Cirencester Town Council is Supporting Local Businesses – Shop Local Initiative
Cirencester Town Council is supporting local businesses this year by producing a Shopping Guide and a promotional Christmas video. Working in partnership with local retailers and businesses, and acting on their feedback, the Shopping Guide features the town centre’s shops and includes special offers, discounts and a chance to win in the Shop Local Challenge prize draw. There are also opportunities to participate in festive activities including, the Chamber of Commerce’s window challenge and contributing to a virtual Christmas Tree Parade.
Over 130 local shops, traders and businesses have signed up to be part in the Council’s “Shop Local – put your money where your heart is” initiative, and will feature in the Shopping Guide. The guide will be delivered to 11,000 households in the GL7 area and will be available online from early November and from the Local Information Centre at Bingham House, in December.
The back of the Shopping Guide features the Shop Local Challenge. By spending £5 in a single transaction from participating shops, shoppers will receive a Shop Local sticker. The idea is to fill the grid and be enter a prize draw. Prizes amounting to over £250, donated by local businesses, are waiting to be won! Following the news of the new restrictions that come into force on the 5th November, the date of the prize draw has been delayed until the 31st January.
A specially commissioned, promotional video, produced by the Barn Theatre, is nearing completion. Showcasing the whole town, it tells a heart-warming Christmas story of a family preparing for Christmas, with the message is ‘Why go anywhere else, Cirencester has all you need.’ Filming was conducted throughout the town in October and features familiar businesses, people and places with additional product placement and subtle advertising. The video will be available on the Town Council and Barn Theatre’s social media channels and YouTube.
As a further gesture of support, with many businesses preparing for a further lockdown on the 5th November, the decision to turn the Christmas lights on earlier than usual was taken. The Christmas tree, sponsored by Wenn Townsend, will be in place by late November but there will be no light switch on ceremony this year.
Becky Coles, Community Services Manager said “With so many of our events cancelled this year, we wanted to support the town in different ways and, after talking with local businesses, it became clear that encouraging the community to shop locally would be the best way to help keep our town the vibrant market town it is.”
She added, “We really want people to keep and use their Shopping Guide to rediscover all the fantastic local and independent businesses in Cirencester. Our local businesses have faced so many challenges this year, this is a chance for everyone to support them; we want to encourage people to consider local options before using large multinationals. Many of our businesses also trade online and provide click and collect options so even the lockdown doesn’t stop shopping locally being an option.”
Further information can be found on the Town Council’s website www.cirencester.gov.uk and social media pages (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram)
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