THE official website for Stourport-on-Severn has been given a makeover in a bid to support local businesses and encourage more people to visit the town.

Thanks to a small government grant, non-profit company Stourport Forward has updated the stourporttown.co.uk website to showcase the best places to visit, where to stay, what shops there are and what events are going on in the town.

Stourport Forward's chairman David Willetts said: "We know how tough it has been for local businesses during the pandemic. Just as our businesses have got going again, we are back into lockdown.

"We wanted local people to have the opportunity to showcase their businesses, so that potential visitors to the town will be able to see what is on offer.

Kidderminster Shuttle: Rebecca Todd, of A Touch of Class in StourportRebecca Todd, of A Touch of Class in Stourport

"The successful Stourport Town website has been run by Stourport Forward since it was launched in 2010 and has weekly views of around 6,000 people interested in the town.

"Visitors can find out about places to visit, where to stay, what shops are in town and what events are on in town.

"The events are usually an important feature of the website, with the annual Carnival and Three Kings Parade attracting thousands of visitors, Mikron Theatre Company giving a rousing performance in the summer Canal Basin’s Outdoor Theatre performance, and a multitude of sporting and musical events taking place throughout the year.

"But listings have been decimated as local businesses and groups have been forced to scale down or cancel any events."

Russell Hinton, from Manton's of Stourport, jeweller and goldsmiths, said: "2020 has been a difficult year. We had months of shut-down, but many businesses used the opportunity to refresh their offer and come back looking good when we were able to reopen.

"Business picked up nicely in the summer, as holidaymakers tentatively came back to the town for a day out or summer break.

"Now we are in lockdown once again, it's hard to know what to do next, but we can do our best to promote the town, so that we’re ready for visitors again before Christmas.

"People are fed up with the doom and gloom, and are looking forward to some Christmas cheer."

The new-look Stourport Town website has been redesigned by local company Noble Digital, recent winners of Most Innovative Digital Business in the 2020 Midlands Enterprise Awards.

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Noble managing director Larry Brangwyn said: “We believe websites can be better and are always looking for ways in which we can raise the expectations people have in community websites such as Stourport Town.

"By leveraging technology to help organisations and individuals manage their own content on the website, it is more likely that the information presented will remain an up-to-date and relevant resource for residents and visitors alike.”

Businesses and groups wishing to put their details onto the website can contact Eliza and Nikki at Stourport Forward at info@stourportforward.org.uk.

The Stourport Forward team can help businesses to put their details together for the website and have a limited number of slots with a photographer available before Christmas.