Watlington Businesses Invited to Take Part in Helping High Streets Programme

Watlington High Street businesses recently met with Ant Parsons from ALP Synergy / Enterprise Oxfordshire to discuss the Helping High Streets programme and what it could mean for our town.

The session recognised a simple reality: running a High Street business is demanding. Time is limited, margins are tight and energy is often focused on day-to-day operations. The Helping High Streets programme is designed to offer practical, flexible support that works around those pressures.

What is the programme?
The Helping High Streets initiative provides:

• A short diagnostic to help each business understand its own strengths and opportunities
• An anonymised town-wide overview of collective strengths and gaps
• Access to online “Spotlight” sessions on key topics
• Free 1:1 expert advice from specialist Business Advisors

The support model can be flexed to suit Watlington’s needs. However, the current funded phase of expert support must conclude by mid-April, so there is a limited window to engage. Further High Street support is expected beyond April, but details are not yet confirmed.

What have we learned so far?
Businesses that have already completed the diagnostic have contributed to an anonymised Strengths and Opportunities report for Watlington. The data, presented in a Radar Chart, gives a clear picture of where we are performing strongly and where there may be scope to improve.

The more businesses that participate, the more accurate and useful this town-level insight becomes. It provides a shared evidence base for future collaboration and campaign planning.

At the meeting, there was strong agreement that a follow-up session focused specifically on enhanced collaboration between Watlington businesses would be valuable.

Why take part?
Completing the diagnostic:

• Gives you a structured overview of your own business performance
• Unlocks access to free expert 1:1 support
• Contributes to shaping future joint initiatives in Watlington
• Ensures Watlington’s voice is clearly represented in wider Oxfordshire discussions

How to register
High Street businesses can register via this short form:
👉 https://enterpriseoxfordshirebusiness.com/helping-high-streets/

Once registered, you will receive the link to complete the High Street diagnostic.

From there, you can book onto online Spotlight sessions or arrange 1:1 meetings with Business Advisors. The Focus High Street advisors have particular expertise relevant to retail and town centre businesses.

What happens next?
We are encouraging as many Watlington businesses as possible to complete the diagnostic ahead of the next meeting. A further session will take place to discuss how we can use the insights to strengthen collaboration across the town.

If you operate from a shop, office or venue on the High Street and have not yet registered, we strongly encourage you to do so.
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The more businesses that engage, the stronger Watlington’s collective position will be