As a national Government High Streets Task Force Expert and Facilitator, Jo was asked to help Margate tackle challenges in its Town Centre following the pandemic.

Working closely with Thanet District Council, Joanne carried out a deep-dive review with the local community and councillors that explored issues ranging from anti-social behaviour and falling high street footfall to the role of arts and culture. She identified a critical gap: Margate lacked a town centre partnership, such as a BID, town council, or chamber of commerce to unite businesses and drive collective action.

To address this, Jo was then commissioned to deliver a business research project and workshop aimed at capturing local business perspectives and building trust between traders and the council. She developed a tailored business questionnaire, which drew 60 responses across retail, hospitality, and services, and led a workshop attended by local business owners to explore findings and potential partnership models.

The work revealed strong appetite among businesses to collaborate if the right structure could be put in place. As a direct outcome, a new partnership of independent town centre businesses has formed, giving Thanet District Council a clearer mandate to support engagement and rally wider partners to help address issues relating to Margate’s town centre.