Worthing's new town centre manager, Hannah Mamzaroli, has outlined her vision - and encouraged people to support local this Christmas
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00:00 My name's Hannah and I'm the new Worthing Town Central Manager. I'm really excited about taking on this new role because I really love living in Worthing.
00:07 I think we've got a really diverse mix here of independent businesses and the well-known brands.
00:12 We've got a fantastic selection of restaurants and the nightlife is really vibrant here.
00:17 We've got a lot of exciting events coming up in the next year or so as well and we're going to be pushing all of those on our social media so make sure you give us a follow.
00:24 What's coming up at Christmas? You mentioned the big event that's coming up on the 14th. How excited are you for that?
00:30 It's going to be fantastic. We've got a really big Christmas market. It's our biggest one that we've ever done.
00:36 We've got a lot of independent businesses that are going to be on the market and a lot of the shops are going to be opening late as well.
00:43 We've also got entertainment and a few little surprises. Santa might even make a visit.
00:48 What are you most looking forward to changing in Worthing or really focusing on as you get to grips with the new role?
00:54 I think the key thing about Worthing is its uniqueness. The locals really love it and we've got a lot of independence.
01:03 I think that's something that we really need to push and make sure that we don't lose our identity.
01:07 Making sure that the high street is really busy, bringing people to the town and giving them a reason to come here for the shops and the events and stay.
01:19 You mentioned before about businesses and new restaurants. We've obviously spoken about opening new shops.
01:26 How positive is that for the town? You can fill these vacant units and encourage more to come to the town?
01:31 Yes, it's fantastic. Our vacancy rate is a lot lower than the national average. We don't have that many empty units and units don't stay empty for a really long time.
01:40 We're really lucky in that respect. People do want to be here. It's always good, especially with the current economic climate, to see how well Worthing is doing.
01:50 We have a lot of local independent businesses too, which a lot of towns don't have so much anymore.
01:56 What's your message to people to support local and come and support the events and businesses at Christmas?
02:02 Definitely. The businesses rely on people coming out and visiting. We spend so much time and effort in putting on these events to bring people to the town.
02:12 Make sure that you shop local for your Christmas presents.