Shopping local for “Scotland Loves Local” week | East Ayrshire Council News

Businesses, community groups and councillors will come together next week to promote the first ever “Scotland Loves Local Week”, with a social media campaign featuring a series of videos, messaging and a competition to celebrate all that is good about supporting local business, community and environment in East Ayrshire.

The national campaign, launched by Scotland’s Towns Partnership will become an annual event to promote and encourage people to shop local and support their own communities. In East Ayrshire the Council is working with Kilmarnock Business Association, Cumnock Business Association and local community groups to produce an innovative local campaign featuring businesses and organisations to build support for local commerce.

Highlights of the campaign will include a spotlight feature on Mauchline’s Mossgiel Farm, which uses pioneering eco friendly methods to produce premium milk from pedigree Ayrshire cows.

Supertattie – East Ayrshire Council’s school meals mascot will also feature, while STV’s popular weather presenter, Sean Batty will visit the area to support community businesses using local produce and creating sustainable jobs to boost the local economy.

For shoppers, there’s also an opportunity to take part in a free competition to win one of three £50 East Ayrshire Gift Cards.

To enter, shoppers can pop into a participating local shop, buy anything they like and scan a QR code to enter the draw. The business which records the highest number of scans will also receive a £50 giftcard, plus a spotlight on social media at the end of September.

Welcoming the campaign, which runs from 28 August until 3 September, Cllr Douglas Reid, Cabinet Member for Community Led Regeneration, East Ayrshire Council said: “Our Community Led Regeneration Team, in partnership with our Business Associations has already had great success, won awards and hosted a conference with Scotland’s Towns Partnership so we welcome this new nationwide campaign.

“As a council, East Ayrshire plays a big part in supporting local business and communities. We’re the largest employer in East Ayrshire, with 75% of our workforce living in the area. We’re dedicated to encouraging our young people to train, stay and work here through our apprenticeships, graduate internships and long term career development supported by our employability services.

“Through our experience with the East Ayrshire Gift Card we already know that encouraging people to shop local can make a big difference to our local economy, keeping money in circulation, supporting jobs, boosting wellbeing and building wealth in our communities.

“Here in East Ayrshire we have a great many fantastic businesses with dedicated staff producing local food, crafts and supplying friendly personal services and ranges of goods, so this is a great way to remind people exactly what’s on offer right here on our own doorsteps.

“Since we put out a call to local businesses to join this campaign we’ve had an overwhelming and enthusiastic response from all sorts of businesses and community groups. They’re all keen to join in and showcase what they do and why they feel it’s important that we all try to shop local.

“It’s a win win situation – every pound spent locally helps support local people, cuts carbon footprints and food miles, and keeps our high streets and rural areas alive at a time of great change in the shape of retail.

“So we’d urge everyone to look out for, like and share, our messaging on twitter, Facebook and Instagram, using the hashtags:

• #ScotlandLovesLocal
• #ChooseLocal and
• #LoveLocalEA.

“Anyone wanting further information or to join the campaign can email our team on towncentreregeneration@east-ayrshire.gov.uk and please, pop into your local shop and see if you can help support shop local today.”

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