibus was the obvious choice.

The 14-seater minibus arrived in May 2010 and was painted in its Risborough Area Community Bus livery.  Timetables were drawn up, printed and delivered to every household in the town.

A self-employed, paid coordinator handles the day-to-day running of the service and liaises with the drivers.

The scheduled service began on 19 July 2010. From just 70 passengers in the first week of operation the bus now regularly carries more than 325 passengers each week. When not on its scheduled service, small groups use the bus for leisure activities.

Risborough Area Community Bus won the Social and Community category of the South East Action for Market Towns Awards.

What next?

• Join Action for Market Towns for access to our valuable database of case studies (including a detailed study of this Award-winning project and contacts), policy and practice research, and much more (AMT members read the full case study here)
• Find out more about the Action for Market Towns Awards
• Ask about working with volunteers on market town projects in the AMT Forum

Wallingford has made the most of the town’s rich history by developing its infrastructure to encourage much wider use of the town by its residents, hinterland and visitors.

The town is drawing on its history to promote economic growth and foster a sense of community which makes it a focus for the local area and a more interesting place to visit.

Reports by the Civic Trust and Lockwood (retail consultants) concluded that Wallingford’s economy needed to develop. The town council undertook a town Healthcheck which was completed in early summer 2008 and handed over to the Wallingford Partnership Ltd to action to improve Wallingford’s economic wellbeing.

The partnership began a consultation process involving residents, local councillors, and local parish councillors, and visited care homes where residents were not able to attend the public meetings.  All Wallingford residents received a questionnaire to give their comments.

The following activities came out of these consultations (funding permitting) and were included in the overall project scope:

1. Develop a series of walks/trails around the town and local area supported by leaflets, MP3 players and having the leaflets displayed on the website
2. Install wifi internet access across the town centre to include a webcam facility
3. Install brackets on buildings in the town centre to fly flags to help theme particular events
4. Provide additional Christmas decorations and a supporting electrical infrastructure connected into the existing street lighting system
5. Develop and extend the existing town website – www.wallingford.co.uk – to include the functionality to create advertisements and accept payments by debit/credit cards
6. Improve direction signs and information boards around the town
7. Provide better information about events taking place in Wallingford to local villages

All items have now been completed or are nearing completion.

Exploiting Wallingford’s Rich History won the Partnership and Strategic Working category of the South East Action for Market Towns Awards.

What next?

• Join Action for Market Towns for access to our valuable database of case studies (including a detailed study of this Award-winning project and contacts), policy and practice research, and much more (AMT members read the full case study here)
• Find out more about the Action for Market Towns Awards
• Ask “How can we save our town centres?” in the AMT Forum

Shabby to Smart began with a town Healthcheck in 2006 that consulted over 2,000 people.  One of the responses to come out of this Healthcheck was: “Shabby to Smart“.

This neatly expressed  the town’s aspiration to position itself closer to neighbouring Surrey towns, both in visual appeal and in the quality of its amenities.

A dream becomes reality
The last twelve months have seen the vision become a reality which represents a huge achievement for the town.

Visually the project has exceeded expectations and the volunteer group has earned respect and credibility within the town and from the local government and service providers involved.

The project had three parts:

1. Clearing and cleaning up the town, following generations of neglected and redundant items on pavements and public realm areas.
2. Upgrading a core area of the town, removing railings and clutter in a pioneering pilot study agreed with the Surrey County Highways. The area retains dropped kerbs but borrows from shared space concepts at much lower cost while enhancing visual appeal and maintaining or improving safety.
3. An economic boost through a town loyalty scheme, to encourage local trade.

All three aspects have been completed now and the benefits are visible to all.

Other projects have come out of this core project, helping to build a strong community team that has brought the town a festival, a business-to-business exhibition, a music event, a food festival and related ideas such as a community radio station.

It is unlikely that any of this would have happened without the core Shabby to Smart project, which has built the team.

Shabby to Smart won the Environment and Culture category of the South East Action for Market Towns Awards.

What next?

• Join Action for Market Towns for access to our valuable database of case studies (including a detailed study of this Award-winning project and contacts), policy and practice research, and much more (AMT members read the full case study here)
• Find out more about the Action for Market Towns Awards
• Ask “How can we save our town centres?” in the AMT Forum