A HUGE 3D projector in the centre of Boscombe has earned a national award for the area’s business improvement district (BID).

Bournemouth Coastal BID collected the Place Management title at the British BID Awards.

The projector, introduced last year, is the country’s first permanent 3D projection mapping system used on a high street.

It sends moving images from the top of the Sovereign Centre to the building opposite, covering a surface area of almost 200 metres (650sqft). The initiative, supported by the Bournemouth Towns Fund, is used to promote events and give exposure to artists and schools.

The BID also picked up the silver award in the Industry Support category of the Destination Management Board Tourism Awards for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

BID manager Fiona McArthur: “To pick up the trophy at the British BID Awards was result of hard work by our team and all our levy-payers.

“We beat large places including Leicester and Wolverhampton and every BID in the country was able to enter – and there are almost 300 of them.

“We represent the coastal area between Pokesdown and Westbourne and our aim is to improve all these places with a variety of projects.

“The projector was one such initiative and it really stands out and has become a talking point in Boscombe and attracted many visitors.

“It was also a real delight to win a silver award in the Industry Support category at the DMB Tourism Awards 2022 for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.”

Last year, the BID won a ballot giving a fresh five-year mandate to its work promoting the area.