Norfolk's market towns invited to apply for grants to attract more visitors

Organisations and businesses are being invited to apply for the Love Your Market Town fund's Pride of Place grants to fund ideas designed to encourage people to visit and shop in their local towns more frequently. The scheme is supported by Norfolk County Council and the district councils and applicants have until 31 August to submit their ideas.

Florist Lydia Bustin is among the three business owners who benefited from the pilot fund. She is staging an exhibition at St Mary's Church in Attleborough later this month with five large-scale floral installations each depicting a significant era in the town's history.

Lydia, 29, commented: "Having been awarded with the Love Your Market Town grant last year, I have been able to organise an exhibition to showcase my work as well as showcase our town and its rich history and community.

"With small businesses being the make-up of our local towns, it is extremely important that they are supported as much as they can be."

Once ideas have been submitted, they will be reviewed by an independent panel and applicants notified of the outcome by Tuesday 30 September.

Applications are welcome from any local groups or business, but any activity must be a brand-new idea and should support multiple areas or services within a Norfolk market town. There is no limit to the kind of activities that can be funded but the idea must have a link to creating interest or increasing footfall in town centres.

Find more information or express an interest in bidding for a grant via the New Anglia Growth Hub. 

Credit: Thetford Photography

Published: 16 June 2025