Harrogate Gift Card bid to reboot lockdown hit economy
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That's the message from Harrogate BID (Business Improvement District) in a campaign to help reboot the town's local economy after the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The town has reopened for business as the lockdown begins to ease and shoppers are being urged to help businesses to recover by using the new Harrogate Gift Card.
It can be pre-loaded with any value up to £500, which can be spent in more than 100 participating shops, bars, restaurants and other businesses, and was launched by Harrogate BID last year to encourage more people to shop local.
Now, as businesses bounce back after lockdown closures, there is no better time to support the initiative by getting a card and giving it as a present to family, friends and colleagues, say BID bosses.
GET THE GIFT CARD: A directory of participating businesses and where to purchase the card can b e found online at www.harrogategiftcard.co.uk.
More than 340 Harrogate Gift Cards have already been sold, with a combined value of over £20,000 being pre-loaded on to them.
It means that money is kept within the local economy, boosting trade and securing jobs.
An advertising campaign has been launched to encourage more people to use it, to help make the local economy more resilient and sustainable.
The BID hopes people will give pre-loaded cards as birthday or anniversary gifts and suggests companies might reward staff with a card for their hard work.
Harrogate BID Interim Manager Simon Kent said: “For Harrogate town centre to have any chance of survival, it needs our support now more than ever.
"A fortnight ago the shops started to re-open, and with the hospitality sector joining them from this Saturday, now is the time for us to re-introduce the Harrogate Gift Card to residents and businesses alike.
“The card is ideal for birthday, anniversary and Christmas presents, as well as staff rewards. And with more than 100 businesses already participating in the scheme, there’s plenty of choice where they can be spent.
“Businesses that currently participate in the scheme include clothes shops, hotels, cafes, jewellers, bars, hair salons and delicateness. We also hope that more businesses will recognise the value of the scheme, which comes at no extra cost to them.”
LINKS
HARROGATE GIFT CARD
HARROGATE BID:
Web: harrogatebid.co.uk
Twitter: @BidHarrogate
Instagram: www.instagram.com/harrogatebid