Who we are
TownTalk began life as a town centre web site in Rotherham, seeking to address the issue of having 147 empty shops and businesses in a failing urban centre. Rotherham TownTalk helped to attract inward investment and within a year had grown into a site that was appealing to shoppers and visitors as well as inward investors.
Awards came thick and fast; and with them, enquiries from other towns seeking to replicate the town’s success. TownTalk quickly grew into a national network of web sites, a network which now boasts over 100 towns!
Town Centre management is at the heart of everything we do. TownTalk recognises the time and financial constraints on the small teams that do such an amazing job. Today TownTalk offers unrivalled, cutting edge web site design which goes well beyond the web site itself.
A web site is simply a tool; a means to an end; generating interest in your town, community or business, but doing so in an imaginative, sustainable way. Every TownTalk web site comes with a Content Management System which can be managed by anyone from 3 to 103!! They are designed to deliver solutions and promote your services, not just act as sources of information.
Forget “IT”; Information Technology is dead!! Think “MT” instead; Motivation Technology, and discover ways you can create excitement and interest from your web site through interaction, engagement and pro-action.
This resource is available to all TownTalk members, so that together we can regenerate urban centres in a brighter, better, more sustainable way.
Meet some of our clients
This section presents a selection of projects carried out by TownTalk and the feedback received from our clients.
Client's Name: Kate Faulkes
Organisation: Kendray Community Website
Web Site: http://www.kendray.net/
Project: To build a web site with and not simply for the residents of one of South Yorkshire's largest housing estates. To act as a catalyst to promote interest in ICT and the internet and to encourage greater awareness and greater involvement in all of the community groups.
Kate Said: "During 2003, I began the search for a company to design and host a Kendray Community Website. Whilst asking around for suitable companies, the same name seemed to come up repeatedly - with the recommendation that Towntalk were an innovative and reliable 'pair of hands' who could be relied on to work sensitively with the local community - a vital factor for our needs read more..."
Client's Name: Katy Duke
Organisation: Frome Towntalk
Web Site: www.frome.towntalk.co.uk/
Katy Said: "I have had very positive feedback from Councillors and members of the public who have had a chance to see the website.
It has been described as very clear and comprehensive and "very nicely designed". I can see very positive gains for the town in future years as a result of the site and look forward to continuing in our partnership."
Client's Name: Emma Bodley
Organisation: Magna
Web Site: www.visitmagna.co.uk
Project: To provide a site with a sustainable Admin Centre that enables the client to update both the Flash version and the HTML version with the latest information from a single source.
Emma Said: "The team at TownTalk are always available to deal with amendments and changes within 24 hours. We depend a lot on the web site and we need to know we can depend upon the organisation that's running it for us. With TownTalk there has never been a problem."
Client's Name: Marie Parrington
Organisation: Charter Walk Shopping Centre
Web Site: www.charterwalk.com/
Project: To create a system that enables the Shopping Centre team to engage with their retailers and to update information quickly and easily, including an attractive and stimulating interactive map of the Centre which will enable shoppers to find their chosen store at the touch of a button.
Marie Said: "I always know that whatever happens, TownTalk will be there to help us out."
The awards we received
TownTalk has already received accolades from across the UK, including Dti Minister Patricia Hewitt who said "it is clearly an initiative about which those involved should be justifiably proud." and Tony Mernagh, Brighton City Centre Manager, who said "TownTalk is providing an invaluable tool in communicating our aims and objectives".
We have also received some top awards and can truly claim to be the leading network in the UK. Towntalk is proud to have received the following prestigious awards:
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1999 Best Completed Project award Rotherham Vacant property guide. Find out more |
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2001 Town Centre Regeneration Award Winner Find out more |
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2001 HSBC Start-Up stars National Finalist Find out more |
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2002 Town Centre Manager of the year Finalist Phil Davies, Rotherham TownTalk. |
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2003 Business in the Community award TownTalk UK Ltd |
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What they said about us
TownTalk has worked with a great number of people over the years. Below is a sample of what some of those people have said about Towntalk.
I was very interested to hear about the development of the TownTalk initiative, which appears to have spread well beyond the boundaries of Rotherham. A quick look at that site certainly creates a very favourablePatricia Hewitt, MP, Minister for Small Business and E-Commerce Department of Trade and Industryimpression of the Town and it is clearly an initiative about those involved should be justifiably proud. I agree entirely with Phil Davies’s view that initiatives of this sort can make a major contribution to the overall regeneration of our communities
Many thanks for your help, advice and support in getting the Rochdale website together. We are very pleased with how it looks and look forward to building on this. The two shopping centres, who contributed to the site are very pleased with the result also. We look forward to working with you in the future."
Hayley Locke, Assistant Town Centre Manager Rochdale
N A Keally, Merryweathers, Independent property professionals, RotherhamSince our involvement in working alongside your organisation, we have been extremely impressed by the number of referrals you have provided to us and the efforts you have made in promoting the town centre. I would certainly give my recommendation to sponsorship of the website to any local companies, as our relationship has developed into a mutually beneficial arrangement"
Tony Mernagh, Brighton City Centre ManagerTownTalk is providing an invaluable tool in communicating our aims and objectives to the city’s stakeholders. We have had a tremendous response from visitors to the site and have event increased our membership through people applying to join the town centre management initiative online
