Press Release 17th July 2008

LOCAL MARKET TOWNS PARTNERSHIPS WIN AWARD
'Explore' Project Described as Miracle Example of
Co-operation

"Indiana Jones" launching the Explore brochure

On Friday 11th July Billingshurst was the first town in West Sussex to host the National Market Towns Awards (South East), an event which attracted Community Partnerships from right across the South East of England. As it turned out, the choice of town was a good one, as the Horsham 5 Towns Forum, comprising Billingshurst Community Partnership, together with those from Henfield, Pulborough, Storrington, Steyning, were declared the award winners of the Partnership and Strategic Working category with their 'Explore the Market Towns' project.

Presenting the award certificate to members of the Horsham 5 Towns Forum, Julian Owen, Chairman of Action for Market Towns declared he felt he had witnessed 'the miracle of market towns working together for mutual benefit.'

An attractive and informative brochure and 'Passport' was produced jointly by the Horsham District 5 Towns Forum in 2007 to tempt more people into visiting each of the distinctively different market towns within Horsham District.

The Forum's presentation recounted how the 'Explore' theme has now been adopted as the basis of an on-going marketing campaign for Horsham District's Market Towns both collectively and individually. Evidence of this was presented in the form of a fully 'Explore' themed Bus, from marketing partners Compass Travel whose 100/101 service links all of the towns, which ferried delegates from Billingshurst Station and the 2D appearance of 'Indiana Jones' who had featured in the launch of this year's Explore brochure.

During the event, in addition to our local winning entry, presentations were given by winning partnership initiatives in three other categories, Environment and Culture, Social and Community and Business and Economy to delegates which included West Sussex County Council members, and district and parish council representatives.  A panel of judges, made up from SEEDA, Action in Rural Sussex, Tourism South East and Action for Market Towns selected an overall winner to represent the 2008 South East Market Towns at National awards in October. 'Explore' narrowly missed out in becoming overall winner an accolade which went to the readily transferable 'Snow in Hythe', a concept which Horsham’s Towns are now actively considering for implementation locally.

The 5 Community Partnerships in the Horsham District are naturally keen to serve and promote their own towns.  However, they also recognise the value of working together in the context of the wider area.  This is why the Horsham 5 Towns Forum was formed, in 2002, with support from Horsham District Council, Horsham District Community Partnership and Action in Rural Sussex.  The Forum meets regularly to exchange ideas and share examples of good practice. The Explore project is the largest and most public joint initiative to date.

Press release issued on behalf of Horsham District 5 Towns Forum.
For further information contact: Garry Mortimer-Cook, Town Centres Manager, Horsham District  telephone 01403 215386  email tcm@horsham.gov.uk