The year began with snow and ice, floods and difficult times for retail, business and the voluntary sector. Whether it is HMV, Jessop or Blockbuster as national chains, or retailers on your high street, conditions are tough.

Doing nothing is not an option. If you are quick you can join a workshop next week.

Caterham, Surrey is hosting an AMT Town Team Initiative workshop on Feb 7th

Despite tough economic conditions, local towns and villages continue to do what they have always done. Community and Enterprise are our life blood and adapting to change the pattern for success.

Caterham will host an AMT Town Team Initiatives Workshop in the newly community owned Soper Hall. The workshop is to help strengthen retail and enterprise groups and hopefully some of you will join too. A few places remain if you are quick! Costs are £45 for AMT members and £85 if not - with 3 mnths AMT membership included. Free parking, venue and lunch included by Caterham's ABC group.

The content includes Mary Portas type initiatives, Town Benchmarking, Pop Up Shops and Business Improvement districts (BID). The value of these events is often the contacts with other SE Towns and of course the speakers.

Later on Caterham plans a follow up local workshop with Metamorphosis, retail consultants.

Chesham is also an active town with a Portas style initiative now active, as featured in the last SE Town newsletter.

Car parking for 30 delegates and you are welcome to come with any popup displays. Caterham railway station is just 100 metres away and linked via Purley, East Croydon, Clapham Junction and London Bridge & Victoria. You can also reach us via the Uckfield or East Grinstead lines to London, for we could arrange a station pick up at Oxted, nearby.

Highlights from the session, in addition to general Portas style initiatives, ideas to get an exercise off the ground from AMT and a brief Soper Hall story are:

Town Initiatives Case Study and discussion: We are Bedford. Bringing Empty Shops back to life.

Town Initiatives Case study Hitchin, Keith Hoskins on Business Improvement Districts and engaging local business; taking over the Hitchin’s (award winning) Market and Town Centre Management.

The trailer on AMT's web site is http://towns.org.uk/2012/11/12/town-team-initiative-workshop-caterham-surrey/

Chris Wade, CEO of AMT will be attending and speak in place of Mike King on this occasion.

The normal delegate price ranges between £45( AMT Members)  to £85 if not.

Henfield have created an excellent hub that links Community, Business, and Visitor attractions:

http://www.henfieldhub.com/

Tell us in particular how you are adapting to the 21st century with strategies to promote your town or village, through the internet or more traditional ways.

Faster Broadband is vital for Rural Areas

Did you bid for The Rural Community Broadband Fund (RCBF) ?

Many Counties are progressing, or have announced plans for BDUK funding too, incl Surrey who will extend BT's fibre to the cabinet throughout Surrey.

One or two places are pursuing initiatives via the local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP's) - Coast to Capital and Enterprise M3

Crockham Hill in Kent are implementing a combined fibre and wi-fi network, having revceived some funding from Kent and are raising other funds locally.

Tell us of new developments, whether via fibre, microwave, mobile, wi-fi or all of the above.

(Photo : Crockham Hill Broadband web site image. Can you spot the wi-fi mast?)

Are you a Front Runner doing a Neighbourhood Plan?

New funding has been announced by DCLG to help with costs and there are some changes to incentives that go with additional homes eg New Homes Bonus and the CIL ( Community Infrastructure Levy), linked to places which carry out a Neighbourhood Plan. We note a figure of 25% of the CIL payment for example, for those with Neighbourhood Plans. Places that have already done Health Checks or Parish Plans, will have some background information that should assist.

(Photo. Soper Hall Caterham. Built 1912 as Town Hall. Transferred to community 2012 for £1)