A TOTAL of seven locations in the north have been named as finalists in a prestigious UK-wide retail awards.
Newtownards High Street, Enniskillen town centre and Bow Street in Lisburn are among the 12 nominated for the top prize at the Great British High Street Awards 2019.
The trio are finalists in the Champion High Streets category, putting them in the running to win a £15,000 prize.
A further four towns from Northern Ireland are also represented in the Rising Star High Streets section, which recognises areas that are taking the lead to adapt and diversify.
Armagh city centre, Newry High Street, Broughshane Street in Ballymena and Carrickfergus High Street, will compete alongside 24 other finalists from across the UK
for the accolade, with the winners of both awards to be unveiled at a ceremony in November.
UK high streets minister Jake Berry congratulated all this year's shortlisted nominees
"The quality of the entries this year has been fantastic," he said.
“High streets make people happier, and people want to see their hard-earned cash supporting the local economy. That is why we are celebrating those that go above and beyond to keep their high streets thriving for generations to come.
“Inspiring high streets like these will play a key role in the Government’s vision to boost local growth and level up our regions.”
Sundeep Kaur, head of UK and Ireland merchant services at sponsor Visa added:
“We’ve seen some fantastic entries for this year’s Great British High Street Awards across both the Champion High Street and Rising Star categories. In particular, the desire to innovate stands out amongst this year’s entries, with high streets adapting to the challenges presented by a rapidly changing retail environment to find ways to thrive at a local level.
As our research shows, high streets play a vital role at the heart of communities, so this is a great opportunity for those communities with shortlisted high streets to show their support by placing their votes on the Great British High Street website.”
People can vote for their favourite finalist at www.thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk, with the public vote accounting for 20 percent of the final scoring.
