by Alison Shaw | Apr 16, 2020 | Latest News
We know that working from home is not an option for the majority of us at the moment. To help support you and your staff, we have found and would like to share with you some of the very best FREE online training courses. These are just a few of the options available to you and there are plenty more to choose from should you wish to search google!
This is a great opportunity to take your professional skills to the next level, develop new skills and gain new qualifications with the flexibility to study at your own pace with no strict deadlines or timetabling.
Google Digital Garage- https://learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage/courses
Discover a range of free learning content designed to help grow your business or jump-start your career with Google Digital Garage. You can learn by selecting individual modules, or dive right in and take an entire course end-to-end depending on which course you choose!
HMRC- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8EcnheDt1zhTsyhT9ak3xiXnmlvbHJJV
HMRC are delivering a programme of webinars on measures to support employers, employees and the self-employed through this period of disruption caused by COVID-19. Come and watch a video of the recorded webinar on the HMRC YouTube channel Coronavirus – (COVID-19): helping employers to support employee.
Hubspot- https://academy.hubspot.com/
Take your professional skills to the next level with free, online training from HubSpot Academy. From quick, practical courses to comprehensive certifications, learn everything you need to know about the most sought-after business skills.
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/business/learn
Learn new marketing skills with Facebook Blueprint! Build your digital marketing knowledge, boost your career and add value to your company with free online training, resources and certifications.
Britvic- https://sensationaldrinks.com/covid-19-support/free-training-and-certification/
Britvic Sensational Drinks spoke to their partners to see what they can do to help you during this time and they have offered Free Courses to those in the hospitality industry.
WCG- https://wcg.ac.uk/page/1209/distance-learning-courses
WCG are offering a number of online courses that’s will help you develop your skills in a number of different areas.
Halesowen BID- www.freecoursesinengland.co.uk
The Halesowen BID has teamed up with local training provider ‘Market Smarter’ to offer FREE courses to the people of Halesowen, from customer service, IT skills and much more.
Instagram- https://instagrowthboss.com/join
Improve your Instagram Skills by completing this FREE Instagram Mini Course! Discover the 3 secrets to organically DOUBLING your leads, clients and sales in 2020!
Plus….. YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/ is literally FULL of free content to help businesses with anything imaginable.
Please keep in touch and share your online courses with us, as we are stronger together.
Best wishes and stay safe,
Steph and Alison.
by Alison Shaw | Jun 20, 2019 | Latest News
Temperatures are forecast to rise at this year’s ‘Summer of Fun’ in Leamington with a celebration of Brazilian music and dance spicing up the festival line-up.
The Brazilian Festival was a new event for the town and featured live music, performances and workshops representing the rich and vibrant culture of the South American country.
It took over the Pump Room Gardens on Sunday, June 9, and be one of many free-to-attend events happening in the town centre up to September, billed as the ‘Summer of Fun’ by BID Leamington.
Cars at the Spa is another first-timer for the ‘Summer of Fun’ and the classic car rally on Sunday, June 30 will also be held at the Pump Room Gardens.
The Brazilian Festival and Cars at the Spa will fall on the weekends either side of the oldest event, Leamington Peace Festival, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year and is one of the UK’s longest-running free festivals.
Leamington Peace Festival is always held on the weekend before the Summer Solstice and returns to the Pump Room Gardens on Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16.
The Big Victorian Picnic will take place on Saturday, July 27 to mark the completion of work to restore the Pump Room Gardens to their former glory.
The Pump Room Gardens will also host Leamington Carnival on Saturday, July 13, Warwickshire Pride on Saturday, August 17 and Leamington Food and Drink Festival on Saturday, September 7 and Sunday, September 8.
Art in the Park will return to Jephson Gardens on Saturday, August 3 and Sunday, August 4.
Alison Shaw, project manager at BID Leamington, said: “This year’s ‘Summer of Fun’ is set to be the biggest and best ever with new festivals being added to the programme.
