Complete our Town of Culture Survey
Hello Dorking (the Business Improvement District) is leading a community bid in applying for UK Town of Culture 2028.
The UK Government recently launched the first-ever UK Town of Culture competition, a national initiative specifically designed to restore pride in communities by using culture as a catalyst for social and economic regeneration. This is a new government competition where the winning town will receive £3 million and the two runners up £250,000 each to develop a town of culture programme that will help bring new audiences, strengthen community initiatives and drive investment into the town to enhance and develop our cultural offering.
For Dorking, becoming a Town of Culture would unlock significant benefits, including a major boost to national visibility, increased tourism, and dedicated investment into our creative sectors and high street infrastructure. Beyond the economic impact, the programme aims to strengthen the social fabric of the town, fostering a deeper sense of belonging and ensuring that Dorking’s unique identity, from its prestigious musical heritage to its thriving independent spirit, is celebrated and preserved for future generations.
A Proven Track Record
Hello Dorking is leading this BID under the banner of Dorking Town Partnership. We have demonstrated a track record of delivering high-impact initiatives and collaboration, including:
Award Winning Events and Festivals: Including VE Day 80 town wide celebrations, Dorking Walking Festival – merging health, wellbeing, and local history, annual Christmas Festival and most recently the Festival of Lights, combining workshops, a procession and town-wide entertainment. We have extensive experience in delivering cultural events that bring the community together whilst putting the town on the map.
Community Collaboration: Hello Dorking continually collaborates with schools, community groups, businesses and local authorities to deliver projects that benefit all sections of the community. Hello Dorking’s cross-sector reach allows it to bridge the gap between local government, the commercial needs of the high street, and the creative aspirations of community groups. Hello Dorking also supports and highlights many community events including Westival – an annual music festival organised by town centre pubs, Leith Hill Music Festival, Mole Valley Arts Alive, Plays in the Park and lots of other community events that make our town vibrant.
The community involvement is key to this application and we have already held meetings and conversations with several key community and cultural organisations in Dorking to ensure their voices are heard and ideas captured as part of the story of the town past, present and future.
Leadership and Strategic Vision
By leading the Town of Culture initiative, Hello Dorking aims to use its Four Pillars framework—Experience, Promotion, Business Support, and Physical Realm—to ensure that culture serves as a sustainable economic driver way beyond the end of this project. It is also utilising the many community, local authority and local business contacts it has developed to ensure our bid captures the spirit, ideas and needs of all sections of our community.
Looking Ahead
The Town of Culture vision is not about one-off events, but about creating a lasting legacy. Through local sourcing, community consultation, and heritage storytelling, Hello Dorking intends to ensure that Dorking’s cultural status provides a long-term boost to footfall, secondary spend, and civic pride.
We want you to have a voice
We are keen to hear from all sections of the Dorking community to help ensure we have put together a bid that is representative of all demographics. If you are young or old, regularly involved in cultural activities or not, we want to hear from you.
Please complete our survey by Sunday 8th March.
