By Kevin Ward, Newport Now manager

THE Newport Now Business Improvement District will be holding an open meeting for all BID levy payers at the end of this month.

The meeting will take place at Le Public Space on High Street, in Newport city centre, on Thursday, June 28.

Running from 5.30pm to 7pm, the meeting will give levy payers a chance to hear and ask questions about Newport Now’s plans for the 2018-19 financial year, its fourth year of operations.

BID board members will be in attendance to give updates on the work of the organisation, which represents more than 400 city centre businesses. Newport Now’s ambassadors will also be at the meeting.

Representatives from Gwent Police and Newport City Council will give presentations and take questions from businesses at the meeting.

The event will see the launch of Street SupPORT, a homelessness fund for Newport set up by the BID in partnership with charities The Wallich and Eden Gate.

And levy payers will get the chance to find out more from the South Wales Argus about its business awards, which are being sponsored by Newport Now and which include two categories open only to levy payers.

All attendees will receive a voucher for a free drink on arrival at Le Public Space, and food will also be served free of charge.

Levy payers will be receiving invitations to the meeting, hand-delivered by Newport Now’s ambassadors, over the next week or so.

The open meeting is the first of two to be held this year by the BID. The other will be in November and will also include the Newport Now annual meeting.

More details about the June meeting will be announced on the BID’s website – newportnow.co.uk – over the next few weeks.