Traders put village on map
Scores of traders have rallied behind attempts to put a Staffordshire village on the map to shoppers from far and wide. Scores of traders have rallied behind attempts to put a Staffordshire village on the map to shoppers from far and wide. Penkridge Business Association has doubled its membership in less than a year to include more than 40 shops, pubs and restaurants. Today its chairman, Anne Geoghegan, said thriving interest in its work to raise the profile of the village was helping them to greater success. But she admitted attempts to preserve the village atmosphere were facing tougher challenges, as Penkridge was rapidly growing into a market town. Only 10 businesses now remain who have not joined the association, which arranges a host of events throughout the year to boost trade and make it a better place to live and work. Read the full sory in the Express & Star.
Penkridge Business Association has doubled its membership in less than a year to include more than 40 shops, pubs and restaurants.
Today its chairman, Anne Geoghegan, said thriving interest in its work to raise the profile of the village was helping them to greater success. But she admitted attempts to preserve the village atmosphere were facing tougher challenges, as Penkridge was rapidly growing into a market town.
Only 10 businesses now remain who have not joined the association, which arranges a host of events throughout the year to boost trade and make it a better place to live and work.
They include a Victorian Street Fair on the last Friday of November, a food and drink fair in the Peace Memorial Hall and bi-monthly trader meetings.
Many traders own and run small, specialist shops and association members show support by buying products from each other rather than supermarkets in nearby towns.
Mrs Geoghegan, who runs The Pot Shop in Crown Bridge, said there had been a surge in enthusiasm for the group and its work in the last 12 months.
"Membership has increased by 50 per cent," she said. "Suddenly all the pubs have come on board because we run events in the village and they realise there is something in it for them.
"We are very pleased because it means we have got a good body of people who will look at the village and try to improve trade."
Mrs Geoghegan said Penkridge's population of 8,500 people was rapidly growing, but its village centre still had a lot of charm.
She added: "There is a real village atmosphere and we keep that spirit going as much as we can in the centre of what is now more like a market town.
"There are about 10 businesses who are not members for various reasons and I think they are missing out on a lot of support from the rest of the businesses.
"Because there are so many specialist shops you get personal service and the people who run them actually own them."
