Working with the local community

At Yate, we not only work within the boundaries of our site, we look to work as far as we can within our wider local community providing help, sponsorship and support wherever we can.

As part of our ongoing community relations program during 2025/26 we plan to host The Yate Ageing Better Festival and Yate Youth Festival working in partnership with Yate Town Council & all local interest groups. We will continue to sponsor the link road roundabouts through maintaining flower displays and we will also continue to work closely with Avon Wildlife trust through maintenance of the Link Road pond.

The local council, district council and local interest groups will continue to be offered the opportunity to hold road shows and promotions within the centre and will be updated regularly with centre news and will be sent all press releases.

The centre will work with local charities and interest groups and provide space for promotion and events at no cost. Charites and interest groups will also be provided with opportunities to promote themselves through window displays and use of vacant retail units. Local independent businesses will be given opportunities to take temporary occupation of retail units for pop up shops.

The Centre Manager will attend all Yate Town Centre strategy meetings to meet stakeholders and discuss town centre issues and initiatives.

Yate Shopping Centre will whenever possible use local suppliers and contractors thus putting service charge monies back into the community.

Building Community Bridges: Sponsorship in Action

Our commitment to the local area goes far beyond our property lines. Through strategic sponsorships, we act as a vital partner for the organisations making a tangible difference in Yate.

We actively support vulnerable residents by providing crucial in-kind aid, such as a dedicated storage garage for the Yate Food Bank to handle their collections and box assembly, and essential storage and charging facilities for Yate Shopmobility.

Our dedication to the local environment is visible year-round through our investment in landscaping and flower displays for the South Gloucestershire Council Link Road roundabouts and the ongoing maintenance of the Link Road Pond in partnership with Avon Wildlife Trust.

Furthermore, we enthusiastically back local sports and well-being, providing annual sponsorship to the Yate Town Football Club youth tournament, Chipping Sodbury Football Club, and hosting and sponsoring the annual Yate Ageing Better Festival to connect older residents with new opportunities.

Driving Discovery: Marketing & Promotion

We transform vacant spaces into opportunities for local groups to shine. Our centre acts as a high-visibility platform, offering free window displays in vacant units to groups like the Yate Art Society, Yate Heritage Centre, and Cotswold Edge Scout District, turning empty storefronts into community billboards.

We are a year-round hub for local celebration, proudly hosting and supporting the annual Yate Youth Festival in conjunction with local councils.

Most engagingly, we host 35 FREE customer events annually, ensuring there’s something fun during every school break, including Easter, Halloween and Christmas. Our immensely popular summer beach event alone draws hundreds of families daily, making us the go-to destination for free, family-friendly fun.

Beyond Shopping: Operational & Strategic Partnerships

Our commitment extends to strategic, long-term improvements in accessibility and town planning. We ensure our staff are fully prepared to support all members of the public by providing Dementia training for all Yate Shopping Centre personnel (including cleaning and security).

We have made visible, practical changes to the site by colour-coding pedestrian walkways with Dementia-friendly planters to assist with wayfinding. Furthermore, we take an active role in the future of Yate, participating as a member of the Yate Town Council Town Centre Strategy Group, meeting quarterly with all stakeholders to collaboratively shape the town’s direction.

Supporting Local Life: Economic & Retail Support

We foster a thriving local economy by giving independent entrepreneurs a crucial foothold. We provide essential, flexible space for ongoing market stalls selling everything from fresh meat and produce to arts, crafts, plants, and flowers, alongside providing a site for a dedicated car wash operation. Critically, we don’t just host these businesses; we provide storage and promotional space to both commercial and interest groups, ensuring that the local independent spirit can flourish within our busy centre.

Giving Back: Social Impact & Fundraising

We actively use our scale to generate meaningful financial support for crucial charities. Our annual One Great Day event successfully raises funds for both Great Ormond Street Children’s hospital and the Jessie May Trust, generating approximately £2,000 in a single day, which adds to the over £7,500 we have raised for Jessie May Trust through ongoing efforts.

Perhaps one of our proudest achievements is the Community Bike Hub, an initiative we helped launch by providing a vacant unit for the Sodbury Climate Action Group. To date, this hub has serviced and donated over 2,000 bicycles to low-income families, promoting sustainability while addressing social need.

Community Engagement Activities List

Member of Yate Town Council Town centre Strategy Group – quarterly meetings with all town stakeholders
Sponsorship of Yate Food Bank – provision of storage garage for all food collections and space to create family food boxes.
Sponsorship of Yate Shop Mobility – provision of storage space to store scooters and provision of charging facility.
Sponsorship of the South Gloucestershire Council Link Road roundabouts and Link Road riverbank – ongoing landscaping and flower displays.
Sponsorship of Link Road Pond in partnership with Avon Wildlife Trust – ongoing landscaping.
Yate Town Council Dementia Friendly Town – Dementia training for all Yate Shopping Centre staff including cleaning & security personnel – all pedestrian walkways have been colour coded using Dementia colours via planters to assist with way finding.
Ongoing work with Jessie May Trust Children’s charity has raised over £7,500 in funding.
Annual sponsorship of Yate Town Football Club youth tournament & Chipping Sodbury Football club.
Promotion of various local groups through window displays in vacant units – Yate Art Society, Yate Heritage Centre, Cotswold Edge Scout District.
local businesses & local interest groups given space for storage or promotion via window displays.
space provided for local independent businesses & ongoing market stalls (Fruit & Veg, fresh meat, arts & crafts, plants & flowers), car wash operation.
Community Bike Hub – We allow Sodbury Climate Action Group to occupy a vacant unit to create a Community Bike Hub. Customers can visit the Bike Hub to receive information on sustainable travel, have their bike serviced and ID stamped. Bicycles can be donated and will are given to low-income families – over 2000 bicycles to date have been serviced and donated to local families.
35 FREE customer events held annually including all school half terms, Easter, Summer, Halloween & Christmas. The beach event throughout summer attracts hundreds of families every day.
Hosting and sponsorship of the annual Yate Ageing Better festival. Located on West Walk, visitors can meet likeminded people and explore new opportunities offered by community groups in Yate & surrounding areas.
Annual Community Christmas events involving all local schools.
Hosting and support of the annual Yate Youth Festival in conjunction with Yate Town Council & South Gloucestershire Council.