Something’s happening to our towns.
You’ve probably noticed it.
The empty units where your favourite shop used to be. The pub that closed last year. The high street that feels a little quieter every time you walk down it.
This isn’t just a BCP problem. It’s happening everywhere across Britain.
In the last year alone, independent businesses, bank branches, bars and beloved local shops have been closing by the hundreds. Everyone blames Amazon. And yes, the convenience of online shopping plays a part.
But it’s bigger than that.
Landlords locking independents into impossible leases. Councils charging a fortune for parking. Business rates that make it almost unviable for a small independent to survive on a high street. Empty units sitting unused because the cost to refit them is eye watering.
And then there’s us.
Every time we order online instead of walking to the local shop. Every time we do the big weekly shop at a supermarket instead of the butcher, the greengrocer, the deli. Every time we choose convenience over community.
We’re making a choice. And those choices are adding up.
96% of British adults still want to shop on a high street. They want the butcher. The Saturday market. The pub where people actually know each other. The familiar faces that make a place feel like home.
The demand is still there.
So why are we losing it?
It’s not just about shops.
The high street is a symptom. The real problem is deeper.
People are more connected online than ever and more disconnected in real life.
We live next door to people we’ve never spoken to. We scroll past local businesses we’ve never visited. We moan about the state of things in Facebook comments and then go back to clicking add to basket.
And we wait.
We wait for the council to do something. We wait for the government to fix it. We wait for someone else to sort it out.
But nobody’s coming.
The people who are best placed to fix BCP are the people who live here.
Us.
This is why Step Up BCP exists.
I started Step Up BCP because I genuinely believe that community is the answer.
Not algorithms. Not government initiatives. Not another consultation that goes nowhere.
Just people helping people. Locally. Consistently. Together.
In the few months since we launched we’ve already started to make things happen.
The Step Up BCP Spring Clean got ordinary people stepping outside their front doors and showing care for where they live. No big event. No council budget. Just neighbours deciding to do one small thing.
The Community over Corporations campaign has been reaching tens of thousands of people and reminding them that every pound they spend is a vote for the kind of place they want to live in.
Step Up Spaces is working to activate underused local venues so they become places where things actually happen again. Co-working. Markets. Community events. Real life connection.
Connect the Dots is our vision for a regular community celebration event where you can meet local producers, do part of your weekly shop locally, hear from people doing brilliant things in BCP and feel genuinely part of where you live.
And our local business directory is helping residents find and choose independents over the big chains every single day.
This is just the beginning.
But we need to know what you think.
We have plans. Lots of them.
But before we keep building we want to make sure we’re solving the right problems.
What’s actually broken in your part of BCP?
What do you miss?
What would make you more likely to shop locally, get involved, feel connected again?
What does your street, your neighbourhood, your town centre need?
We’ve put together a short survey and we genuinely want to hear from you.
Not to file it away. Not to tick a box.
But to shape what Step Up BCP does next.
Your answers will directly influence our campaigns, our events, our spaces and our community.
This is your chance to tell us what matters.
Because the people who live here are the ones who can fix it.
And it starts with this.
