Cause UK Public Relations is providing PR support to one of Yorkshire highest growth business, Widd, based in Leeds and St Helens. Widd has been the fabric of the highstreet for 137 years,
Widd, one of the UK’s oldest signage companies, founded in 1888, is backing a national campaign to champion the country’s High Streets. The company joined fellow supporters on Darlington High Street on 11 September to officially launch the High Street Positives campaign in the North of England.
The Darlington event follows a successful London launch earlier this year, which attracted a high-profile audience from across the retail, property, and placemaking sectors.
Widd works with numerous global High Street brands and has manufacturing bases in Leeds and St Helens. It joins a consortium of national partners supporting the campaign to challenge negative perceptions of the UK’s High Streets.
Sarah Beaumont (pictured), Partnerships and Marketing Director at Widd, said:
“Widd has been helping drive footfall and increase visibility for High Street brands for over a century – improving visibility, enhancing look and tone, and shaping the overall shopping experience and vibrancy of town centres. Our High Streets are central to a town or city’s character, creativity, and success. We’re proud to join this important campaign and stand alongside like-minded organisations to play our part in changing the conversation and showing how the High Street can prosper.”
High Street Positives is a social enterprise using data, membership, and storytelling to change the narrative of our high streets. Founded by Chartered Statistician Laura Harris, it highlights what’s working, connects stakeholders, and inspires confidence and investment. She surveyed 54,000 people (along with her survey partner Find Out Now) to explore the impact of negative narratives about the High Street on behaviour.
Laura said: “Our research shows that when people perceive the media to be negative about the High Street , just 35% said they are willing to visit their local High Street. But when they perceive it to be positive, that figure rises to 85%.”
High Street Positives connects councils, BIDs, landlords, retailers, community groups, grassroots changemakers and anyone vested in the high street. By celebrating positive stories, it aims to boost footfall, strengthen pride in place, and attract new investment and innovation into the High Street.
Laura is currently surveying over 28,000 people to explore views on community and loneliness. She explained: “Our hypothesis is that when people regularly visit the High Street it helps reduce loneliness and boosts social connection and well-being.” The findings of this new research will be published in the coming weeks.
Alongside Widd, High Street Positives is supported by a growing consortium of partners across the retail and placemaking sector, including Hotel Chocolat, Nexus Planning, Kesslers London, Enterprise Nation, Greenwoods Legal LLP, and The Mosaic Partnership.
It is a media partner of the landlord and retail event GRO Retail, and they have a regular column with the British Independent Retail Association (BIRA) to further amplify its message.
Widd, which counts Primark, Marks & Spencer and Berrys Jewellers among its clients, works with retailers across the UK and internationally.
Sarah Beaumont added: “Widd has long been part of the fabric of the High Street, and we see this partnership as a natural extension of our mission to support retail and local communities.”
For media enquiries, contact: clair@causeuk.com | 0753 194 8014
About Widd
- Widd was founded in 1888 by Arthur Widd and operates from Leeds and St Helens. From their manufacturing bases in the UK, they are increasingly installing brand signage across Europe and have supplied signage for the first Primark in Qatar opening this month. The company provides signage for global retailers including Primark, Marks & Spencer and has supplied other brands including JD Sports, Schuh, Next, and Bensons for Beds.
About High Street Positives
- High Street Positives is a national initiative to shift the narrative around the High Street and highlight its role in tackling isolation, boosting local economies, and fostering pride in place.
- A survey of 54,000 people shows narrative impacts behaviour: negative news reduces High Street visits to 35%, while positive stories increase likelihood to 85%.
- The Darlington event took place on 11 September 2025.
- Attendees included representatives from BIDs, councils, retailers, agents, planners, developers, and others vested in the future of the high street.
- Speakers included Mark Robinson (former Chair, Government’s High Streets Task Force and Co-founder of Ellandi), Graham Soult (CannyInsights, retail champion), Amanda Ardent (Retail Director, Suit Direct), Ingrid Glasby (retail consultant and former senior leader at The White Company and Fenwick), Stephen Henderson (Director, Barker Proudlove), Sharon Appleby (CEO, Sunderland BID), Anthony Boyce (architect and regeneration specialist), and Andrew Perkin (economic development at Darlington Borough Council) and Wendy Elliott (CEO, Seven Stories). The event will be chaired by Iain Nicholson, placemaking expert and founder of the Vacant Shops Academy.
Alongside these national perspectives, the programme featured local voices from independent retail and hospitality, sharing what’s working on the ground and the reality of trading today.