21 Nov 2023
Wheathampstead Business Group celebrated its 20th birthday with a cheese and wine evening in the village.
The event, at the Wheathampstead Memorial Hall, was attended by 40 people, and eight members enhanced the hall with colourful displays of their products and services.
Current and past members, six previous chairmen and parish councillors heard from a variety of businesses who had been involved over the years.
Iain Begg, who has worked with the group for 19 years, started the proceedings talking about how it was set up in 2003 by members of the parish council to help local businesses to support each other.
The BBC had previously featured Wheathampstead High Street as an example of local shops closing, with the danger of it becoming a dormitory town.
Twenty years on, Wheathampstead High Street has been transformed, and is a destination for local walkers, families and cake lovers alike.
Current and past members explained how being part of the business group had helped their business by providing collaborations, support and advice.
Catherine Jones from No 8 Lifestyle said she mentioned at a networking meeting that she was looking for a premises and somebody at the meeting put her in touch with the owner of a shop right in the middle of the village.
Alex Thomas of IFA explained how being part of the group had given him a sense of belonging to the community and meeting other local business owners had not only brought him business, but it given him personal confidence when talking about his services.
Current chairman Ginny Cooper explained that Wheathampstead Businesses, known locally as WEB, has a mission to Promote, Protect and Support local businesses and the village economy.
One of the group’s biggest achievements was launching a highly successful crowdfunding campaign after the Post Office and village store were burgled in August, losing £9,000 worth of stock.
WEB could see the only way a further burglary would be prevented would be to install a security shutter across the whole frontage and raised £4,600 to pay for one.
The evening concluded with Iain Begg talking about the group’s plans for the future:
- encourage more High Street members to join and participate in the group;
- to improve the signage to the free village car park;
- to change some of the parking spaces to 30 minutes;
- to contact the BBC to ask them to visit so they can show them how different the village is now!
For information about joining Wheathampstead Businesses, email Ginny Cooper: chair@wheathampsteadbusinesses.co.uk
