Use your pounds locally plea

AN extra £7.5m-a-year could be driven directly into Dumfries and Galloway’s economy if everyone in the region spent just £1-a-week more with local businesses.

Businesses and organisations gathered in Dumfries town centre this week to highlight the significant difference that can be made - safeguarding the future of businesses and protecting jobs - as part of Scotland Loves Local Week.

Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP), the organisation which spearheads Scotland Loves Local, has calculated the boost which could come from the simple additional £1 spend with businesses based in towns and villages across the region.

Leah Halliday, owner of gift shop and refillery Flourish in Dumfries High Street, is a supporter of the rallying cry to think local first.

She said: “It’s so important that the community shops locally. Any support that they can give local businesses ensures that money stays in the local economy, helping to keep our jobs and shops open. Even the smallest of purchases makes a difference.”

Also supportive are the team at the The Stove Network, which runs The Stove Cafe in Dumfries High Street.

Katharine Wheeler, development director, said: “The Stove is rooted in our local community. We see ourselves as part of the everyday life of the town, working alongside others to make Dumfries a better place to live and work.

“We also support people across the region to lead change where they are, using creativity to spark ideas and bring folk together. Being part of Scotland Loves Local means being part of a shared belief in local knowledge, care and action as the foundations for stronger, more sustainable places.”

Meanwhile, STP chief officer, Kimberley Guthrie, said: “The reality is that £7.5m is the tip of the iceberg of what can be achieved in Dumfries and Galloway. If £1 more every week can make a transformational impact to the people who make our places, just imagine what is truly possible by choosing local even more.

“Money stays local for longer when you spend with local businesses.The multiplier effect is massive. These businesses spend with other businesses, who employ other local people, who then spend with other local businesses. Every penny spent is an investment in the future of your area.

“The jobs and livelihoods of your neighbours, friends and family depend on you doing so.”

More information is available at www.lovelocal.scot