Hope on the High Street: How We Can Bring Our Town Centres Back to Life

By Emma Sweet, Founder of Ace Places Playing Cards

When I read the government's new Hope on the High Street strategy, I found myself nodding along. Not because I think the government has suddenly found all the answers to the challenges facing our town centres, but because so much of what it champions is exactly what inspired me to launch Ace Places Playing Cards back in 2023.

Local pride, independent businesses, community connections and giving people more reasons to visit, explore and spend time in the places they call home. These aren't new ideas to me. They're the very foundations on which I've built my business, and seeing them recognised as part of a national strategy makes me more excited than ever about what we can achieve.

Our high streets need more than shops

I spent more than 20 years working in marketing, much of that time in the hospitality industry. One thing I learnt very quickly is that people don't just visit places to buy things. They visit for experiences, to meet friends, discover something new, enjoy good food, feel part of something or simply spend time somewhere they love.

That's why I believe the future of our high streets is about so much more than retail. Of course, we need thriving shops and independent businesses that can afford to operate, and we need to address the very real challenges of empty premises, rising costs and changing shopping habits. But we also need to give people compelling reasons to visit in the first place.

You can't bring a high street back to life simply by asking people to shop there. You have to give them a reason to fall in love with it.

Reasons to visit, reasons to get together, reasons to explore

Three themes in the government's strategy particularly caught my attention: reasons to visit, reasons to get together and reasons to explore. They're all closely connected to what we're doing at Ace Places.

When I created Henley Playing Cards, my ambition was to celebrate the brilliant independent businesses, landmarks and experiences that make the town special. I wanted to create something that people would be proud to own, something visitors could take home and something that would encourage locals to discover businesses and experiences they might otherwise have overlooked. And I wanted it to be fun, because why shouldn't promoting a town be playful, creative and a little bit different?

The concept grew into Marlow Playing Cards, and together the two packs have now sold more than 17,000 copies. That's 17,000 opportunities for someone to discover a local business, share a recommendation, buy a gift or feel a little more connected to a place. I'm not claiming that a pack of playing cards can transform a high street on its own, but I absolutely believe that creative initiatives like this have a role to play in making our towns more interesting, distinctive and memorable.

It's the people who make a place

One of the things I've enjoyed most about building Ace Places has been getting to know the people behind the businesses. The independent shopkeepers, publicans, producers, restaurateurs, charity organisers and entrepreneurs who put so much energy into their communities are the people who give our towns their personality. And when we bring them together, wonderful things can happen.

Take the Henley Card Club, for example. What began as another way to bring our playing cards to life has become an opportunity for people to meet, play games, enjoy local hospitality and make new connections. No complicated technology or enormous budget, just people coming together around a table.

We've also raised more than £4,000 for local charities through our playing card initiatives, demonstrating how a commercial product can create benefits beyond the businesses involved. For me, that's what community is about. Not simply living in the same place, but feeling connected to the people and organisations around you. I was delighted to see that sense of connection recognised in the government's vision for our high streets.

Local pride is powerful

I think we sometimes underestimate just how much people love where they live. We can become so accustomed to our surroundings that we forget how much there is to celebrate. The independent café that's been serving the community for years, the theatre that relies on local support, the family-run shop or the historic building we walk past without a second glance are all part of the character of a place.

When we celebrate these places, we remind people why they're worth supporting. That's why I believe local pride should be at the heart of how we promote our towns, and why not every town needs to become the next big tourist destination. Some places simply need to reconnect with the people who already live and work there.

There's no one-size-fits-all solution, either. What works for a historic riverside town like Henley may be very different from what works for a busy suburban high street or a coastal community. The important thing is to understand what makes each place distinctive and build on it.

Changing the conversation about our high streets

Something else I feel strongly about is the way we talk about our high streets. We're so accustomed to headlines about shop closures, empty premises and struggling town centres that it's easy to overlook the brilliant things happening right under our noses.

That's why I'm such a supporter of High Street Positives, an initiative founded by Laura Harris to challenge the negative narrative and shine a spotlight on the people, businesses and projects making a positive difference. I've had the pleasure of speaking with Laura, who's been incredibly supportive of Ace Places, and I think there's a real connection between what we're both trying to achieve.

Laura is championing the positive stories that deserve to be heard. Through Ace Places, I'm celebrating the people and businesses behind those stories and encouraging others to discover them for themselves. We're approaching it in different ways, but we share a belief that our high streets have so much to offer.

If we constantly talk about our town centres as places in decline, why would we expect people to feel excited about visiting them? We need to acknowledge the challenges, absolutely, but we also need to celebrate what's working, champion the people making a difference and give others reasons to feel optimistic. That's a movement I'm very happy to be part of.

From national strategy to local action

On Wednesday 4 November, I attended the National BIDs Conference 2026, organised by British BIDs in London. The theme was BIDs & Our Places: Shaping the Next Era, and the timing couldn't have been better, coming just a week after the publication of the government's Hope on the High Street strategy.

It was particularly interesting to hear from Davy Cowie of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, with the government's approach to revitalising our high streets very much part of the conversation. I also thoroughly enjoyed hearing from Lord Simon Pitkeathley, who has championed local businesses and communities through his work with Camden Town Unlimited since 2007. His longstanding commitment to helping places thrive is a reminder that meaningful change comes from people who understand their communities and are prepared to keep investing in them.

Throughout the day, I met Business Improvement District representatives from across the country, sharing ideas and hearing about the opportunities and challenges facing their communities. What struck me was the enthusiasm, ambition and genuine passion people have for their places. It reinforced something I've been thinking about for some time: if we want local initiatives to succeed, we need local people at the heart of them.

That's why I'm now exploring opportunities to work with Business Improvement Districts and other place-making organisations to bring Ace Places playing cards to more towns across the UK. They bring the local knowledge, relationships and understanding of their communities, while Ace Places brings the proven concept, creative expertise and support to make it happen.

The aim is to create something that doesn't just celebrate a town, but offers genuine commercial opportunities for the businesses involved and the organisations championing them. It's an exciting next chapter for Ace Places, and one that feels particularly relevant to the government's renewed focus on locally led high street regeneration.

Let's bring back the joy

I don't believe the future of our high streets lies in trying to recreate the past. Shopping habits have changed, the way we work has changed and what people want from their town centres has changed. So our approach needs to change too.

We need creativity, collaboration, experiences, independent businesses with personality, spaces where people can connect and local leaders who are prepared to try something different. We also need to recognise that revitalising our high streets takes investment, practical support and long-term commitment. There are no magic solutions, but I genuinely believe there is enormous potential in our towns.

I've seen it in Henley and Marlow, in the enthusiasm of the businesses I've worked with and, this week, in the people I met who are championing communities right across the country. When I launched Ace Places, I wanted to create playing cards with purpose, and three years on, that purpose feels more relevant than ever.

Because the future of our high streets isn't just about bringing people back to the shops. It's about bringing people back together.

And if Ace Places can play even a small part in making that happen, I'll be very proud indeed.

Emma Sweet is the founder of Ace Places Playing Cards, creating illustrated playing card packs that celebrate local businesses, encourage discovery and support communities across the UK. Photo courtesy of the Maidenhead Advertiser, with thanks.