Big Night As Guildford Hosts Purple Flag Awards Ceremony

Published on: 10 Nov, 2015
Updated on: 13 Nov, 2015

Not only has Guildford received a Purple Flag for the second time for its vibrant and safe night time economy, it also hosted this year’s awards ceremony welcoming representatives from other towns across the UK and Ireland.

Proud to fly the Purple Flag. Some of those at the awards ceremony held in Guildford.

The awards ceremony and dinner took place at the Mandolay Hotel on November 4, with members of the organisation behind the the Purple Flag programme, the Association of Town and City Management, as guests of honour.

The event was hosted by Experience Guildford, the lead delivery partner instrumental in gaining the town’s second year Purple Flag accreditation.

The dinner was attended by leading dignitaries, police, fire and rescue services, local government authorities and business improvement district leaders, as well as other integral members of each town’s Purple Flag delivery team.

Representatives from the evening and night time economy of Basingstoke, Bournemouth, Carrick-on-Shannon, Chelmsford, Cork, Kingston upon Thames, Navan and Swords, were present.

There are currently around 70 towns and cities across the UK and Ireland who fly the Purple Flag and Guildford stands proud as the only town in Surrey to have gained such accreditation.

Along with Experience Guildford, the town’s Purple Flag campaign has been driven in partnership with Guildford Borough Council, Surrey Police, Surrey Fire and Rescue, Guildford Pubwatch and Guildford Street Angels.

Collectively they have worked to raise the profile of the town and its evening and night time economy offering, covering pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants and entertainment venues, addressing and improving issues of safety and transport, street lighting, signage and parking for example to achieve the Purple Flag mark of excellence.

Stuart Craggs, night time economy manager at Experience Guildford and recently appointed Purple Flag assessor said: “This has been a tremendous night to celebrate the tremendous achievements of all those towns and cities involved with the Purple Flag programme.

“Guildford’s journey to a second year accreditation has been an incredibly rewarding one, one that all the key partners are hugely proud of.

“We’ll continue to work hard to ensure that Guildford remains one of the safest and vibrant towns in the South East to enjoy a night out.”

Cllr Graham Ellwood, lead councillor for community safety and licensing at Guildford Borough Council, said: “We were delighted to welcome representatives of Kingston, Bournemouth, Chelmsford and Basingstoke as well as Swords, Cork, Carrick on Shannon and Navan from Ireland to Guildford for this year’s Purple Flag awards. To win the award is a great honour but to host the awards is an even greater one.

“I am immensely proud of the council, police and emergency services who have all made winning this award possible again, especially senior licensing officers John Martin and Justine Fuller. On behalf of Guildford Borough Council I would also like to thank Experience Guildford and especially Amanda Masters and Stuart Craggs for hosting, and making possible such a prestigious event.“

For more information on Guildford’s Purple Flag status and ongoing initiatives to support Guildford town centre’s night-time economy visit www.experienceguildford.com