BID Operations Manager appointed

A big welcome to Liz Guilmant-Cush who has been appointed Operations Manager for Wimborne BID Limited.

Liz brings over 16 years marketing and business experience to the BID team. She has worked at a range of businesses from a national, publicly-listed company to running her own business. Liz lives in Wimborne and comes to us from her most recent role as Marketing Manager at Walford Mill Crafts. Liz is looking forward to helping Wimborne's businesses and working with the rest of the team to build a better town. She sees the Wimborne BID as possibly her biggest challenge yet! Liz is married with a young son who plays with Wimborne Rugby Club. She plays for the Centre Pass netball team and enjoys walking in the Dorset countryside.

About Wimborne BID

For over 15 years the Chamber of Trade has been looking for ways to improve Wimborne Minster as a shopping town and have sought to develop a town centre strategy to benefit traders, residents and visitors. The Chamber has , over the years, established Christmas lights, children’s entertainment, a Wimborne Directory, supported the Folk festival and Wimborne in Bloom. Under the current legal arrangements businesses have no say on how the business rates are spent in their area and have felt disenfranchised. It is this frustration and desire for action that has lead to the formation of a group initiated by the Chamber of Trade to seek to empower businesses to act in their own interests.

The opportunity to do this comes through the Business Improvement Districts (England) Regulations 2004. Which allows businesses to form a not for profit company to raise a levy on business rate payers and spend this money as they wish (and only the businesses say how this money is spent) for the benefit of the town and its shoppers.

Wimborne BID is a business lead initiative.