“Together they attract tens of thousands of local people and visitors to the town centre, and offer something for everyone with a broad celebration of art, culture, food, drink, and entertainment.
“BID Leamington is delighted to be supporting each one and once again organising the Leamington Food and Drink Festival which in its 12th year will feature some 130 exhibitors and attract over 25,000 visitors alone.”
The Brazilian Festival will be the climax to the Brazilian Culture Week, which was first brought to the town in 2016 by the Brazil Culture & Arts Community.
Project manager Leandro Menezes said: “The Brazilian Festival will be a great way to celebrate the end of the Brazilian Culture Week and will showcase performances from the workshops held, including Samba and Capoeira.
“It will be a fun way for the whole family to experience Brazilian culture and heritage with bands, dancers, food and drink and more.”
Cars at the Spa is being organised by the Rotary Club of Royal Leamington Spa and will raise money for local charities.
Mike Hoyland, one of the organisers, said: “We will have over 100 classic cars, mostly from the Warwickshire area, ranging from pre-war Bentleys to military Land Rovers and an old Vauxhall Viva.
“There will be classics that will remind people of family cars they had when they were young, and ones that people will say they’ve always wanted. With entertainment from local bands and food and drink stalls, it should be a fantastic day.”
For more information about ‘Summer of Fun’, visit https://www.royal-leamington-spa.co.uk/whats-on/
by Alison Shaw | Nov 7, 2018 | BID Buzz Blogs
Warwick District Council (WDC) are hosting two meetings relating to the Covent Garden Car Park development, which local businesses are invited to next week. As you may know, it is proposed this car park will close in around 10 weeks for approx 18 months. We have been asked to communicate the following details to local businesses, which are below and attached:
Meeting – Option 1: Monday 12 November – Evening (Public)
Where: Royal Spa Centre, Leamington
Who: Residents and businesses invited.
When: Arrive from 6.30pm for refreshments. 7pm start.
Details: The meeting will be independently chaired by Phil Upton, of BBC CWR. Phil will take questions from the floor for the panel of Warwick District Councillors and Senior Officers responsible for the delivery of the ambitious HQ plans and car parking displacement plan during the development of Covent Garden Car Park.
Meeting – Option 2: Tuesday 13 November – Morning. Please RSVP. Businesses Only.
Where: Cote Brasserie, Regents Court, Livery St, CV32 4NG
Who: Businesses only invited.
When: 7am.
Details: You are invited you to a breakfast meeting to discuss the Council’s plans for its HQ move and car parking provision during the re-development of Covent Garden car park. A panel of Councillors and Officers will be available for you to ask questions and hear more about the proposals.
Please RSVP: business@warwickdc.gov.uk (by Wed 7th if possible)
We will attend them both – you are welcome to also. If you cannot attend and have any specific questions please let us know and we will endeavour to have them answered.
Please also do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like to have a conversation about this – work is ongoing. For details of the work we have been doing: https://bidleamington.com/work-is-on-going-covent-garden/. Please feel free to pass the details on to neighbouring businesses.
by Alison Shaw | Sep 18, 2018 | Latest News
The sun shone through for the Leamington Food and Drink Festival as a fitting finale to the town’s scorching ‘Summer of Fun’.
Blue skies on the closing day of the weekend showcase of food and drink, now in its 11th year, saw the Royal Pump Room Gardens bursting with foodies and flavour.
The festival lived up to its reputation as one of the country’s best autumn food festivals with a spoilt-for-choice range of exhibitors dishing up tastes from near and far, from local beer, cider and wine to global cannoli, jerk chicken and churros.
A feast of local chefs showed off their culinary skills with demonstrations in the Live Kitchen over the two days – but it was time for the best amateur cooks to shine on Sunday with the the return of Home Cook of the Year.
