Two Moorlands Towns Are Taking Part In The First Ever National Totally Locally Fiver Fest

Two Moorlands towns are taking part in the first ever National Totally Locally Fiver Fest.

Many independent shops and businesses in both Leek and Cheadle are joining more than 40 other towns throughout the UK in the scheme to try and encourage shoppers back into their local town centres and high streets.

All of the shops, cafés, restaurants, pubs and businesses taking part are independent businesses with a special £5 offer on for the duration of the festival which runs from today through until June 15. Over 40 local independent businesses in Leek are taking part with great offers including lunch for a fiver, afternoon tea, the famous Totally Locally burger, jewellery polishing, flower arrangements, brow shaping/threading, a photoshoot, greeting cards, balls of wool and lots more – all reduced and offered for a fiver.

And there are other bargains from stores who don’t have an item for just a fiver so they’re offering £5 off including bottles of gin, silver jewellery, cut and blow dry and more. All of the offers are listed on the Totally Locally Leek facebook page and on posters around the town centre.

A spokesperson for Totally Locally Leek said: “We are joining in with the National Fiver Fest to give people some great bargains, which, let’s face it, everyone loves, but also to showcase the town and the great shops and businesses we have here.

“The Fiver Fest promotes the main Totally Locally message that if every adult in Leek spent just £5 a week with their local independent shops and businesses instead of online or at the big supermarkets or chain stores it would be worth £4.1 million to our local economy.

“On average each independent business has around 12 local suppliers who are also often independent, family run businesses.

“So that £5 spent is re-spent locally as well, further helping the town. And the beauty of spending £5 is that it’s easy and guilt free, pretty much anyone can do it. “ The Fiver Fest is part of the award winning Totally Locally town kit – a free marketing campaign for towns to use which has been hugely successful in helping towns to buck the trend of declining high streets.

Chris Sands, founder of Totally Locally in Calderdale, Yorkishire in 2010 said: “Independent businesses are the lifeblood of our High Streets and Town Centre’s, run by incredibly passionate and knowledgeable people, often pouring their life savings into their businesses. Everyone is aware of the challenges our High Streets are facing and, so far, there has been a lot of talk but no real actions.

“We decided to coordinate a National Fiver Fest to celebrate our independent businesses and high streets, spreading the word about our £5 message and get people back into our town centre’s and supporting their high street.

“Since I founded Totally Locally towns who have used the Totally Locally Town Kit and Marketing have gone on to win the High Street of The Year competition and other awards for turning their towns around.

“They have seen the number of empty shops in their town reduce, they have gone on to create brand new markets and events and most of all the businesses in the towns have started to work together to promote their town and each other.

“Collaborating, sharing ideas and marketing each other’s businesses sounds simple but it is quite an alien concept to a lot of retailers. Once towns start to work this way it has a massive benefit to residents, businesses and the surrounding supply chain, making the towns a better place to live and work, with better facilities and employment.”