Independent businesses in Warwick will get expert help with their marketing, content creation and storytelling thanks to the inaugural project from Warwick Town Centre Partnership set up to help push forward plans for the future of the town.

The first project from the Warwick Town Centre Partnership - a volunteer group established to help to deliver objectives set out in the Warwick Town Centre Vision - launches this week, dubbed 'Capture Warwick', it marks an exciting start to a programme of projects the group will deliver for the town.

The initiative is a six to 12-month upskilling programme for independent businesses to help them to improve their digital storytelling, creative content and marketing through high quality video content.

Richard Nicholson, Foundation Principal at Warwick Schools Foundation and Chair of the Warwick Town Centre Partnership, said: "We are delighted that the first initiative of the Warwick Town Centre Partnership brings together so many important strands identified in the vision for the town. This project brings together the best of the town - our businesses, our heritage - in a really exciting way, for both our residents and our visitors. We really look forward to seeing its impact."

The pilot programme will include practical marketing and video training support as well as training in creative content making for social media, guidance on storytelling and brand narratives, and access to innovative technology and filming tools including first-person POV recording using Ray Ban Meta Smart Glasses.

The project was developed through collaborative efforts by experts on the Warwick Town Centre Partnership, who all bring valuable skill sets and experience with the aim of helping to drive the long-term vitality, viability, and prosperity of Warwick town centre through specific projects linked to Warwick Town Vision.

The group created Capture Warwick as part of efforts to create a unified and consistent approach to marketing Warwick to all audiences. Feedback from representatives on the partnership provided a valuable insight into how younger audiences use social media, leading to ideas to help businesses leverage different ways of marketing. A representative from Warwick Vision on the group also offered support for the scheme with regards to how content can be created to be inclusive of blind and partially-sighted people.

As well as helping individual businesses to tell their own stories and market themselves, Capture Warwick helps highlight themes relating to what people love most about Warwick, following a recent town centre survey, including: heritage, community, independent business and market culture; events, festival and cultural life; green spaces and setting; and scale and atmosphere.

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Alex Harvey, Partnership member and the creative mind behind immersive technology company RiVR, said: "I've been creating video content for over 30 years, and what excites me most about Capture Warwick is the opportunity to pass that knowledge on to local businesses and heritage sites.

"This programme is about giving people simple, practical tools to tell their own stories in a way that feels authentic and engaging, especially using first-person perspectives like Meta smart glasses to bring viewers closer to the experience.

"By upskilling people across Warwick, we're not just improving marketing, we're uncovering the character, history, and personality behind each place. And who knows, along the way might we even discover more about Warwick's hidden tunnels?"

Kelly Scott, Warwick Town Centre Manager, added: "The work the Warwick Town Centre Partnership is delivering to bring the Town Centre Vision to life is truly fantastic. It's exciting to see the first project beginning to take shape, marking a real step forward for the town.

"We're focused on showcasing everything Warwick has to offer - supporting our businesses, strengthening our vibrant independent sector, and promoting the town as a whole. By working together, we aim to celebrate and elevate Warwick as a destination for both residents and visitors alike."

The Warwick Town Centre Partnership, which is independent but reports to Warwick Town Council's Economic and Tourism Committee, will help to deliver projects linked to the Town Centre Vision and its four key themes of A Historic and Cultured Town; A Connected and Happy Town; A Communal and Youthful Town; A Vibrant and Safe Town.

The partnership will also work to foster collaborative partnerships, attract investment, and oversee the implementation of strategic initiative