A record number of entries to the competition, run by Aubrey Allen with festival organisers BID Leamington, made it tough to pick three finalists to go head-to-head in a three-course cook-off in front of crowds at the festival.
And the decisions didn’t get any easier when Sean Hughes, Tim Robbins and Trudie Udell stepped up to the plate to wow the judging panel of Russell Allen, managing director of Aubrey Allen, Clive Fretwell, executive chef at Brasserie Blanc, and Sophie Hyam, Home Cook Winner 2017.
It was Tim, a University Hospital Coventry doctor from Leamington, who was crowned this year’s champion.
Congratulating all three finalists, Sophie said: “The competition was amazing and there were so many different dishes with great flavours and combinations, but Clive, myself and Russell all agreed that the overall winner was Tim.”
Tim said: “I’m a little bit shocked! I was not expecting it by any means but I’m really delighted. It’s been such great fun and I would encourage anyone to enter next year.”
Alison Shaw, project manager at BID Leamington, said: “With the diversity of exhibitors this year, it really has lived up to its reputation as one of the best food festivals around.
“Many of the exhibitors sold out on the first day and had to replenish their supplies overnight which is a great sign of how well it’s gone.
“New for this year was us offering a free drink to anyone travelling to the festival by train and there was a great take-up which was really pleasing.
“It’s topped off what has been a memorable ‘Summer of Fun’ with Leamington Peace Festival, Leamington Carnival, Art in the Park and Warwickshire Pride, and our thanks to all of the volunteers who have helped make them all such a resounding success.”
by Alison Shaw | Dec 16, 2014 | Latest News
This year’s Leamington Lantern Parade was once again a spectacular sight and the highlight was a stunning ‘Peacock Carriage’ designed by a local schoolgirl.
Nine-year-old Rathura Kavuru won a competition, organised by the Royal Spa Centre in partnership with BID Leamington, to create the stunning focal point of the parade now in its fourth year.
As a wonderful twist, the Royal Priors Shopping Centre in Leamington Spa will once again be home to a giant peacock as the carriage which led the parade will be on display there until Christmas.
The sight of the carriage will bring back memories of the eye-catching peacock clock which once sat in front of a huge painting of Warwick Castle in the shopping centre.
Rathura’s design was brought to life during lantern making workshops hosted at the Royal Spa Centre, Family Tree and Warwickshire College’s Leamington campus in the run-up to the parade. The peacock carriage was built over three weeks by community artist Fran Godwin, from the Community Arts Workshop, and celebrates the Cinderella pantomime at the Royal Spa Centre.
Fran said: “Once again the lantern workshops and parade have proved to be incredibly creative and popular – bringing together so many people to make so many lovely lanterns! “I really enjoyed making the giant peacock carriage and hope that this is the first of many large lantern sculptures we’ll see in the parade.”
Stephanie Kerr, from BID Leamington, which organises the lantern parade, said: “Around 500 people braved the elements to join in this year’s Leamington Lantern Parade. “There was a beautiful string of lanterns of all shapes, sizes and designs surrounding the Royal Pump Rooms that then led into the town and culminated around the Tree of Lights at the Town Hall with Christmas carols, real reindeer and a stilt-waking Father Christmas. “It was yet again a fantastic community event and huge thanks to CJ Events, the local police, Warwick District Council and all the many volunteers who gave up their time to make it such a great success.”
Jo Lewis, from the Royal Spa Centre, said: “We were overwhelmed at the level of creativity and imagination that went into the entries for our lantern competition this year. “To see Rathura’s face light up when she was paraded through Leamington in her giant peacock carriage was just magical. We are already looking forward to next year’s competition for Jack & the Beanstalk.”
by Alison Shaw | Nov 1, 2014 | Latest News
As shoppers start searching for that perfect Christmas gift, Leamington Spa is beginning its quest to find the town centre’s first-ever Retail Hero of The Year.
The town is already gearing up for the festivities with the Christmas lights switch-on event and the launch of this year’s award-winning Golden Ticket Prize Draw taking place on Sunday, November 16.
