Love Strabane - Highlights 2021-2026

Introduction
Five Years of Delivery. Partnership. Progress.
Since 2021 Love Strabane has delivered a structured, strategic
programme of work on behalf of levy-paying businesses across the
town centre.
Through collective investment and co-ordinated leadership the
Business Improvement District has worked to:
• PROMOTE Strabane positively
• STRENGTHEN the business voice
• SUPPORT individual businesses
• IMPROVE the trading environment
• ATTRACT footfall and investment
Despite significant economic pressures such as post-pandemic
recovery, cost-of-doing-business crisis, energy challenges and
changing retail patterns, Love Strabane has provided stability,
advocacy and proactive delivery.
The following highlights demonstrate not only what was delivered, but
how it has directly benefited businesses operating within the Business
Improvement District.
02 LOVE STRABANE

“Strabane BID and the Love Strabane
campaign do fantastic work promoting
local businesses and showcasing
everything the town has to offer. We’ve
really appreciated being included in
the Christmas promotional videos
and marketing across a wide range of
platforms, and being nominated for
the Strabane BID Business of the Year
award was a great boost for us at The
Thirsty Filly. It’s reassuring to know
that there is an organisation actively
working to support businesses and
provide a collective voice for traders,
especially during what are challenging
times for town centres.”
Sean McGarrigle,
The Thirsty Filly
SECOND TERM HIGHLIGHTS 2021-2026 03

1. Promote
Raising the Profile of Strabane and its Businesses
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
• 2022 rebrand and establishment of the Love Strabane
brand as a unifying identity
• Rapidly growing social media engagement, particularly
from 2024 onwards
• Seasonal marketing campaigns
• Strabane Christmas Videos showcasing local businesses
• Bespoke professional photography featuring local business
owners
• Videography campaigns promoting town centre businesses
• Social media amplification of business content
• Window competitions celebrating creativity
• Schools engagement programmes fostering a “Love Local”
culture
THE BENEFIT TO BUSINESSES
The Love Strabane rebrand created a clear, modern and
consistent identity for the town, strengthening perception and
pride.
COLLECTIVE MARKETING HAS:
• Increased visibility of local businesses
• Driven footfall during key trading periods
• Created high-quality promotional assets depicting
individual businesses and promoting the town as a whole
• Positioned Love Strabane as the go-to digital hub for town
centre updates
• Encouraged long-term behavioural change through early
engagement with schools
The cumulative effect is stronger townwide
recognition and improved consumer
awareness of local offerings.
04 LOVE STRABANE

2. Strengthen
Driving Regeneration and Strategic Influence
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
• Supporting the £7m Strabane Public Realm Scheme by
facilitating surveys and collecting 103 letters of business
support which assisted in securing project funding
• Active stakeholder role in the £115m Strabane Town Centre
Regeneration Scheme, including state-of-the-art Leisure
Centre, NWRC campus, health hub and active travel
pedestrian footbridge
• Key partner in the Local Green Deal and Positive Energy
District (PED) Pilot Project focused on energy efficiencies
and potential surplus energy distribution
THE BENEFIT TO BUSINESSES
These projects represent transformational investment in
Strabane’s town centre.
LOVE STRABANE HAS ENSURED:
• The private sector voice is embedded in major capital
projects
• Regeneration plans consider trading realities
• Increased co-location of key services will drive sustained
footfall
• Long-term economic landscape improvements benefit
retail, hospitality and service sectors
Without structured BID representation,
business influence in these projects would
be significantly reduced.
“Taking part in the professional business photography arranged by Love Strabane was a real boost for Classic Beauty. The
resulting images were used to promote my business across the latest campaign, featuring on billboards, digital screens and
social media, which has significantly increased awareness of our services and attracted new customers. Being showcased in this
way has helped strengthen my brand, reach a wider audience and positioned my business more prominently within the town.”
Joanne Kelly, Classic Beauty
SECOND TERM HIGHLIGHTS 2021-2026 05

3. Support
Driving Regeneration and Strategic Influence
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
• Strong lobbying and advocacy, including meeting with the
Secretary of State for NI
• Partnership with retail-focused organisations to strengthen
lobbying power
• Love Strabane Gift Card: 80+ accepting businesses, over
£270,000 secured spend retained locally since its inception
• Free Parking initiative lobbying (5 weekends before
Christmas 2024 & 2025)
• Assistance attracting and supporting new businesses
• Business spotlight campaigns
• Business engagement events
• Strabane BID Business of the Year Award
• Celebrating local success at regional award platforms
• Sustainable Saving Workshops
• Disability Awareness Training
• Input into business related consultations such as Small
Business Rates Relief
• Community Support (£7,000 distributed via Love Strabane
Gift Cards)
• Tackling town centre operational issues (lighting, waste, onstreet
drinking, parking, radio scheme)
• Strategic partnerships across public, private, education and
community sectors
• Regular town centre updates and information
dissemination
THE BENEFIT TO BUSINESSES
Support initiatives have delivered:
• Secured local spend retained within the town
• Increased pre-Christmas footfall and dwell time through
free parking
• Improved cost awareness and sustainability support
• Stronger lobbying power during economic pressure
• Recognition and celebration of local enterprise
• Assistance in filling vacant units
• Practical solutions to operational challenges
• Direct economic injection into businesses via gift card
schemes
06 LOVE STRABANE

