BATH BID LAUNCHES WELCOME TO BATH WEBSITE TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES DURING LOCKDOWN

The Bath Business Improvement District (Bath BID) is stepping up to the challenge of helping businesses through lockdown with the launch of its new Welcome to Bath website.

The website was originally planned to be a what’s on guide, providing up-to-date information about large and small events and special offers across the city, but has been rapidly reconfigured to become a guide to local businesses that are continuing to trade during lockdown. Essential businesses, including healthcare services and banks, food and drink businesses offering takeaways and grocery delivery services, and retailers that are continuing to trade online, are all included on the website.

The Bath BID work to provide a warm welcome to people living in, working in, and visiting the city. The BID’s friendly team of volunteer Welcome Ambassadors offer an informed welcome to people visiting the city, and the Welcome to Bath website was designed to provide a similar service virtually.

The Bath BID team, with support from The Pig Guide and Visit Bath, have been collecting and uploading information from local businesses to the website. There are already over 300 businesses listed, including big names and independent favourites, and will help Bath’s community to support our city centre businesses during this difficult period.

To help make browsing businesses as easy as possible, the website contains interactive maps, which were funded from Bath & North East Somerset Council’s allocation of the European Union’s Reopening the High Street Safely Fund 2020–2021.

Allison Herbert, CEO of the Bath BID, said: “Bath’s businesses are facing the toughest challenge this November. Usually the highlight of the high street calendar, with the opening of the very successful Bath Christmas Market, this year, they have no guarantee of the sales they need to keep going. I hope that our contribution to supporting them via the Welcome to Bath website will be welcomed by the community and businesses as a helpful guide, and that everyone will make the most of the click and collect, delivery and takeaway options that businesses are offering.”

It is free for businesses in Bath’s city centre to be featured on the Welcome to Bath website. Any business that is not currently included should get in touch with the Bath BID office by emailing [email protected].

Once lockdown is over, the website will turn its attention to offering a comprehensive local what’s on guide, so that we can all make the most of the chance to go out and enjoy ourselves together in Bath once again. For more information, visit welcometobath.co.uk.