It's a very red Christmas in Midhurst

Giant red baubles in Market Square, a red banner across North Street, a red advertising brochure and red shop windows are the festive initiative of the new Midhurst Town Team Community Interest Company (CIC).

The brainchild of Midhurst’s new rural towns co-ordinator Steve Hill, it brings Midhurst First and the Midhurst Town Team under one umbrella group.

Already three directors have been appointed, town councillor Carolyn Bishop, owner of Seven Fish, David Stanton and owner of the Crafty Pint, Andrew Chiverton.

“We are now in the process of talking to other groups which promote the town, including Visit Midhurst, in the hope they will join us,” said Carolyn.

“We all have the same goal in common, which is to make Midhurst a vibrant economy in which to live and work and to visit, so rather than having people working on their own we want to work together.

“Setting up the CIC enables us to have a more co-ordinated approach to promoting Midhurst and gives us the chance to apply for funding which would not otherwise be accessible to us.”

The first major task for the new group is to promote the town’s Christmas Street Party which is hosted by the town council.

One of the leading members of the new CIC, Karin Dunbar, owner of Stuff & Co, in West Street, said: “We have been helping with the organisation, getting traders to open for late night shopping, the window competition and the raffle. We wanted a strong campaign and came up with the red theme. We will be collecting donations in red buckets and holding a raffle to help fund next year’s Christmas party.”

The new group is also working with the town council to organise Midhurst’s floral collars and hopes to tackles other issues such as sign posting and parking.

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