Discover Northamptonshire Hub officially opened at Rushden Lakes
The new tourism hub at Rushden Lakes was officially opened today, coinciding with English Tourism Week, which runs across the country from Friday 17 to Sunday 26 March.
Cllr Helen Howell, Executive Member for Sports, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, North Northamptonshire Council with Northamptonshire Heritage Forum chair, Martin Lawrence in the new Hub
Run by North Northamptonshire Council and supported by The Crown Estate, the Discover Northamptonshire Hub is open seven days a week. It’s located next to the entrance of the cinema and promotes attractions throughout Northamptonshire, highlighting the abundance of unique offerings in and around our local area.
The hub was formally opened today, representatives from North Northamptonshire Council, West Northamptonshire Council, the Crown Estate and partners were in attendance.
The hub has been designed as a fully interactive space, promoting all things Northamptonshire, including days out, attractions, walks, town and village offerings, places to eat, sustainable transport, heritage, accommodation and local and major events. There is also a retail space, providing local businesses with a chance to showcase their products taking advantage of the 6 million visitors to Rushden Lakes annually.
Outside the new hub at Rushden Lakes
Cllr Helen Howell, North Northamptonshire Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said:
“It was great that we were able formally open and celebrate the new Discover Northamptonshire hub, to coincide with English Tourism Week.
“We are now open, and the team are really excited to be welcoming visitors through the doors to this fantastic asset. We will be promoting all the wonderful attractions we have throughout the whole of Northamptonshire to visitors of Rushden Lakes - some of whom will be unfamiliar with the area and unsure of what else is on offer in our wonderful County and further afield. I would also encourage residents of North and West Northamptonshire to visit the hub and speak to our friendly team - you never know what you might discover right on your doorstep!
“The opening is very much the start of the Discover Northamptonshire hub’s journey and the offering will continue to grow and develop and we are delighted to be working with our colleagues from the West to promote Northamptonshire as a tourist destination. We are also jointly in the final stages of developing a tourism strategy that will support and offer direction for the tourism sector moving forward. It is a very positive move for the industry.”
Discover Northamptonshire’s Jack Pishhorn (right) with Northamptonshire Heritage Forum chair, Martin Lawrence
The Discover Northamptonshire hub has received £245,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. NNC are working closely with partners including West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), The Crown Estate and local businesses, as well as local schools, colleges and universities to provide learning and volunteering opportunities for those interested in working in the local tourism industry.
“The new Discover Northamptonshire hub will have enormous benefits to the local area, encouraging visitors to Rushden Lakes to travel to the other fantastic attractions we have nearby and in turn bringing more money and footfall into the local economy.”
The Discover Northamptonshire hub is open Monday - Saturday, from 11am - 6pm, and Sunday 11am - 4:30pm. You can find Discover Northamptonshire on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, with a website launching soon.
The Discover Northamptonshire team want to ensure that all tourism businesses in Northamptonshire are being promoted to such a large audience. Any business or attraction who wants to be promoted on the Discover Northamptonshire website and at the new hub should email info@discover-northamptonshire.co.uk.
