We've made the shortlist for the 2025 Visa Let’s Celebrate Towns Awards

Since launcing Work in Shrewsbury in April 2024, we've invested more than one hundred thousand directly into small businesses through our Future Shrewsbury grant programme, made available free training worth more than £50,000, supported an incredible Evolving Business Cohort of 15 exciting start-ups with business development tools and support worth more than £25,000, and promoted Shrewsbury as the best place in the UK to live, work and do business.

Now, we're thrilled to share that Work in Shrewsbury has been shortlisted in the Small Business Support category at the Visa Let's Celebrate Towns Awards.

Shrewsbury on the shortlist - twice!

This year, it's not just Work in Shrewsbury catching the judges' attention - we share the shortlist with fellow Shrewsbury project Shrewsbury Moves, developed by the Big Town Plan Partnership to action town centre initiatives that make movement in Shrewsbury better.

Shrewsbury Moves is shortlisted in the Powering Change category - in large part for its major eBike initiative, which has brought 240 subsidised eBike subscriptions into the town, funded through UKSPF.

Seb Slater, Executive Director of Shrewsbury BID, the creator of Work in Shrewsbury and a partner in the Big Town Plan, says:

“It’s really great news for our town to be shortlisted twice for these government-backed national awards and recognises a number of collaborative projects which are helping to make Shrewsbury one of the very best towns to live, work and visit in the UK!”

Liza Freudmann, of BLA Sustainability, has supported the Work in Shrewsbury project since its launch with project coordination and planning.

She said of the shortlisting, "We’re thrilled to be shortlisted for this award as recognition for the Work in Shrewsbury programme. We have such a fantastic business community here in Shrewsbury and it’s been a genuine privilege to be able to work with them and support them to even bigger and better things."

A panel of expert judges will now decide on the six category winners, who will be announced at an awards ceremony later in July. 

WISH us luck! (Sorry, we couldn't resist)

About the awards

The Visa Let’s Celebrate Towns Awards honour and reward towns across the UK for initiatives helping local businesses and communities thrive. The awards shine a light on projects that demonstrate innovation, inclusivity, sustainability and economic resilience. Entries are judged by an expert panel made up of leaders from business, government and the third sector.

The winner in each category will receive a £20,000 grant to reinvest in local initiatives.

This isn't our town's first time in the spotlight. In 2024, Shrewsbury took home the top prize in the Infrastructure category, recognising the strength of its Big Town Plan partnership – made up of Shrewsbury BID, Shropshire Council and Shrewsbury Town Council.