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Autumn BID Update - Crime & ASB, Halloween Trail, Spooky Saturday & Christmas Plans
OXTED BID SOCIAL - 10th October 2023
We would like to invite all business owners/managers to pop along to an informal social gathering after work on Tuesday 10th October 2023 5-6.30 upstairs at Kinjo.
Wine, beer and soft drinks provided. It will be a chance to meet and chat informally with your fellow Oxted town centre business owners/managers, exchange ideas and information. We aim to run these regularly from now on, so if you can’t make it this time, there will be another opportunity soon. Please RSVP for numbers to marketing@loveoxted.co.uk, Subject “BID SOCIAL RSVP” .Thank you.
AGM 2023 - Wednesday 15th November 2023
Our annual general meeting will take place on Wednesday 15th November 5.30pm. Venue TBC.
It would be great to see some more Oxted businesses represented this year. This is a formal meeting where we present activity and accounts for the year and vote in any new directors (please email us if you’re interested in joining the BID Board), but it's also an opportunity to raise any issues and to chat to other BID business owners. Refreshments provided.
CRIME & ASB
Incidents of shoplifting, verbal or physical assaults on shop staff have been dramatically escalating in recent months, and this is, according to the media, a national problem. It’s fair to say that the most frequently targeted businesses - the supermarkets, Boots and Factory Shop have had just about enough of the relentless onslaught and perceived lack of police response.
To this end, we have sent a letter to the Police Commissioner, Lisa Townsend, the Surrey Chief Constable, Tim de Meyer, our MP, Claire Coutinho and the Minister for State, Chris Philp. The letter, co-authored by The OXTED BID, Cllr Jackie Wren, Oxted Parish Council and Limpsfield Parish Council, is an appeal to the Surrey Police to respond to numerous 999 calls and reports of theft and antisocial behaviour and put more police on the streets to try to deter the local and out-of-town thieves.
Our Shop Alert WhatsApp Group, whilst very effective for warning other stores of approaching criminals and faces to keep an eye out for, only allows us to share CCTV images and videos amongst ourselves and not with the police.
The Oxted BID has therefore now signed up to the secure information sharing system, DISC, which allows you to share all CCTV, shoplifting and antisocial behaviour incidences and photos to the police. Stores affected by shoplifting will have already been contacted by Tracey via the Oxted DISC email. If you haven’t had this, and want to be on the DISC system, please let Tracey know - tracey@loveoxted.co.uk.
We are still awaiting the arrival of the CCTV system, which we have been assured will be implemented as soon as licences and planning permission have been agreed. Any further queries on the should be directed to Oxted Parish Council who are leading this project.
Give a little whistle!
As suggested by Sammy at La Maison, we will shortly be issuing shops with Love Oxted green whistles to trial a simple, but we hope also an effective deterrent and warning to other shops. Working alongside our WhatsApp Shop Alert group and new DISC system, if you witness a shoplifting incident in your store, step outside your store and give a little whistle to warn nearby shopkeepers. Aside from warning other businesses, this is a non-confrontational way to draw attention to the shoplifters themselves, which we hope might deter some of the locally-based regular faces and if word spreads, might make the organised out-of-town shoplifters think twice about targeting Oxted. It’s worth a try… You are of course under no obligation to do this.
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National Recycling Week - 16-22nd October.
As per the previous message, the theme for 2023 is The Big Recycling Hunt - a week-long campaign that aims to encourage us all to recycle more of the right things, and this year the focus is on “missed capture” items: that’s to say recyclable items that are commonly missed in the home, including empty aerosols, food tins, plastic cleaning and toiletry bottles, pots, tubs and trays. We would like to encourage ALL businesses to do something special this week.
Hamways have been leading the way with their soft plastics collections and are well ahead of the game having already collected loads in their special collection bags!
You could also take The Deli's lead by aiming for ZERO plastic waste!
We’d love to know what everyone is doing, and we will happily share / publicise all your activity.
Don't forget, no single use plastics such as cups, plates, bowls, trays or plastic cutlery may be sold, given or offered to customers, for takeaways or any other reason, from 1st October. See our website article for more details.
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HALLOWEEN
Half Term Halloween Trail
- We will be running a Halloween trail similar to the Easter one from Monday 23/10 until 29/10 (over the half-term holiday week).
- There will be clues/clue sheets for download via social media and the Love Oxted website or for collection from the Library.
- Children will visit each location to get a spooky stamp and / or treat until they have completed their trail sheet for a little prize.
Would you be happy to be a host for our halloween trail? We would like minimum 10 - 12 hosts.
You will receive stamps, sheets, window decal and some businesses will have treats to hand out.
Spooky Saturday - Saturday 28th October
- On Saturday 28th October we would love all shops and businesess to make an extra special spooky effort!
- We will run a spooky window competition for the shops / businesses.
- We would love it if shops / businesses would do something special for spooky Saturday and to designate a member of staff to dress up in Halloween costume for the day!
