22/02/2026
Dear friends Tadcaster Traders Group I thought it might be an opportune time to provide an update on the our Totally Locally initiative in Tad and what the next steps will (hopefully) be:
First, the background - stay with me, it's important! Totally Locally Tadcaster is funded by the Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund of the office of the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith. Now the clue is in the name and the project targets its work on what we defined as the 'high street' in Tadcaster i.e Commercial Street, Bridge Street, High Street, Kirkgate, Westgate, Stutton Road, with a view to making these streets more vibrant and more sustainable. What does that mean?
1. More footfall and longer dwell-time in the town centre.
2. New businesses located in the many vacant properties available.
3. Increased turnover for businesses.
4. More visitors to the town, to appreciate our outstanding heritage and regard Tadcaster as a destination.
5. Local businesses working together to develop new partnerships, ideas, collaborations and to foster a vibrant business community that is set on the idea that Tadcaster can be a great place to do business in.
The grant we received from the Mayor allowed us to employ Kate Winship as our High Streets Delivery Manager for 6 months to 31st December 2025.
I am her manager, so am naturally biased, but I think Kate has done a fantastic job over those 6 months. Have a look at our Evaluation Report if you doubt it!
- Monthly Business Forums
- Tadvantage Card
- Magic Tenner events
- www.totallylocallytadcaster promoting many high street firms
- New Events Committee for the town
- and loads more besides!
Now the eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed that Kate is still in post, funded from our reserves, on a reduced contract til the end of March. We really don't want to lose her, so we have submitted a 2nd application for funding for the continuation and expansion of the post - think of it as Totally Locally Plus - alongside a range of other great initiatives such as a funded programme of town centre events, re-establishing the Cobbles Monthly Market and a massive increase in marketing our town to the outside world!
We hope to hear the outcome of that grant application in the next fortnight so that we can re-commission Kate and expand her work with all our town centre businesses.
A final point if I may! The town has a Business Forum which, since Kate's arrival, meets monthly on varying evenings at either Sibling Sibling WorkSpace or 21 High Street, Tadcaster - thanks to both for their generosity! The Forum exists to support ALL businesses in the town, whether they are based on the "high street", or not (e.g. homeworkers, those on the industrial estates, even out of town village based businesses). There's so much we can do together through collaboration, joint learning, sharing and developing a more circular economy. Please come along if you can, and if you have an idea to promote the town, your business or a sector in the town, please do let us know and we will do what we can to help! The Forum is there for every business from Heineken to the earliest start-up!
So that is the longest post I've ever made but I hope you have read to the end and are now perhaps clearer about what Totally Locally in Tad is all about and what next. We are pinning our hopes on that new grant from the Mayor! And keep on keeping on all you fellow business owners! Best, David Gluck, CEO, Tadcaster & Rural CIC
