As the year draws to a close, and as out of office messages pop up in your inbox, it feels appropriate to reflect on the last 12 months.

It’s been a long year, with as many ups as downs. We have seen challenges, we’ve had terrific highs and devastating lows. We finish 2025 in, perhaps, contemplative mode, but with a strong plan of actions for 2026. At the heart of our business improvement districts is our mission to support business, to provide additionality. Perhaps it’s fitting for the season to say we add a little extra sparkle to the city.

Our programme of events runs side by side with our role as advocate for business in Liverpool. It’s vital that businesses have a voice and a champion and it is part of our role to lobby, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. This helps to raise the issues that business has with those in power, but it also helps to drive inward investment. From MIPIM to conferences in Beijing and global forums we have been driving the message of Liverpool forward.

First, a few of the highlights of the year. There have been many. Yellow Monday (which returns next month) came in its second iteration as a moment to shake us out of the bleak midwinter. The gift of the staff bouquet remains so popular that it has become one of my favourite moments of the year.

This year we launched Must-See Month, an opportunity to celebrate our wonderful cultural sector, leisure and attractions. It will return in 2026 and it is a great chance to sample a theatre show, an exhibition, perhaps a gig. We have so much to see and do, it’s good to have a curated guide of offers.

At MIPIM we launched our campaign for the Commercial Business District. With voices from every level of industry across a variety of sectors we are striving for change in the CBD, working to make this engine of the City-Region economy to be a stronger place for business and investment.

Spring always sees the start of Lent and that, of course, means the annual Pancake Race. Everyone who has ever met one knows how competitive chefs are, but only when you have seen them race with pancakes do you truly realise they do not like to lose! We had a new winner this year, let’s see if he holds onto his title.

We work in partnership in Liverpool and the Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BRCP) goes from strength to strength. We held a national conference in the summer with speakers and attendees from across the country working on the frontline of retail and policing.

In the summer we led the successful alteration ballot and introduction of a £2 overnight charge, led by our city hotels and the Accommodation BID. This will give us an incredible opportunity to invest in our city’s visitor economy in a sustainable and circular way. We have been clear from the start that the investment is for a definite purpose, to help convert overnight stays. That keeps the sector strong and able to withstand the economic pressures impacting on hospitality.

The success of the ballot reflects on the nimble-ness of BIDs, and our ability to respond to what our businesses need quickly and effectively.

The summer is celebrated in Bold Street, Castle Street and the Last Days of Summer. These will change in 2026 so that the celebrations can continue throughout the summer, making them less weather dependent. It is such a valuable way for us to bring our communities together.

Autumn and as students returned to the city we hosted our annual giveaway with offers to welcome them to the heart of the city.

In November, for Safer Business Action Week we launched the Safer Pods trail, an innovative and technology driven approach to reduce retail crime and make businesses safer for both shoppers and staff.

We unveiled a new mural at Mathew Street and hosted a first Hope Street Blend.

This month The Elf on the Shelf has been back and we have funded 85% of the city’s Christmas lights to give much needed glow this festive season.

We are a strong advocate for Liverpool business and have spoken at conferences in Oman and Shanghai where we were invited to be part of the global conversation on regeneration, on the role of the private sector in city transformations and urban development.

Of course, it hasn’t all been a celebration.

Our hearts were broken as Liverpool’s Parade turned to tragedy, yet we were given strength from the courage of our local businesses, who at once supported those affected in the height of the crisis. And, once the crowds and emergency services left, were among the first to clean the city’s streets.

It has been another challenging year economically. Businesses are at the core of our community and city, not a nice to have. In 2026 we will continue to make the case to the government about the costs they are placing on business, and the difficulty this is creating on the high street.

Hospitality, in particular, has faced a tough year. We will be their champion in 2026 with a campaign on the pressure they face, and the impact that could have on our city and its offer.

Business can often feel like a lonely game, especially for those delivering on their passion or feeling as though they are not heard. The power of the BID, and of the community we have built, is that you aren’t alone. We’ll always fight for you, always ask the difficult questions and push open the closed doors. We’re in your corner, lifting Liverpool to create a better environment for you.

Bill Addy, Liverpool Business Improvement District