Retailers in Swansea’s Independents Quarter are praising the City Centre’s Santa sleigh Christmas attraction, for boosting visitor numbers to the area.
The Big Heart of Swansea sleigh, which has been provided by Swansea Business Improvement District (BID), drew enthusiastic crowds to Lower Oxford Street last weekend, and it is set to return in the run-up to Christmas, with a £500 competition proving an added incentive for visitors.
To be in with a chance of winning £500 to spend in the City Centre, visit Big Heart's Santa's Sleigh! While you’re there, strike a seasonal pose and share your festive sleigh-selfie across social media! Open 10am – 5pm Thursday 19th – Monday 23rd Dec! https://t.co/3JWwPCKP8x pic.twitter.com/zFnhf7cSgB
— Big Heart Swansea (@BigHeartSwansea) December 18, 2019
Christopher Barnes, from Mr Dapper Barbers, nearby, said: “It has been good to see the buzz around the Big Heart of Swansea Santa sleigh, centred on the independents quarter. We have noticed a lot of families dropping in and it is great to see them head to this part of the City Centre during the Christmas shopping period.”
Russell Greenslade, Swansea BID Chief Executive said: “We work hard to support our BID area businesses of all sizes and all types, and we are keenly aware that Swansea City Centre is well-served for independent and small businesses that really pull their weight as far as bringing variety and interest to the City Centre. So, we are happy to site our Santa sleigh in this part of town, right next to Reed’s Bakery. This month too we have been distributing window stickers to our BID area small businesses that say a big thank you to shoppers for supporting small businesses. The stickers are a reminder that for every £1 spent with a small businesses 63p goes back into the local economy.”
Councillor Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea City Council, said: “Initiatives like these help to support a vibrant City Centre and we are pleased to see the Lower Oxford Street site, which has been created as part of the ongoing £135m Swansea City Deal regeneration projects, being used savvily. Over the coming months this area will become a walkway and link between Lower Oxford Street and the Kingsway, where there will be a new innovation hub with incubation and co-working spaces for small businesses. The Swansea Central development will attract more people to the City Centre, and greatly strengthen our economic buoyancy.”
Swansea Central phase one is forecast to create more than 2,500 new jobs throughout and beyond construction, of which 75 per cent are expected to be filled by local residents. Phase two will see the creation of a large public sector hub, with the potential to create thousands more jobs in the City Centre.
The Santa Sleigh returns to the City Centre between 10am and 5pm on:
- Friday December 20
- Saturday December 21
- Sunday December 22
- Monday December 23
The sleigh is one of many Christmas attractions in and around Swansea city centre this year. Others include Santa’s Grotto which runs in Portland Street until December 22 and Waterfront Winterland – in the National Waterfront Museum grounds – which runs until January 5. The Swansea Christmas Market is on until December 22 in Oxford Street and the Grand Theatre’s Peter Pan panto runs to January 12.
