New Protections From Sexual Harassment Are In Force
What Worcester Businesses Need To Know
Did you know that a new legal duty came into force at the end of October 2024? Businesses across the UK are subject to new legal obligations designed to strengthen protections against workplace sexual harassment. This legislative change, aimed at ensuring safer and more respectful working environments, is something all businesses—from small independent shops to larger firms—must address.
At Worcester Business Improvement District (BID), we’re acutely aware of the challenges faced by our business community when navigating legal changes. That’s why we’re committed to supporting our members in adapting to these new requirements effectively.
The new law mandates that employers take proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. This includes implementing clear policies, providing training to staff, and addressing any incidents swiftly and appropriately. For many businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, understanding these requirements can seem daunting. However, failing to comply could result in significant legal and reputational risks.
To aid our members in meeting these new expectations, Worcester BID is offering a free training course, in partnership with The Employment Solicitor, for all members. This practical course has already helped its first cohort of businesses understand their obligations, implement effective preventative measures, and foster a workplace culture that prioritises respect and inclusivity.
By taking part in this training, you’ll gain valuable insights into the law, actionable steps to protect your team, and the confidence to handle potential challenges with professionalism. Worcester BID is proud to provide this support as part of our broader mission to drive business improvement and success in our city via our extensive member training programme.
We strongly encourage all our members to take advantage of this free opportunity. It not only ensures compliance but demonstrates your commitment to creating a safe and welcoming environment for your employees and customers alike.
For more information about the training course and to reserve your spot, please contact us at info@worcesterbid.com or press here.
Together, let’s work towards making Worcester a shining example of a thriving and respectful business community.
What Worcester Could Lose Without the BID
In March this year, Worcester BID reached out to the community, keen to hear directly from its membership, the local business community. The feedback was clear: safer streets, a vibrant city centre, and support for business skills and staff retention are crucial. However, without Worcester BID, the essential services and initiatives that work towards a better livelier city could disappear, leaving a significant void that statutory services cannot fill.
Worcester BID plays a pivotal role in ensuring the safety and vibrancy of our city. Without it, the initiatives that contribute to safer streets would be at risk. This includes the Worcester Safe Space and team, Safer Streets Officers, and the CityNet Radio System that connects retailers to CCTV and Police. Regular Safer City meetings, youth support to reduce ASB in the city through The BASE Youth Hub and plans to reduce anti-social behaviour would all face termination.
The aesthetic appeal of Worcester would also suffer if these enhancements were not in place. The festive lighting adds a magical touch to the city during the Christmas holidays, and the creative aerial displays during summer, window art, planters, planting upkeep, and public art installations are all funded, organised, and supported by Worcester BID. These improvements make Worcester not just a place to shop, and do business, but a destination in itself. Many people share selfies and photographs of the installations on social media, creating a buzz and inspiring others to book long weekends in the city. Businesses have also reported that dwell time is up, as well as artwork providing a reduction in graffiti tagging.
Moreover, Worcester BID serves as a strong, business-focused voice, advocating for the city and its businesses. From securing external grants to leading on city accreditations, Worcester BID plays a crucial role in attracting foot traffic and investment. It is also a key stakeholder in shaping the future of the High Street, ensuring that the needs of local businesses are at the forefront of development plans.
Promotion is another area where Worcester BID excels. The city’s presence in national and local press, on television, and across social media platforms would diminish without their efforts. Business filming, professional photography, and city trails that draw visitors and locals alike would also be lost.
Finally, Worcester BID provides invaluable support to businesses in retaining employees. Through compliance training, management development skills, customer service training, social media skills workshops and more, Worcester BID helps local businesses gain invaluable skills. They also offer employee discounts, and local discounted parking schemes, and provide confidential welfare support via the Safe Space initiative.
In summary, Worcester BID is more than just a business improvement district; it works to connect the City’s services with its business community, working to provide safer streets, stronger communities, and a thriving Worcester. Without it, the city stands to lose far more than just a few services. For more information on Worcester BID, please explore www.worcesterbid.com.
Three Choirs Festival is Coming! Download your poster now!
The World’s Longest Running Music Festival is coming to Worcester in Summer 2024
The Three Choirs Festival is the world’s longest-running music festival, rotating between the cathedral cities of Hereford, Worcester and Gloucester. Since its beginnings in 1715, the festival has provided incredible music which has served as the inspiration for thousands.
The Three Choirs Festival is a week-long programme of world-class music making, featuring choral and orchestral concerts, solo and chamber music recitals, talks, cathedral services, theatre, exhibitions, and walks, rotating each summer between the beautiful English cathedral cities of Gloucester, Hereford, and Worcester. One of the elements which makes the festival so special is the Festival Chorus, which is made up of auditioned singers from the local area trained by professional directors, meaning that the Chorus both sings to a high standard and is a real part of the community. Three Choirs is thought to be the longest-standing classical music festival in the world and celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2015.