Collectively these initiatives
have strengthened resilience
and reduced isolation.
SECOND TERM HIGHLIGHTS 2021-2026 07

4. Improve
Enhancing the Physical Environment
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
• Investment in new festive lighting (Tree at The Tinnies,
Reindeer & Sleigh, Street Crossing, Photo Frame
installation)
• Town Centre Vacancy Audits
• Delivery of Strabane’s first two major street art pieces on
Castle Place
• Partnership in new large-scale mural scheduled for 2026
• Partner in Derry Road & Market Street paint scheme
THE BENEFIT TO BUSINESSES
Environmental improvements directly influence consumer
perception.
Impact includes:
• Improved streetscape aesthetics and customer experience
enhancer
• Reduced negative perception of vacancy
• Increased vibrancy and photo opportunities
• Enhanced town pride
• Strengthened attractiveness to visitors and investors
“BID helped me to find this premises and we were featured
heavily in the campaign at Christmas, especially on the digital
screen at ASDA, a lot of people seen our business and as a result
came into us. Thankfully they’ve remained customers ever since.
BID have been very supportive to traders like me to try to
encourage events that drive footfall into Strabane”
A better physical environment supports
longer dwell time and stronger trading
conditions.
Niall Speak,
The Eco-Basket
08 LOVE STRABAN8

5. Attract
Driving Footfall and Animation
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
• Strategic shift from large-scale single events to distributed
town-centre animation
• Love Strabane Event
• Partnering with Council and Community sector to
maximise events such as Christmas, Halloween and
Summer Jamm
• Trick or Treat trails driving business visits
• Covering stall hire costs for BID traders
THE BENEFIT TO BUSINESSES
The shift in event strategy responded directly to business
feedback.
This approach has:
• Spread footfall across the town
• Encouraged movement between streets
• Supported street trading of local businesses by removing
financial barriers
• Increased family engagement
• Extended dwell time
• Strengthened Strabane’s reputation as an active, welcoming
town
COLLECTIVE IMPACT 2021–2026
Love Strabane has:
• Retained over £270,000 of secured local spend through the
Love Strabane gift card
• Influenced over £120m in regeneration projects
• Strengthened lobbying at local and national levels
• Improved town aesthetics
• Supported business resilience
• Increased digital reach and brand recognition
• Encouraged collaboration across sectors
Most importantly, it has ensured that Strabane
businesses are not operating alone but as part
of a coordinated and influential collective.
SECOND TERM HIGHLIGHTS 2021-2026 09

Looking Ahead
The second term has demonstrated what structured
collaboration can achieve.
Love Strabane has provided:
• LEADERSHIP
• PROMOTION
• ADVOCACY
• STABILITY
• PRACTICAL DELIVERY
The next phase is about building on this momentum;
strengthening engagement, sharpening priorities and
continuing to deliver meaningful impact for businesses
across the town centre.
Menarys are delighted to be back in Strabane after
an absence of a few years due to the redevelopment
of our previous shop. Emma and the Team at Love
Strabane were instrumental in us securing our new
premises and have been incredibly supportive both
in the pre-opening and opening periods. Their
engagement with our management team and ongoing
support continues to help us as we re-establish the
Menarys brand in Strabane.
Strabane town centre benefits in many ways from
the work of the Love Strabane team and their work
continues to help the town perform strongly in what
is a challenging time for the retail industry. We look
forward to seeing how Strabane town, Love Strabane
and Menarys continue to thrive in 2026.
Stephen McCammon
Managing Director, Menarys, Strabane
10 LOVE STRABANE

Your Voice Matters
Strabane’s town centre continues to face real challenges,
from rising costs to changing consumer habits and
economic uncertainty. More than ever, it is important
that businesses work together to shape how we respond
and adapt. As we look ahead to the next five years of
Love Strabane, your voice is vital.
We encourage you to take a few minutes to complete the
consultation and share your views.
Your feedback will help shape the priorities,
initiatives and actions that will support businesses
and strengthen Strabane for the future.
We are Stronger Together
“When I first came into post as Manager at Medicare, the
support and assistance from Strabane BID was invaluable
in helping me settle in and understand how to make the
most of local initiatives. Being included in the Strabane
Christmas video and festive marketing campaign really
helped boost footfall and raise awareness of our products,
while the social media coverage of our store events has
been extremely helpful in reaching more customers and
promoting what we offer locally.”
Jon McGinley,
Manager, Medicare Main St
“Being part of Love Strabane BID has been really beneficial for our business.
The Sustainable Energy workshops and business promotion opportunities
have been particularly valuable, and the team are always willing to support
local traders. Emma was especially helpful last year in adjusting elements
of the Summer Jamm schedule to make sure it didn’t clash with our
business activities, which we really appreciated.”
Mark Gormley,
Gormley Opticians
SECOND TERM HIGHLIGHTS 2021-2026 11

www.lovestrabane.com