But while the fourth annual Golden Ticket Prize Draw will reward loyal shoppers for their custom, a new search is underway this year to recognise those on the other side of the counter for going above and beyond the call of duty in the name of customer service.
BID Leamington is organising the Retail Hero of the Year award and is now calling on business owners and managers at shopping outlets within the town centre to nominate the person they feel deserving of the title by Sunday, November 30.
Special recognition will be given to all those nominated and the overall winner will receive a prize package of Christmas goodies and be invited to join BID Leamington in awarding this year’s Golden Ticket grand prizes on Monday, December 22.
Stephanie Kerr, executive director of BID Leamington, said: “Leamington Spa is renowned for its fantastic mix of independent stores and major high-street names, and prides itself on brilliant customer service.
“An integral part of that offering is the commitment and enthusiasm of the town centre’s retail staff and we felt there was no better time to recognise that than during the busy festive period.
“We are looking for someone who has gone above and beyond the call of duty – they might have personally helped a customer in trouble, sourced a product from the other side of the world or just been a constantly friendly face.
”While every town needs a good range of retail, the service and welcome you receive are often the things that leave a lasting impression.”
This year’s Golden Ticket Prize Draw will see 88 participating retailers offering entry with every purchase from Sunday, November 16 to Sunday, December 21.
More than 6,500 entries were received in 2013 and this year’s total prize value stands at £4,000 with top prizes including £500 to spend on jewellery from Peter Stephan Jewellers in Warwick Street, a £400 town centre shopping spree and a limited edition print from Whitewall Gallery in Regent Street.
Prizes will be awarded for every day from Monday, December 1 to Thursday, December 25. The final three will be grand prizes to be handed out on December 22.
Stephanie added: “The Golden Ticket Prize Draw has been a great success over the past three years and with our latest line-up of participating retailers and the prizes they have donated, this year looks like being the best yet.”
The town centre is open every Thursday for late night shopping in the lead up to Christmas from Thursday, November 20 to Thursday, December 18 with free parking from 6pm in the Royal Priors (P4).
by Alison Shaw | Jan 12, 2014 | Latest News
A programme of events, activities and promotions aimed at showcasing all Leamington has to offer is set to take place throughout February.
The month-long Love Leam extravaganza will see Leamington play host to an array of activities and events in a bid to encourage people into the town during one of the colder and traditionally quieter months.
With love running as the central theme, each week will offer visitors a different opportunity to show their appreciation for the town.
Stephanie Kerr, executive director of BID Leamington which is running the Love Leam event, said: “The idea behind Love Leam is to showcase lots of different aspects of the town and help people discover new things to enjoy in a fun and light-hearted way.
“By encouraging visitors into the town centre we are looking to engage with them, help them explore the town and hopefully build that connection and loyalty that will make people want to return here time and time again.
“We are looking forward to a fantastic month of events and have lots of surprises in store.”
Beginning on Saturday, February 1, the first week will be themed Love Life in Leamington with visitors encouraged to discover new areas of the town and new things to do. This will include workshops offering introductions to knitting, crochet and knicker-making at Berylune in Park St.
The Valentine’s Day week will be headlined Love Leam week and will include a Valentine’s Day craft fair, poetry readings and wine tastings.
It will also feature the launch of the ‘Tell Us Why You Love Leam’ competition with the chance to win a red carpet day in Leamington, offering winners a luxury day out in the town centre.
The third week will be Love Family Time in Leamington with an elephant trail treasure hunt and a ‘Leamington Dream Garden’ competition among the family-friendly activities.
Love Leam Spring into Action will be the final week featuring ‘Fashion on the Move’, a showcase of the latest spring designs from the town’s retail clothing outlets with some goody bags to give away.
Event organisers are looking to add to the current programme and would welcome contact from anyone wishing to stage an event or workshop during the Love Leam month. Those interested are asked to email organisers at info@bidleamington2022.mystagingwebsite.com.
