Page 46 - West Country View

From Auctioneering to The Arts
Greenslade Taylor Hunt can trace its roots back to the outskirts of Taunton where W R J Greenslade set out as a ‘wine merchant and auctioneer’ in 1847. Throughout its 170 year history, being part of the local community and helping the people who live and work in Taunton and beyond is at the core of what we do.
It’s not possible to be part of the fabric of local towns and rural areas without being affected by the issues facing those communities and the people that make the area tick. That
is why GTH is supporting ArtsTaunton as it spearheads the vision for the county town to be the regional hub for the arts in Somerset.
But what benefit can this bring? As the Local Government Association (LGA) identified in its 2013 report, there are five ways in which investment in the arts and culture impacts favourably on local economies and economic growth. Namely; attracting visitors, creating jobs and developing skills, attracting and retaining businesses, revitalising places and developing talent. As a local employer and service provider, we cannot underestimate how important these benefits are.
There is tangible impetus and infectious enthusiasm for
the regeneration of Taunton. Our auctioneers, commercial agents and residential estate agents have their fingers on the
pulse of the property market in the town and fully support initiatives which aim to enrich the lives of local people and businesses. They can only benefit us all.
Duncan Brown, Partner and Head of the Commercial Property Division at GTH notes: “There is no doubt that there is a direct correlation between the accessibility of
the arts and leisure in any town with the well-being of its residents and success of its businesses. The work that ArtsTaunton are doing, with the help of local supporters, will contribute to community cohesion and a sense of pride in our county town. We at GTH are fully committed to this movement and through our charitable trust will continue to support its endeavours as we start to see tangible results in the regeneration of our town.”
Alongside ArtsTaunton and its board members, patrons, ambassador and local sponsors, GTH are proud to invest back into the community in which Mr Greenslade started out.
ArtsTaunton’s vision is of Taunton as a busy, popular regional hub for the arts. They aim to:
• Remove barriers by providing information, advice, raising awareness, carrying out research, making grants and promoting collaborative working.
• Put Taunton on the map by partnering with artists, local authorities, businesses and employers and arts organisations to position Taunton as a major regional arts hub and ‘destination’ town.
• Improve public well-being through good design, enhancing the town to create a place that is beautiful, popular and will be loved for generations.
Find out more at artstaunton.co.uk
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