When businesses support the arts the benefits are huge

A few weeks back at this year’s Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival, Lyse Doucet was the special guest at a packed literary l
unch. The BBC’s renowned chief international correspondent captivated the audience as she shared reflections on her extraordinary career as a journalist and some of the stories behind her latest book, The Finest Hotel in Kabul.

Lyse follows a long line of brilliant guest speakers to have graced the literary stage in Harrogate, and I’ve been privileged to meet some of them since joining Raworths just over a decade ago. Raworths has sponsored the Harrogate Literature Festival for the last 13 years and being able to help bring such world class authors and special guests to our town is a source of real pride to us.

Funding for the arts and culture sector is under pressure these days but has arguably never been more important, and it’s something we’re passionate about at Raworths. Sometimes we help festivals and events get off the ground and other times we become long term partners.

Over the years we’ve helped public art exhibitions in the town and supported Harrogate Film Festival when that was starting out, and a little further afield we’ve sponsored events at the Northern Aldborough Festival. In 2026 we will be supporting the recently established Yorkshire-based Cuore Chamber Orchestra.

We believe it’s important to support local culture because the benefits are huge both for the community and for us as a business. It’s well documented that access to the arts – whether it’s a music festival or a free public light show – not only brings people together it also boosts our wellbeing.

Raworths started in Harrogate in 1887 and our connection to the town is deep rooted. We are committed to being ambassadors in our community, which means encouraging staff members to get involved – whether it’s reviewing a book featured at the literature festival, taking clients to one of the talks, or going with their families to the Children’s Festival.

Supporting cultural events helps build client relationships. Many of our clients are philanthropists with an interest in the arts so there’s an alignment of interests here. It not only benefits arts organisations and charities that receive vital funding, but also the local communities that get to enjoy wonderful concerts and festivals on their doorstep.

It's also about giving back to the town, which might sound like a cliché but does actually matter. This chimes with staff who are increasingly looking for a more engaged workplace where they find fulfilment beyond simply “doing their job.”

It also appeals to people who join our team because they know they have the opportunity to be part of something anchored in the town’s cultural life. We know this because new starters have told us!

There is, of course, a very pressing reason why it’s important that successful businesses support local art and culture – because if we don’t step in then who will? We know that funding for the arts is really tight these days and we know, too, that giving to good causes and charities in general is difficult for all sorts of different reasons.

But if arts and culture events are going to continue not only in places like Harrogate or Knaresborough, but towns across the country, then the money has to come from somewhere.

We know that access to high quality art and culture is good for us and to be able to go and see a bestselling author give a talk, or to listen to world class orchestras, without having to trek to the nearest big city, is wonderful. So, too, is being able to visit a public art installation for free.

Art and culture enrich us as individuals and bring communities together. I passionately believe that music, art and literature not only stimulate us mentally but emotionally, too. They can have a positive impact on us and help shape our view of the world.

They make us more rounded individuals, and it’s something I want my children to experience. Education is not only about doing well academically, it’s also about appreciating and enjoying the world around us, and that is something the arts do brilliantly.

For me, introducing some of my clients to Theresa May when she came to the literature festival in 2024, and having afternoon tea with Victoria Hislop, one of my favourite authors, and being able to chat to her about her books, was such a privilege. These memorable experiences came about because we, as a business, support the arts.

But it’s about more than individual memories. By supporting the arts we’re making a positive difference to our town and the wider community. These events help put Harrogate on the cultural map, which brings more people here. You might get a business owner who comes here for the first time, falls in love with the place and decides to invest in the town. So the impact can be profound.

At Raworths, we have to be experts in the law but having emotional intelligence and being able to relate to one another and to listen to what other people are saying, or sometimes not saying, are really important skills. I believe that building links through art and culture with your community strengthens these skills – it’s a win-win situation.