ILKLEY residents are being encouraged to help “keep the sparkle going” as a new campaign encourages local people to start exploring Bradford district’s hospitality, retail and attractions this summer.

Sparkling Bradford is a bi-annual initiative organised by VisitBradford, The Broadway Bradford, Bradford Business Improvement District and Bradford Council. It works to boost the visitor economy of the whole district by showcasing the visitor experience on offer in areas such as llkley during the summer and the winter seasons.

Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “We are so proud of how our businesses have embraced change and adapted to an incredibly challenging situation navigating through the restrictions of Covid-19. Sparkling Bradford is a crucial initiative for summer 2020 as it will support the district’s broad offering such as our amazing countryside, parks, heritage and cultural destinations.”

She added: “New for 2020 is our ‘Your Bradford’ feature where we’re asking local people to share their experiences of Bradford’s gems through photographs, videos, poetry and reviews on our website and through our social media channels. We will keep our website updated with visitor recommendations so we can share, visit and support Bradford’s cultural, heritage and recreational activities together.”

Sparkling Bradford was first launched in 2018 and has consistently boosted footfall across the district.

Ian Ward, general manager of The Broadway and chair of Bradford BID, said: “We know many people have had to cancel their summer holidays due to Covid-19 and will be looking at safe ways to entertain their families during the school break. Our role is to highlight what is available, encourage people to share their experiences and help us to help our local businesses bounce back after a very tough first half of the year.”

The initiative’s new website includes highlights from each area under the titles of Be Inspired, Eat Local, Shop Local, The Great Outdoors and Your Bradford. Businesses can also access communications toolkits which give guidance about getting the most from the campaign.

Patricia Tillotson, Visitor and Business Development Manager, VisitBradford, added:“Sparkling Bradford makes it easy to decide what to do over the coming weeks by sharing the leisure stars of the district alongside our residents’ own entertainment favourites to help us all safely and responsibly start exploring and supporting Bradford again.”

Follow #SparklingBradford on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or visit www.sparklingbradford.info. Business owners can request communications toolkits by emailing rachel.oxborough@bradford.gov.uk.