Team & News

Team Norfolk’s High Streets Matter is passionate about keeping our high streets vibrant places to visit, shop and enjoy leisure activities. Norfolk County Council created the High Streets Matter initiative and the team is delivering this project through the Retail Excellence and Hospitality Matters Programmes, Love Your Market Place grant funding, town visits and expert support. Visitors and customers want to spend time together, buy their daily or weekly goods, explore our beautiful towns and access services. We are looking to help create experiences while serving those needs.

Let us introduce you to the team!

Ian is the Market Town Manager at Norfolk County Council, where he leads the strategic coordination and delivery of business support programmes for 24 market towns.

Ian Gregory

Market Town Manager

Alexandra has built a career as a passionate leader of retail operations and strategy.

Alexandra Hemen

High Growth Adviser

Lisa joined the Growth Hub nearly two years ago and has seen first-hand how successful the programme was last year. She's looking forward to the new team building on that success and to working with small businesses. She has a breadth of experience, including as a Registrar in a school and working for a tourism PR agency in Munich, at Frost & Sullivan and at the U.S. Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy in London.

Lisa Cogan

Project Officer

Ashley is the Project Manager for the High Streets Matter programme, she leads the coordination and delivery of a support programme for retail and hospitality businesses in our market towns.

Ashley Cooper

Project Manager

Kate is an experienced retail and business leader with expertise in buying, marketing, brand development and retail operations for national and international businesses. She is passionate about people, delivering great customer experiences and helping teams make a real difference.

Kate Morgan

Business Adviser

Matthew spent much of his career in hospitality management, before moving to work with start-up businesses across Norfolk.

Matthew Maddocks

Business Adviser

Latest news & events

10 Jun

Meet our new High Streets Matter team members!

Posted by Lesley van Dijk in News, Norfolks High Streets Matter
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Welcome, Kate, Matthew, Ashley and Lisa who will deliver retail and hospitality support to Norfolk and Suffolk businesses.

High Streets Matter workshops with Retail and Hospitality Champions

Posted by Lesley van Dijk in News, Norfolks High Streets Matter
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Meet our guest speakers and find out about the fantastic workshops we have lined up!

Great enthusiasm for the High Streets Matter Programme

Posted by Lesley van Dijk in News, Norfolks High Streets Matter
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The team has started with new workshops for which more than 100 signed up! Join the next cohort.

Press Coverage

Norfolk's High Streets Matter initiative, backed by Norfolk County Council, has featured in local and regional press since launching in May 2025.

£250k Hospitality Matters campaign to support Norfolk firms – Fakenham & Wells Times, Eastern Daily Press, North Norfolk News and Norwich Evening News, March 2026. Read article.
Hospitality Matters launch – BBC Radio Norfolk, 27 February 2026. Interview with High Growth Adviser Alexandra Hemen who talks with Presenter Chris Goreham about the new hospitality support and £250,000 investment. “Hospitality Matters. It preserves a way of life and is important as part of our culture. Our family and friends work in these industries.” (listen at 1:02 and 1:08+). The support which will start from May/June 2026 covers an extensive programme, including training, grants and one‑to‑one advice. Business owner Joseph Ballard from New Stages and The Black Swan shares his experience of the retail programme and how the training, business support and connecting with others (listen at 2:05) made a difference. Listen here until 28 March 2026.
Free retail training rolled out for Norfolk businesses – North Norfolk News, Eastern Daily Press and Great Yarmouth Mercury, September 2025. Read article.
Free retail training for Norfolk businesses – Town & Around, September 2025. Read article.
Why Norfolk high streets are so important to our communities, opinion piece by Cllr Fabian Eagle – Eastern Daily Press, 2 September 2025. Read article.
Fakenham retailers set to benefit from new council scheme – Fakenham & Wells Times, 1 July 2025. Read article
Lydia’s floral tribute to market town – Folk Features, 3 June 2025. Read article
Support for businesses in Norfolk’s declining high streets (High Streets Matter launch) – Covered in regional and local newspapers, 14 May 2025. Read article
High Streets Matter launch – BBC Norfolk Radio, 8 May 2025. Interviews with Cllr Fabian Eagle and Lucy Peacock from Mabel Bakery who talk about the new initiative at the launch.

‘I found this programme very beneficial in many ways, taking the time out of my day-to-day to open my mind to where we could improve our business, what things aren’t working in our business and how we can invest in new ways to make our business grow.
‘I’ve been introduced to many great businesses that could help us in areas we struggle in and also hearing other small businesses’ struggles similar to ours and how they have/ plan to overcome this. From this course, we have decided what we need to do next to invest in our business to help it grow and achieve more sales.’

Fay Bunn, Noor Company5 stars (Retail Excellence Programme)

‘Completed Love Your High Street training which has been extremely valuable, thank you for such a comprehensive course.’

Little Movers5 stars (Retail Excellence Programme)

‘We attended the Retail Excellence Programme and it has been the most valuable and insightful course I’ve ever done. Alex and all of the speakers were incredibly knowledgeable, and generous with their time and advice. We’ve already received more online shop sales since we’ve started to implement what we’ve learnt. We massively recommend it to all businesses in Norfolk!’

The Wayward Adventurers Guild5 stars (Retail Excellence Programme)