An Aberdeenshire town is just weeks away from a vote that would bring together businesses and volunteer groups for the next five years.
Plans for Inverurie’s Business Improvement District (BID) were unveiled last week in a Town Hall meeting and ballot papers have been distributed to all of the 199 firms who will get to vote.
The companies who are able to have their say are based within the main streets of the town centre and have until June 22 to send their ballot paper in with either a yes or no ticked off.
Inverurie is the latest place in Scotland to sign up to develop a Bid programme and it has been proposed that all eligible businesses and organisations in the Inverurie area contribute a financial levy to the scheme – bringing in an estimated £100,000 per year towards projects for the town.
Under the banner brand We Are Inverurie the Bid steering group plans to unify the three existing groups already set-up in the town; Inverurie Events, Inverurie Environmental Group and the Inverurie Business Association.
Discussions have been taking place over the last year and the three groups are excited about the brand and benefits this would bring.
Trevor Hart from Inverurie Events last night said: “We have revitalised the committee and now have 19 volunteers which is fantastic. Being part of the We are Inverurie Bid group will free up the team to concentrate on delivering really good events for the town without worrying about finding the funding to do so as we will be allocated an amount for the year to facilitate, promote and deliver a strong programme of events in the community.”
He added: “We are planning a Beer Festival in October and a strong Christmas programme over the weekends leading up to the annual amazing Christmas Lights Switch On event.
“Looking forward into 2018 events such as a May Day Celebration, BeerFest and music events are also planned.”
John Glover from Inverurie Environmental Improvement Group also agrees the BID finding would free-up precious time, adding: “We will no longer need to seek sponsorship from local businesses as we would get an agreed lump sum from the
Bid company, funded from the levy and other funding pots the Bid can access.
“This has already given us the confidence to enter Scotland in Bloom for the first time in ten years.”
Victoria Withy, vice-chairwoman of Inverurie Business Association (IBA) said: “We are fully behind this Bid initiative it will allow us to get back to focusing on core issues for our members.”
For more information on Inverurie’s Bid plans visit: www.weareinverurie.co.uk