“A beacon for music making in our region”
At the heart of the festival are large-scale evening concerts featuring the Festival Chorus and the Philharmonia Orchestra (resident at the festival since 2012). Concert programmes feature internationally recognised soloists and combine favourites of the classical choral tradition with the best new music of our time. The Three Choirs Festival Youth Choir performs a major cathedral concert with the Philharmonia Orchestra every year, giving a unique opportunity to young singers in our region to rehearse and perform to a high standard with expert direction.
Next year, the festival is in Worcester. Learn more about what’s in store on their website: Home | Three Choirs Festival (3choirs.org).
If you want to display a poster in your business, please download it here: A3 / A4
If you would like a hard copy, please email us at info@worcesterbid.com to request a drop up or pick up.
Martyn's Law: Ensuring Security for Worcester Businesses
The consultation phase for Martyn’s Law, the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, is now underway, representing a crucial opportunity for Worcester’s business community to contribute to enhanced security measures.
Named after Martyn Hett, a victim of the Manchester bombing, this legislation aims to mandate venue owners to assess terrorism threats and implement appropriate and robust measures. The legislation ensures readiness and response training for individuals in the event of an attack. Enhanced security systems, staff training, and clearer processes aim to deliver better protection, aligning with government responses to the Manchester Arena Inquiry. The bill will be passed under a tiered framework, meaning different types of businesses will be mandated to undertake different measures.
Under Martyn’s Law, proprietors of standard-tier premises in Worcester, covering sites with capacities ranging from 100
to 799 individuals, must fulfil key requirements. This is the most common business type in Worcester that will be affected by the new bill. Standard-tier businesses will need to notify the Regulator of their responsibility for the premises and namely, implement procedural measures to mitigate the risk of harm to individuals in the event of an attack. Notably, the revised Bill eliminates the need for specified forms, prescribed training, or physical alterations to equipment, reducing disruption to most Worcester city centre local business operations.
Business owners and stakeholders in Worcester are urged to engage in the Government’s consultation process, offering insights to inform the finalisation of this legislation. This initiative strongly resonates with Worcester BID’s dedication to cultivating a safer environment. Through expanded training initiatives, including our Catastrophic Bleed Courses, heightened safety measures, and the improved utilisation of the CCTV-integrated business radio network, CityNet, we aim to enhance security measures. Additionally, our collaborative endeavours, such as Safe Space, underscore our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community members at work, as residents and whilst enjoying all that our city has to offer.
Your input will contribute to the Government’s endeavour to enhance public safety and national security. As this Bill impacts Worcester businesses, it’s essential to be prepared for the changes it brings. Martyn’s Law is a legislative step in the right direction, but it needs your stakeholder input. You can participate in the consultation via the government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/martyns-law-standard-tier-consultation.
NEW April and May Tuesday Training courses are now available for booking
Are you a BID Business? Join Worcester BID for Tuesday Training and let’s make Worcester safer together.
Tuesday Training is a 2022 initiative aiming to bring useful and free training courses to Worcester BID members. We want Worcester to feel safe for everyone in both the day and night. We believe it is imperative that health-based training is offered to create a safer community, a safer city and to make your staff feel trained and ready.
We will be running training throughout 2022 for you and your staff to utilise. You may now sign up to the new following free training programmes for April/May:
- [AED] Defibrillator Training
- First Aid
- Food Hygiene (Please register interest - dates to be released soon)
- Conflict Management Training and Physical Intervention
- Health and Safety With Risk Assessment
To find out more about how we can support your BID business press here to open the interactive .pdf and explore what we have on offer and what each course entails. Dates and times for each course may also be found in the document attached.
To book, please forward your chosen courses and dates to gloria.hawthorn@worcesterbid.com.
FREE Digital Marketing Training - Book Now!
Join Worcester BID and the Worcester City Council for FREE digital marketing training for all businesses
As part of the Welcome Back funding to support the recovery of the High Street and to future proof our businesses Worcester BID and Worcester City Council are pleased to announce a series of digital marketing training. Supporting businesses to develop skills, strengthen SEO, raise awareness and engage with larger audiences.
Training is available to any business member within the City Council district. This training is open to all businesses as part of the Welcome Back Fund.
What courses are available to your business?
All training will run 9.30 AM - 12.30 PM (variations may occur depending on the course taken).
7th March - Social media that works for you / 1-2 hours
Social media, the importance and how to make it work for you. Creating content, building communities and making a plan.
8th March - Benchmarking your analysis / 1-2 hours
Why analytics are important, how to analyse them and why you need to understand your importance to improve your overall profile.
