About
Mission Statement
This is the website of the Penge Tourist Board (PTB). The PTB is a community led group created to promote and improve culture, commerce and the environment for residents, visitors and businesses of Penge. PTB is a not for profit, nonpolitical, voluntary organisation.
Strategic aims 2016-18
Vision: That Penge is highly regarded as a great place to live and visit
The strategic aims of the Penge Tourist Board are:
• Attracting new business
• Engaging the local community and businesses via Social media and events
• Enhancing Penge’s reputation
• Engaging with our neighbours; seeking inspiration from them and reproducing their best practices
• Facilitation and being a platform: Facilitating engagement within the local community and its groups
• Improving the cultural and physical environment As a community group our aim is not to directly take on all of the related tasks ourselves but to involve others in the community in doing so, making use of our communities skills, knowledge and contacts as well as passion for the area.
Below is a description of what our strategic aims are trying to achieve as well as kinds of activities we as a board will try to facilitate in order to meet our strategic aims:
1. Attracting new business
What does success look like?
• A good mix of independent shops and cafés as well as known chains
• No empty units on the high street
• A great market
• People visiting the area from outside areas for shops, cafés, pubs etc
• Great pubs
• Shop front signage is of good quality
What type of activities will we take part in to achieve this?
• Facilitating dialogue between businesses and empty units
• Promoting the area and its potential to new businesses (for example demonstrating an engaged community as per below)
• Promote opportunities to businesses (eg: funding for signage, Mary Portas type stuff!)
• Target independents looking to expand from other areas
• Target brokerage companies and pop up/ market organisers
• Giving prospective businesses tours of Penge
• Highlight funding opportunities to new business
• Encourage freeholders to lower rents/ consider short lets or pop up opportunities
2. Engaging the local community and businesses via Social media and events
What does success look like?
• Facebook and Twitter followings comparable or exceeding other areas
• Successful, regularly updated web site
• Well attended events and socials with good reputation beyond Penge
• Local businesses taking a joined up lead in enhancing and promoting the community.
What type of activities will we take part in to achieve this?
• Engage people on Facebook and Twitter ensuring light hearted and fun debates and updates
• Contribute to and encourage others to contribute to the website
• Set up, promote and participate socials and Community or seasonal events (Eg: fundraisers, social drinks, easter trail, halloween trail, Christmas event etc)
• Highlight funding opportunities to community groups
3. Enhancing Penge’s reputation
What does success look like?
• Businesses in the area describe themselves as Penge based (not CP!)
• Positive press coverage of the area
• Penge being regarded by residents and people from other areas as a great place to be
What type of activities will we take part in to achieve this?
• All of the above/below
• Seeking out wider press and publicity opportunities
4. Engaging with our neighbours; seeking inspiration from the and reproducing their best practices
What does success look like?
• Successes from other areas replicated (but better!)
• Other areas replicating our initiatives in their areas
• Successful joined up working on shared issues
What type of activities will we take part in to achieve this?
• Keep an active eye on what similar communities are doing and learn from best practice
• Promote our successes to other community groups
• Partnership work where we have shared issues or where there is a direct benefit to Penge or our strategic aims.
5. Facilitation and being a platform: Facilitating engagement within the local community and its groups
What does success look like?
• Good diverse range of well attended Community groups
• Good level of membership in community groups
• Community groups with Good level of influence (Eg over council, town planning etc)
What type of activities will we take part in to achieve this?
• Promote community groups on social media and website
• Highlight funding opportunities to community groups
• Highlight best practice from other communities
• Be a platform for community groups to promote their activities
• Put groups in touch /facilitate partnership where similar agendas exists
6. Improving the cultural and physical environment
What does success look like?
• Clean streets
• Safe traffic calming measures
• Good quality signage on all retail units
• Well maintained parks
What type of activities will we take part in to achieve this?
• Assisting the community in lobbying the council on issues such as traffic, street cleanliness and empty units
• Giving the community a voice to do the same
• Directing the community towards relevant local authority or central government departments to voice their issues
• Setting a culture of high expectation in the community
• Identify and promote opportunities (eg funding for signage etc)
Team PTB are Claire Frost, Ellinor Michel, Dan Olney, Paul Mawdesley, Amanda Sciberras, Mark Painter