About the BID
Established in 2015, Stratford Original BID is a not-for-profit independent organisation fully funded and led by local businesses. It is democratically elected by its eligible members.
In response to the changes and developments taking place in Stratford, local businesses based within the original town centre came together a decade ago to form the Stratford Original Business Improvement District (BID).
Established in 2015, Stratford Original BID is a not-for-profit independent organisation fully funded and led by local businesses. It is democratically elected by its eligible members. The vision is to move Stratford forward by maximising the opportunities that the present offers.
In response to the global pandemic in 2020, the BID delivered a bespoke programme across its second term and secured substantial external funding from the London Borough of Newham to deliver Stratford Thrive. It is now seeking to continue to deliver its growing plans across its third term from April 2025.
Together, we have already delivered an extensive programme of initiatives, improvements and events and put the original town centre on the map. With a strong mandate for our third term we will continue to work with our businesses to promote, champion and enhance Stratford.
Stratford is now.
Our Priorities
- Safer Community
- Inclusive Community
- Business Voice
- Added Value
- Sustainable Stratford
- Communicating
Safer Community
Deliver a safer environment using a variety of solutions to reduce business crime, anti-social behaviour and tackle local issues and hotspots.
Inclusive Community
Work with relevant partners and developers to deliver additional opportunities to Stratford as well as support local businesses to grow and thrive.
Business Voice
Represent the local business community to lobby and campaign for the interests of the original Stratford.
Added Value
Deliver direct and tangible benefits to all businesses and create additional value for the whole town centre. Meaningful Placemaking Invest in public realm changes that improve the place whilst being connected to the community, addressing concerns and solving problems.
Sustainable Stratford
Implement solutions to support decarbonisation and make the transition to Net Zero easier for businesses.
Communicating
Share relevant content, news, and information, promoting your business and celebrating Stratford as a destination.
Map
Streets in the BID
- Broadway
- Burford Road
- Cam Road
- Salway Road
- Farthingale Walk
- Station Street
- Great Eastern Road
- The Grove (1–131 Odd; 2–204 Even)
- Grove Crescent Road
- The Stratford Centre
- High Street and businesses with entrances on the High Street (160-322 Even; 223 Upwards Odd; 1 Bridge Terracce; 1 Park Lane)
- Theatre Square
- Meridian Square
- Tramway Avenue
- Romford Road (1A–9 Odd; 2-40 Even)
- West Ham Lane (1-35 Odd; 2-12 Even)
- Salway Place
Meet the team
Stratford Original is comprised of our office team, street ambassadors, and a board of local business owners and employees, and stakeholders.
Our Team
Gianluca Rizzo
BID Manager
Linda Evans
Executive Assistant
Effie Kostopoulou
Placemaking Project Manager
Jessica Dyer
Marketing and Communications Lead
Michael Oloyede
Ambassador
Moammed Qazi
Business Crime Reduction Officer
The Board
Graeme Bright
Stratford East Theatre, Chairperson
Alla David
The Westbridge Hotel
Chris Dodd
University of East London
Megan Charnley
LB Newham
Jasmit Jabbal
Transport For London
Cllr Sabia Kamali
LB Newham
Nav Mohammed
The Broadway Clinic
Tony Peters
Stratford Center
Dan Window
Met Police
Reverend Young
St John’s Church
Jessica Ziebland
Discover Children’s Story Center
Our theme groups
As an organisation we focus our initiatives around four theme groups. Each of our four theme groups holds events to shape the work carried out by the bid and are chaired by a local business leader.
- Safer Stratford
- Promoting and activating
- Enhancing Stratford
- Business Essentials
Safer Stratford
Focusing on making Stratford a safer place for employees, shoppers and visitors is the priority this group, working together with stakeholders to address safety issues to improve the overall perception of Stratford.
Promoting and activating
The core objectives for our promoting Stratford group is to create opportunities to drive footfall to the town centre through a host of seasonal events for the community and beyond. In addition to support members with promotion and highlight the areas unique identify, encouraging visitors and residents to explore the town centre and to contribute to the local economy.
Enhancing Stratford
There is ongoing continuous investment and development in Stratford. It is important the town centre remains a welcoming place for everybody to enjoy. The BID have and will continue to initiate and facilitate enhancement initiatives from art installations and enhanced lighting to greening and anti-littering campaigns to make Stratford more welcoming.
Business Essentials
Stratford has a diverse and wide range of businesses. Through Doing Business we provide a range of opportunities to help businesses cut costs and increase revenue, through joint procurement and subsidised waste and recycling rates. We also organise free networking opportunities and offer free training for our members.
key facts
Find some of our top interesting facts, picked from data from our projects, events, ambassadors and around the town centre.
Latest Documents
Stamp and Stomp trail
Created with Discover Children’s Story Centre and East Bank, follow the map, visit the beautiful buildings and collect the stamps at each of the stops. What can you see as you stomp around the trail? Pick up your trail map from the front desk at Discover Children’s Story Centre or…
SME Business Breakfast – Skills Round Table
The University of East London is at the forefront of universities offering apprenticeship degrees, working with national and local employers to give individuals pioneering opportunities to “earn and learn”. Sign up to learn more about national apprenticeship scheme at this SME Breakfast. Sign up here.
Newham Council apprenticeship business breakfast Lets Talk Apprenticeships – Employer Briefing
The University of East London is at the forefront of universities offering apprenticeship degrees, working with national and local employers to give individuals pioneering opportunities to “earn and learn”. Levy transfer: how to make the most of your apprenticeship levy. Funding support: opportunities to fund training for your staff. Apprenticeship…
School of Health, Sport and Bioscience – Year of Health Apprenticeships Open Day
This will be a drop-in event, allowing attendees to explore various offerings, meet mentors, and engage with current apprentices and view the campus. The goal is to provide prospective candidates with insights into our programs and highlight the career opportunities available through HSB apprenticeships, positioning us as a leading choice…
Employer Briefing on New Levy and Skills Update
This event will provide an introduction and update on the new Skills Levy being launched by the Government, where employers will be able to use 50 per cent for apprenticeships, and 50 per cent for other skills development activities, such as CPD courses. As part of the session, an overview…
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