The Love Leam event is funded through a combination of local businesses and money made available through Warwickshire County Council’s Operation Footfall Fund.
The Operation Footfall Fund is a key part of the County Council’s Going for Growth agenda and is open to business community groups to apply for grants to deliver a diverse range of initiatives to encourage footfall into town centre areas.
For more information about the Love Leam events, visit www.loveleamington.com.
by Alison Shaw | Jul 9, 2012 | Latest News
The hugely popular Royal Leamington Spa Food and Drink Festival will be cooking up a storm when it returns to the Pump Room Gardens for a fifth successive year on the weekend of the 8th and 9th September.
The free festival, which attracted more than 20,000 visitors last year, will feature over 130 exhibitors and a great range of live entertainment and demonstrations to suit all ages.
This year there will be a Live Cookery Theatre from the Love Food Roadshow and a Kids Make & Bake Cookery School where youngsters can get down with the dough and have fun learning to make cupcakes and scones.
There will also be Cookery Masterclasses for anyone who seriously wants to brush up on their culinary skills with workshops and advice from local specialists.
For those who love their food and drink accompanied by music there will be a bandstand marathon throughout the weekend featuring talented musicians including the Sheila Fawkes Jazz Band, Gebby Eaton and Lament who bring together a fusion of Latin, Jazz and Flamenco music.
The festival is organised by BID Leamington and funded by local businesses. Stephanie Kerr, Director of BID Leamington said: “We are aiming to make this year even more colourful and full of interesting food and drink, much of it very local to Leamington Spa. It’s a wonderful opportunity for people to come together and sample the very best food, drink and entertainment that the area has to offer.”
Back by popular demand is the Taste Trail where visitors can eat at one of many restaurants in the town for just a pound. They can then rate their experience on a feedback form to stand a chance of winning a meal for two.
This year there will also be a Coffee Trail where visitors can sample a free coffee with any purchase at a participating coffee house.
For more information and your chance to win a £200 Hamper full of delicious local products please visit: www.leamingtonfoodfestival.co.uk.
by Alison Shaw | Jun 26, 2012 | Latest News
Rain didn’t stop play at Leamington’s Jubilee Tea Party on Sunday. Despite the poor weather, an estimated 1,000 people visited the celebrations in the Pump Room Gardens to help mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and join in the fun activities on offer.
Leamington BID director Stephanie Kerr, who organised the Tea Party, said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to the families who braved the weather and the businesses who put on such a great day. In true British spirit, our community came out and had a great day admiring the hand-painted flags and taking part in all the activities.”
The 1.5 metre long silk flags were the colourful centre piece of the event and were decorated by local scouts, community groups and businesses. They will next be unfurled when the Olympic torch comes through Leamington Spa on 1st July.
by Alison Shaw | Nov 22, 2011 | Latest News
Leamington retailers have joined together this December to launch a Golden Ticket competition with a prize value in excess of £4500 to attract customers to the town centre in the run up to Christmas.
The competition has been organised by BID Leamington and is being supported by over 50 retailers all across the town.
The top prizes include a £1000 diamond from Rubinstein Keightley, an Apple iPad 2 and 5 Christmas Gift Bundles worth over £500 each. Every time someone shops in participating retailers they will receive a Golden Ticket which will enter them in to the main prize draw and the weekly draws. To find out the full list of prizes and for Christmas gift inspiration visit www.royal-leamington-spa.co.uk.
Stephanie Kerr, executive director at BID Leamington said: “We are all so excited about the Golden Ticket competition and have been blown away by the generosity of Leamington’s retailers. The prize total is bursting with jewellery, toys, luxury gifts, vouchers, food, drink and loads more. It just goes to show the diversity and quality of our retail offering.”
Royal Leamington Spa town centre is open every Thursday for late night shopping in the lead up to Christmas.
