Blue Cross shop benefits from council frontage grant
The Blue Cross charity shop at 60 High Street, Andover, has received an Andover Town Centre Frontage Grant of around £5,000 to refurbish and repaint its shop front.
Blue Cross first opened on the High Street in 2010. The registered animal welfare charity was founded in 1897 and raises funds to support sick, injured and homeless pets. Alongside pre‑loved clothing, homeware and books, it also sells a range of new goods across its 56 charity shops in the UK.
The grant has helped the Andover team repair and repaint the front of the building. Blue Cross has also carried out an internal refit to create a brighter, more welcoming space for customers and volunteers.
Mark Corbett, Group Head of Fundraising and Retail at Blue Cross said: “We want to thank Test Valley Borough Council for providing this grant to enable us to update our shop front. We are thrilled with the result. This improvement means even more people will feel encouraged to come in, browse, donate, and chat with our fantastic volunteers. All of this supports our mission of helping pets and their people.”
Councillor Phil North, leader of Test Valley Borough Council, added: “It’s great to see Blue Cross investing in their High Street shop and continuing to play an important part in the town centre. The frontage grant scheme is designed to support improvements like this as we deliver our wider regeneration plans for Andover. Creating a more attractive, welcoming environment helps encourage people to visit, shop and spend time in the town.”
The Andover Town Centre and High St Shop and Frontage Grant was developed by TVBC in collaboration with the Andover BID and Andover Town Council. There are currently several grants in the pipeline, showing strong interest from local businesses. Each project is led by the business, with the grant supporting improvements to enhance Andover town centre. This aligns with the wider regeneration plans for Andover, that include the new theatre and riverside park, aiming to increase footfall, supporting local businesses and helping to boost the local economy.
These town centre grants are funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