14th March - Digital advertising made easy. / 1-2 hours
Pay per click advertising, display advertising, social media advertising and paying to reach new audiences.
15th March - Creating a digital strategy / 2-3 hours
Digital marketing strategy involves an assessment of specific goals that are achievable through online channels, we will use the time to create one for your business.
21st March - Content planning and scheduling / 1-2 hours
How to plan your content, create calendars, using local events to your advantage and prepare for it.
22nd March - SEO and why websites work / 2-3 hours
Getting started with on-page SEO, application of technical SEO, keyword research and using Google business listing to be seen more.
28th March - How to rank for the web and secrets of growth / 1-2 hours
How to write for the web, understanding landing pages, keyword application and the power of blogging, beating Google.. or at least getting close.
29th March - SEO strategies made easy / 1-2 hours
SEO strategy is a detailed plan to improve a website's search engine rankings in order to capture more organic traffic, we will use the course time to create one.
4th April - Practical Marketing / 1-2 hours
Marketing strategies, trending techniques, measuring success and applying immediate marketing actions.
5th April - Everything web and your digital storefront / 2-3 hours
SEO content strategies, how to improve your digital storefront, optimisation for small businesses and creating a stronger website.
11th April - Digital marketing and PR let's break it down / 2-3 hours
Raising your overall PR perspective, utilising local channels, local events and utilising the community to raise your profile.
12th April - Tik Tok, new audiences and you / 1-2 hours
Why TikTok is one of the most powerful social media platforms, how to utilise it and what the next steps are to reach new audiences.
18th April - Top-ups and deeper learning based on what people found difficult / 1-2 hours
We will use this time for extra learning, anything that course attendees struggled with or want more detail.
19th April - Wrap up questions and how to manage it / 1-2 hours
Within this course we will wrap up the entire course, what has been learnt and follow up questions and getting ready to keep growing your business.
To book onto any of the course options available please email our Business Administrator, Alice Ingleby-Faulkner, at: Alice.Ingleby-Faulkner@worcesterbid.com with the course dates, titles and times you would like to register for.
Tuesday Training for Worcester BID members
Are you a BID Business? Join Worcester BID for Tuesday Training and let's make Worcester safer together.
Tuesday Training is a 2022 initiative aiming to bring useful and free training courses to Worcester BID members. We want Worcester to feel safe for everyone in both the day and night. We believe it is imperative that health-based training is offered to create a safer community, a safer city and to make your staff feel trained and ready.
We will be running training throughout 2022 for you and your staff to utilise. You may currently sign up to attend the following free training programmes:
- [AED] Defibrillator Training
- First Aid
- Catastrophic Bleed
- Mental Health
- Food Hygiene L2
You may also wish to register for the following training options:
- Marketing Foundations
- Website SEO Training
- Conflict + Physical Intervention
- Health + Safety with Risk Assessment
These can be found in our April-May date interactive .pdf. This can be found in a later news post.
To find out more about how we can support your BID business press here to open the interactive .pdf and explore what we have on offer and what each course entails. Dates and times for each course may also be found in the document attached.
To book, please forward your chosen courses and dates to gloria.hawthorn@worcesterbid.com.
Terms and Conditions:
All training is booked on a first-come, first-served basis. You may sign-up a maximum of two members of staff for each training course.
DON'T MISS THIS LIMITED OPPORTUNITY!
DON’T MISS THIS LIMITED OPPORTUNITY FOR FREE CITY & GUILDS ACCREDITED CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING!
We’re delighted to be able to offer limited places on a FREE Level 3 Certificate in Customer Service City & Guilds accredited training course* to our BID businesses!
If you own or are employed with a BID business and would like to take advantage of this opportunity, you must be available to attend four full days of training spread across the 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd October (between 9am to 4.30pm).
This training will cover:
Day One
Principles of Customer Expectations
Impacts on Customer Expectations/Satisfaction
Day Two
Customer Service Problems/Complaints
Supporting Legislation
Day Three
Practising Effective Customer Service
Product Promotion and Services
Day Four
Effective Teamwork
Monitoring of Performance
* In order to benefit from this training, your business must meet the eligibility criteria. Please contact Shelly on 01905 731612 or at shelly.simpson@worcesterbid.com for further details and to book your free place!
Get the most out of your Christmas audience with free Social Media Training!
More Free Social Media Training Dates Released!
We are delighted to be offering more free Social Media Training in time for Christmas!
The focus of the training will be ‘Getting the most out of your Christmas audience’ and will include some exciting hints and tips on things such as gifting ideas and producing digital Advent Calendars!
Course dates:
Wednesday 2nd October 2019
Wednesday 9th October 2019
Wednesday 23rd October 2019
Course times:
10.00am or 2.00pm
Contact Shelly on 01905 731612 or at shelly.simpson@worcesterbid.com to book your free place!
