Message from our Chair

Like me, Preston residents, businesses and leaders are rightly proud of our city, its history, assets and community spirit.

It’s this community spirit that led to the creation of Preston Partnership. People from the private and public sector working together to help Preston realise its potential, and to make our economy work for all our communities.

In 2019, as chair of Preston Partnership, I was asked to chair the Preston Towns Fund Board and over the course of 2020 the board oversaw the preparation of a new City Investment Plan which stimulated collaboration, generated new ideas and sparked fresh thinking about priorities for Preston.

Known as the ‘CIP’, it helped secure £20.9 million of government funding as part of a £200m regeneration programme in the Harris Quarter. With the major projects now on site, this programme will unleash the potential of this cultural and civic city district.

But great cities don’t stand still. They continuously change and evolve. Three years on from the publication of our City Investment Plan, Preston Partnership is again at the forefront of a strengthened collaboration between the city’s anchor institutions – Preston City Council, Lancashire County Council and the University of Central Lancashire – working together to reset a regeneration plan for Preston.

It’s not just the investment in large-scale capital projects which make a city tick. It’s small and independent businesses in all sectors working hard in tough times to breath life into our economies, streets and communities.

As a membership led organisation, Preston Partnership is open to all businesses and organisations that call Preston home.

If you share our positivity and ambition, and want to help Preston realise its potential then there couldn’t be a more exciting time to join Preston Partnership.

Join today and play your part.

Thank you,

John Chesworth

Chair, Preston Partnership