A new manager has been appointed to lead Nairn’s Business Improvement District.
Lucy Harding (pictured) will take over from Janis Maclean this week and she said she is looking forward to being able to work with and support the town’s businesses.
Lucy moved to the seaside town last August with her husband Neil and two children Charlie and Suzi.
They fell in love with the region after visiting friends and chose Nairn as their home.
And with a background in tourism, having worked for many years with Explore, an adventure travel company, Lucy could very quickly see why Nairn is such a popular destination for both visitors and people wanting to set up home.
“It really has it all,” she said, “the town itself is beautiful and has so much to offer but then it is so well placed for visiting other parts of the country too.
“It’s so accessible.
“It has a lot going for it and I am excited to have this new role.
“Nairn BID is a great organisation which has achieved so much already, in such a short space of time, and I am really looking forward to continuing the projects that have already begun, but also starting new ones to benefit the town and its people.”
As well as her background in travel, Lucy also has experience of running an organisation as she and Neil founded Dementia Adventure, a charity which specialises in helping people living with the condition to retain their adventurous sides.
“I’d like to think that my experience with Explore as a tour leader and then as an operations manager and then setting up the charity gives me a good footing for running Nairn BID.
“There is so much variety in the role and so many different projects on the go and I am wholeheartedly behind what the BID is here to achieve.
“Nairn is already a great place, but I think the BID is well placed to make it even better.”
Lucy and her family have thrown themselves into the town’s community.
Neil is the manager of Green Hive and he has also taken up a position on the parent council at Nairn Academy.
Meanwhile, Lucy is a member of acapella choir The Accidentals and has become treasurer of Rosebank Primary School’s parent council.
“We really believe in the town and its community and want to do what we can to get involved.
“I have also been working with the Nairn Task Force which has proved vital at this difficult time and what has been inspiring is seeing how the community has pulled together.
“That is what makes Nairn special and we are very happy to be part of that.”
Janis who has been managing Nairn BID for 18 months is leaving to concentrate on Coast Candle Co, her Leopold Street-based business.
She said:
“I have loved my time at BID and feel extremely fortunate that I was able to take it this far from the beginning of its five-year term.
“The BID team and the businesses have come a long way in a short time.
“Last year, we staged three extremely successful big events which attracted people from all over the region, the seagull nest project is well underway, street cleaning projects have been put in place and Nairn is going to have a new marketing strategy very soon.
“It has also come into its own during this pandemic by teaming up with the Nairn Task Force and being able to share information that is relevant to our business community.
“It is such a varied role and I have very much enjoyed my time here; however, I now need to focus exclusively on my own business.”
She added:
“Lucy clearly has a wealth of experience and I have no doubt she will be successful in taking Nairn BID forward.
“I wish her well in the manager’s role.”
