The Welcome Team was launched and is funded by the Exeter Business Improvement District (BID) and brings to Exeter a skilled team on hand to help shoppers and tourists make the most of their time in the city by assisting visitors, monitoring the city environment and working with the businesses across the BID area. Darren, Myra and Paul are easy to spot, in their smart suits and red accessories.

Darren

Originally from Middlesex, Darren has now been working in Exeter for over three years. He has picked up a broad range of skills having worked across a variety of sectors, including leadership and communications. Darren has experience in customer service working with both external customers and internal team members.

Myra

A results driven manager with over fifteen years’ experience working within retail, Myra has excellent management and teamwork skills. Always willing to go the extra mile, she has exceptional communication skills with customers and colleagues. As well as her extensive retail career, Myra also worked as a Pre-School teacher for three years.

Paul

With nearly 17 years’ experience as an energy efficiency surveyor, Paul has picked up a range of skills to bring to the team including management and sales. An excellent communicator, he wanted a people-focused role after being self-employed for a number of years.

As well as the Welcome Team, there is the Exeter Visitor Information & Tickets located in the heart of the city and Visitor Information pillars, displaying maps and interesting information about the city, are scattered throughout the streets.

Exeter has a long and distinct history, as a regional centre for the South West.

The town was under Roman control until the Saxons moved in, promptly building Exeter Cathedral. Shortly after the Normans took control of the city, building Rougemount Castle, which you can still see the ruins of today, and creating the ‘hays’ of Exeter – Southernhay, Northernhay, Princesshay, Friernhay and Bonhay, most of which still live on in street names to this day.

Exeter’s architecture spans the centuries: Roman City Walls, Medieval Underground Passages and buildings including the City’s Guildhall, elegant Georgian and Victorian properties, the imposing Gothic Revival Royal Albert Memorial Museum, 20th century and new, state of the art, shopping centres.  Free Red Coat guided tours are available throughout the year, following a wide range of themes and interests.

Today Exeter is a flourishing city, with major transport links and a large business community.

Shopmobility

The Shopmobility service is located in the Princesshay Shopping Centre. They hire out wheelchairs and motorised scooters to improve access to the city centre. Devon’s Ring & Ride’s minibus is also located here and offers a comfortable waiting room. www.exetercta.co.uk

Shopmobility is available for anyone, any age, no matter whether their mobility difficulty is temporary or permanent. The service is available to residents and visitors in Exeter. Free parking for Shopmobility users is available on level three of the Princesshay Car Park.

Blue Badge holders can park for free in all City Council car parks, except for Guildhall & Mary Arches Street car parks, provided a valid blue badge is displayed. Wide parking bays are available for motorists who are mobility impaired in most car parks.

Exeter Visitor Information & Tickets located in Princesshay, has a loop system for deaf and hard of hearing visitors

Facilities for disabled visitors

Paris Street Bus Station:
Public toilets here have provision for users who are mobility impaired and are open from 7am to 10.30pm. Parking is available adjacent to the facility.

High Street area:
Exeter’s High Street is reasonably level with only a slight incline as you go up it in the direction of Princesshay. Public toilets for people who are mobility impaired are located just behind the High Street (near St Stephen’s Church) on the ground floor of St Stephen’s House at 9 Catherine Street. Marks and Spencer and House of Fraser located in the High Street also have accessible toilet facilities for their customers, normally open during all opening hours.

Princesshay Shopping Centre:
A modern shopping centre that is mainly flat, with wide walkways designed to allow easy wheelchair access to shops and restaurants. Changing Places toilets are available for people with physical and learning impairments at St Stephen’s House, in Catherine Street.

Guildhall Shopping Centre:
Undercover shops are on two levels here. Entrance to the upper shopping level and the Guildhall Car Park (on level three) is via a lift. Public toilets for people who are mobility impaired are on the ground level.

Harlequins Shopping Centre:
This shopping area is completely undercover. The nearest toilets for people who are mobility impaired are located in the nearby Guildhall Shopping Centre.

Fore Street:
Filled with unique independent retailers has a steep incline leading down towards the Quayside area.

Parking

There are a number of short, medium and long stay car parks in the city of Exeter, please click here to visit the Exeter City Council for more information on location and charges.

Community, Equality, Disability Action

The Exeter BID has been working with local organisations to promote awareness for Autism and Dementia.

Together with CEDA – Community, Equality, Disability Action – the BID is looking at ways to provide training and support to BID members. The BID team, including the Welcome Team, have received Autism awareness training.

The Clare Milne Centre
Emperor Way
Exeter Business Park
Exeter
EX1 3QS

www.bis-net.org.uk
http://www.cedaonline.org.uk/
info@cedaonline.org.uk
01392 360645

The Exeter BID are also working with Exeter Dementia Action Alliance to promote awareness of the issues affecting those living with dementia, their families and carers. Members of the BID team and the Welcome Team have attended a dementia awareness session and have met with other member organisations to look at ways in which the BID can offer support amongst the BID levy paying community.