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Working Groups

Great Torrington Town Council Marketing Working Group

We reported last December about the newly formed Marketing Working Group.  Since then, the group has been busy and you will note from the front page of the CRIER, one of the main pieces of work has been updating the “Town Map” and John Wardman’s “Civil War Trail”.  These will join the new “Heritage Trail” map which was finalised at the end of last year, created by Emily Wapshott and the Futures Group. By mid-April, we will have 3 maps available in paper form and will distribute these far and wide, but would also like to encourage our local residents to grab copies and either have a look at what the town has to offer in respect of a unique shopping experience and/or take in one of the history trails and learn more about the wonderful heritage of your amazing town!

Last Autumn, the CDT asked the Town Council if we would take over the membership of the North Devon Marketing Bureau (NDMB). Members agreed  and we have ensured that we have maximised the quota of  photos we are able to display on the Visit Devon website as well as populated the site with appropriate information about Great Torrington.  In addition, we have also subscribed to a half page advert in the “Visit Devon” booklet which is distributed nationally.

We have spent some time boosting the One Great Torrington website by adding in various community groups.  It is envisaged that the “OneGreatTorrington” website (www.OneGreatTorrington.uk) will be the portal for the town and will point people to various activities, shops, groups etc.

Closer to home again, we are looking at other activities and opportunities. The working group is currently planning a History Alive weekend in September 2022, which was reported on last month and there is talk of designing a heritage calendar for 2022. We are also looking for local treasure hunt style activities throughout the town which can be added to the One Great Torrington website to be used by a whole host of people, including children.  If you have any such trails, and you are happy to share them, please contact the Town Council.

What continues to be evident throughout all of this work is the plethora of volunteers who work tirelessly and passionately for the community of Great Torrington. We are very fortunate!

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any ideas as to how we can promote the great things our town has to offer and keep an eye out in future editions of The Crier for updates on how we are progressing.

Marketing Working Group

The Town Council, along with representatives from a wide variety of community groups, has established a Marketing Working Group with the aim of promoting and marketing the many assets Great Torrington has to both local residents and visitors.  The group is working together to encourage footfall in the town centre and to promote enjoyment of the various historical, cultural, sporting, leisure and environmental experiences offered in our town throughout the year.

The working group held it’s first meeting in September and members are already working on a number of projects including updating maps of the town centre, developing a new history trail, improving information about Great Torrington’s attractions across a number of websites, for example www.OneGreatTorrington.uk  and www.visitdevon.co.uk and establishing a new Treasure Trail for Great Torrington.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any ideas as to how we can promote the great things our town has to offer and keep an eye out in future editions of The Crier for updates on how we are progressing.

Environment Working Group – Quick Wins

The Environment Working Group established and the Environment Committee has adopted  the following 7 “Quick Wins”.

  1. REPAIR, REUSE, RECYCLE: have things repaired if possible, try Men’s Shed, buy from Charity Shops/Second-hand. If it has to go: recycle it.
  1. If you have to buy it new, and for everyday items and food, when you can, SHOP LOCAL from Independent shops, and if you can, avoid single-use plastics.
  1. REDUCE FOOD WASTE – Torridge has 200 tons of food waste a month. Don’t over-buy/love your freezer/compost what you can.
  1. SAVE WATER: 4-minute shower challenge/turn the tap off when brushing your teeth/get a water butt for the garden. See southwestwater.co.uk/savewater for tips and free water-saving devices.
  1. SAVE ELECTRICITY: insulate your home/switch to LED light bulbs/turn off at the switch/only boil the water you need/switch to a renewable electricity company for your power/ Contact 361energy.org to see if you qualify for a free energy-saving consultation, they can also help you to switch to a cheaper/ more environment friendly tariff.
  1. FLY LESS: car share/use public transport/when (and if) you can walk!
  1. LET YOUR GARDEN GO WILD: stop mowing/let the wild flowers grow/stop using weed killer and other chemicals and welcome the insects.