- We all also have ghoulish Halloween characters around town from 2-4pm, courtesy of Oxted's Character Parties with Bee, and a fancy dress competition / parade for the kids.
Could you therefore let Sophie know the following ASAP:
1. Will you be doing a special Halloween Window?
2. Will you have a staff member(s) in dress-up on Saturday 28th October?
3. Will you be offering any special Halloween Treats or running any Halloween special activities over the half term week or on Spooky Saturday?
We will publicise all businesses doing something special for halloween on our website and social media - please tag us in to your posts or send us your event posters. Email marketing@loveoxted.co.uk or WhatsApp +447514011355
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CHRISTMAS IN OXTED
General
- Christmas lights
- Dressed Christmas trees at top and bottom of the town
- Garlands on Station Tunnel entrance
- Twinkly lights on the planters and trees - please feel free to add more!
- Letters to Santa Mailbox - throughout November and December this will be doing the rounds of various shops so it's in a different location each week. We will publicise the weekly location via social media. Let Sophie know if you would like to host. First come, first served! Get on Santa's good list...
Thursday, 23rd November - Lights & Late Night Shopping
Lights Switch On will be Thursday 23rd November at 5pm with late night shopping until 8pm (latest).
Procession through Station Road West and Station Road East to officially turn on the lights as per last year (hopefully without the biblical rains!).
- Please make sure your Christmas windows are done by then and please stay open late if possible!
- All businesses are asked to do something special for the evening.
- We will also have street entertainment throughout the town.
- We would love to have a host location for Santa for the late night shopping event and also someone to host our face painter. Please let Sophie know if you are up for either of these ASAP.
Saturday, 2nd December - Christmas Market & Small Business Saturday
Our Christmas Market will be on Station Road West on Saturday 2 December 11am-3pm
- As it is Small Business Saturday, it would also be great if ALL street level businesses had a street stall/street food, or some sort of special activity - inside or outside your premises - even if it’s just for an hour.
- Please let us know what you can do and we will publicise it. It would be great if businesses could make this a special day.
- We will also have other entertainment. And again would be great to have a Santa’s grotto and a face painter to be based inside. Please let us know if you’d be happy to host.
Sunday 3rd December - Sing it Out! - will be belting out the Christmas tunes at 11AM! They are a great locally based group of ladies who meet to sing for stress relief! New members always welcome!!
16th &17th December - Full scale Santa’s Grotto and reindeer on Master Park (organised by Master Park).
Saturday 23rd December - The Carollers, Victorian Carol Singers - singing around Oxted (both sides of the station) raising funds for The Rainbow Trust. They will do a number of songs on both Station Road East and Station Road West. Time TBC.
There is very likely to be other activity added in. Please keep an eye on emails and social media.
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OTHER MARKETING ACTIVITY
What's On in Oxted posters - You may have seen the what's on posters over the last few months. We have a poster site in Oxted Station and are putting them on boards, the website and social media - please do share the poster on your own social media. We are also popping them up in shop windows of whoever is happy to host one. Please let us know if you are happy to do so.
"Love Oxted Helpers" WhatsApp Group - Sophie has a small WhatsApp group going of business owners who are happy to contribute to ideas and help with info sharing, marketing, events and other promotional activities. If you would like to join this group, please message Sophie on 07514 011355 and she will add you.
Our Oxted Maps - are now complete with the final one in situ by the path from Ellice Road Car Park. Yes it IS supposed to be thta way round, designed to capture people coming from the car park ;)
There is an updated version on the website for download in the BID section.
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IN OTHER NEWS...
The planters and trees had a rough time of it in the heat wave, but they have all been re-invigorated and replanted and we hope will be ok. If you have one outside of your premises, please would you keep an eye on it and give it some water and love. They are maintained but sometimes need a little extra TLC. Report any issues to Sophie. 07514 011355.
We were sad to see Tender Trap close up shop on Station Road East, but happy to report that the lovely Joanna will be taking up residence in a new location in Oxted very soon...
Check out the newly branded and re-designed shop fronts for La Maison and Job's of Oxted and look out for the impending launch of Bocata by Pan y Vino by the station tunnel.
Finally, we would like to say a big WELCOME to Scott Taylor and his team at Scott Taylor Garden Design who launched last month in Anchor House next to Idol Hands on Station Road West. We wish them all the best.
Please don't forget to TAG @LOVEOXTED into all your social media posts and let us know your news, activities and promotions... the more we know, the more we can help.
Email: marketing@loveoxted.co.uk or WhatsApp Sophie on +44 (0)7514 011355.
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Please don't hesitate to email Tracey - tracey@loveoxted.co.uk with any regulatory or general BID management enquiry, or to Sophie on marketing@loveoxted.co.uk for any Marketing/Events or Attractive Town enquiries.
Please let us know your news and don't forget to TAG @loveoxted into your posts and stories on social media.
The BID Management Team
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