By Kevin Ward, manager, Newport Now Business Improvement District

THE Newport Now Business Improvement District (BID) helps fund a calendar of events aimed at driving footfall into the city centre.

Increased event activity in the city centre helps boost trade for the BID’s 400-plus levy payers.

July sees a series of key events benefiting from BID funding and sponsorship.

Maindee Festival takes place on Saturday, July 6, from 1pm to 6pm.

The BID has provided advertising revenue for this year’s event and will be helping promote the new start venue for the festival parade. This year’s parade starts at the Riverfront Theatre before heading across the Usk to the festival’s traditional home in the grounds of Maindee Primary School. Full details of the festival are available at www.maindee.org/festival

Later in July, the BID is sponsoring the Big Splash street theatre festival for the third year in succession.

Organised by Newport Live, the Big Splash has become a fixture on the city’s events calendar. The BID funds the Newport Now Zone, bringing acts and entertainment into Commercial Street.

This year’s Newport Now Zone features a series of live music performances curated by High Street community venue Le Pub. Keep an eye on Newport Now’s Twitter and Facebook pages for more announcements on this.

July ends with Newport hosting the British Transplant Games for the first time.

Bringing more than 2,400 visitors to the city and with an economic impact exceeding £1.5m, the games are another example of Newport delivering major events.

While the bulk of the games action takes place at the International Sports Village and Rodney Parade, the city centre will not be left out and the BID has joined forces with Friars Walk to provide funding for these events.

More details on BTG events in Friars Walk, Newport Centre and the Riverfront will be announced soon. Again, keep any eye on Newport Now’s social media feeds and www.britishtransplantgames.co.uk.