How charities can revive the high street

Many high streets across the UK, especially in disadvantaged areas, are in the doldrums. As the number of empty shops rise in the advent of online shopping, the cost-of-living crisis risks keeping even more customers away as the UK begins to feel the pinch.  Many non-essential stores that closed during COVID-19 have not been reopened.  

 

But according to community charity Power to Change, charities and other not-for-profit community groups could play a pivotal role in reviving run-down high streets.  

 

They are calling for funding to help communities buy up empty shops so that they can be revamped and turned into vital facilities for the local area.  

 

Here we outline the plans, which are firmly linked to the government’s Levelling Up agenda, for how charities can get involved in giving the UK’s town centres a much-needed revamp. 

 

 

The challenge facing high streets 

 

According to research published by Power to Change, 16% of high street shops are empty and one in 20 closed stores have been vacant for more than three years.  

 

High streets have gradually been hit in recent years through the growth of online shopping. Office of National Statistics figures for 2022 show that almost 30% of total retail is online.  

 

The pandemic has “exacerbated the long-time decline we have seen in many town centres and high streets”, says Power to Change. 

 

This “matters for both economic and social reasons” it adds, pointing out that high streets are places of shared interaction and experiences for communities.  

 

 

Community Spaces 

 

Power to Change’s report Take Back the High Street details how community owned spaces contribute £220m to the UK economy. For every £1 spent in such spaces, more than half (56p) stays in the local economy. This compares to 40p among large private sector firms. 

 

Power to Change is proposing to revive ailing town centres by focusing investment on developing community spaces, driven by local charities and community groups. These can offer places for the community to meet, eat, and drink, as well as shop. 

 

“In many cases, community ownership springs up in places conventional market forces do not deem viable,” adds Power to Change’s report. 

 

 

The High Street Buyout Fund 

 

Power to Change is recommending that a £350m High Street Buyout Fund be created to help communities to take over empty shops in run-down town centres.  

 

The charity would like the Government to back the idea as part of its levelling up agenda, to revive town centres in areas of disadvantage. It is hoped ministers will support the Fund with £100m of levelling up funding.  

 

The Fund’s focus will be to help purchase empty properties and hold them for communities until they have the finance in place to develop their plans and secure the sites’ long-term future.  

 
“High streets were once the beating hearts of our local communities, but the growth of out-of-town retail; the rise of megastores; a seismic shift towards online shopping; and more recently a cost-of-living crisis has left them vulnerable,” says Power to Change Policy Manager Nick Plumb. 
 
“This report makes clear what we know: that greater community ownership and involvement in the high street will push back against these worrying trends. 
 
“A High Street Buyout Fund will help local people overcome the barriers they face, such as access to money at speed, in taking ownership of their high streets. We need this radical action now to ensure our much-loved community spaces survive and thrive.” 

 

 

Hybrid funding options 

 

Not-for-profit organisations can also be helped to revive high streets through hybrid funding options, which blend grants and loans. 

 

A report by think tank New Philanthropy Capital, commissioned by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and released in July 2022, said such hybrid funding offers greater flexibility for organisations to finance projects, such as those proposed by Power for Change. 

 

Hybrid funding has traditionally been focused on small organisations in lower socio-economic areas, which further helps charities looking to revive ailing local town centres, adds NPC.  

 

 

Case Study: Radcliffe Market Hall 

 

The historic Radcliffe Market Hall in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, has been managed and run by Radcliffe Market Hall Community Benefit Society since 2018. 

 

It operates a traditional market for four days a week, with monthly specialist markets, a night-time bar, and a street food market.  

 

It is also a community performance and arts venue, with 32 stalls, and the focal point of the area. It supports 23 full time-equivalent staff and has a turnover of around £250,000 a year.  

 

The market’s success also lies in reviving nearby businesses and venues, according to Power to Change. It says the site “has become a destination place, bringing people into the town centre, both from the local area and the wider Greater Manchester region”.