Visa and Nationwide Announce Shortlist of Towns Leading the Way in Helping UK High Streets and Communities Thrive

Visa and Nationwide today announced the shortlist for the fourth year of Let’s Celebrate Towns, an initiative designed to recognise towns building thriving local communities around the UK.

Over 30 towns from across the UK, from Falkirk in Scotland right down to Falmouth in Cornwall, have been shortlisted for their innovative projects. This year’s entries came from every nation and region of the UK, covering over 350 towns and more than 280 constituencies, a clear sign of the energy and ambition in towns across the country.

These submissions bring to life what makes each town special, while showcasing the innovative ways local businesses, councils and community groups are adapting to change and creating new opportunities for growth. They offer practical ideas and proven approaches that other towns can draw on to help their communities thrive.

For the next phase of the competition, a panel of judges comprising experts from across business and industry will review the entries across each category to decide the final five winners.

The five winning towns will be announced at an awards ceremony in December in the House of Commons, and each winner will receive £20,000 towards a new or ongoing community initiative. The event will recognise towns from every region of the UK, shining the spotlight on outstanding places and initiatives from across the country.

On announcing the shortlist, Rob Cameron, Group Country Manager, Visa UK & Ireland, said: “We have been positively overwhelmed by the response to Let’s Celebrate Towns this year, with record entries from every corner of the UK. That tells us there is real energy and ambition in towns across the country, with communities coming together to make positive change happen. We’re proud to give these communities a platform, sharing their stories and ideas more widely and ensuring they are part of the national conversation about the future of our towns.”

Mandy Beech, Group Director of Retail Services, Nationwide, said: “Thriving high streets are built by local people who bring communities together, and the number of towns represented this year shows the scale of what is already being achieved. As part of our Branch Promise, we’re committed to high streets for the long term, and our Towns Fund partnership with Visa is about backing the people making a real difference. With Government focus on high streets growing, now is the moment to learn from them and build on their success.”

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the British Retail Consortium, said: “This year’s Let’s Celebrate Towns shortlisted entries showcase the innovation and resilience driving high street regeneration across the country. These standout initiatives reflect the BRC’s core ambition: a dynamic retail industry that supports communities and secures growth in every postcode. We are proud to partner with Visa and Nationwide and look forward to celebrating these achievements at the awards ceremony in December.”

Towns have been shortlisted up and down the country, including Donaghadee, Northern Ireland. John Caldwell BEM, Honorary Secretary of Donaghadee Community Development Association, said: “Community pride isn’t something you can measure by looking at a town’s appearance. It comes from people caring about where they live and being prepared to do something about it. In Donaghadee, we are fortunate to be able to draw on a large cadre of volunteers, community organisations, schools, and businesses who all contribute to making our town a better place. DCDA is proud to help bring these efforts together, but the real credit belongs to the community itself.”

Patrick Hurley, Chair of the Town Centres APPG and MP for Southport, said: “There’s a huge amount of energy, imagination, and ambition in towns right across Britain, but we don’t always make it easy for people to do something with it. As Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Town Centres, I think the future of our towns should be about creating places where people want to spend time, where culture and independent businesses can thrive, and where communities have a real stake in their own success. That’s why initiatives like Let’s Celebrate Towns are so important. Visa and Nationwide are helping to shine a light on the people and places already doing extraordinary things, and hopefully encouraging others to have a go themselves. There’s no shortage of good ideas in our towns. What we need to get better at is helping people turn those ideas into reality.”

Since launching in 2023, Let’s Celebrate Towns has recognised more than 30 towns across over a dozen counties, investing £20,000 in each winning town, and allowing community projects up and down the country to grow and thrive. In 2025, winners in Ramsgate, Gosport, Morecambe, Swanley, Malton and Norton, and Wallsend, showed innovative ways to drive good growth in their towns and bring local ambitions to life.

The 2026 shortlist

Backing Local Business