Airdrie and Coatbridge town centres will be among those promoted in a new “shop local, shop safe” campaign which has received a grant to help resume local businesses after the Covid-19 lockdown.
North Lanarkshire Council has received £48,700 from the Towns and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) resilience and recovery fund, becoming one of 73 projects across Scotland to benefit.
It will be spent on digital marketing and publicity for the local shopping campaign, covering all eight of the authority’s town centres.
The scheme is financed by the Scottish Government and administered by Scotland’s Towns Partnership, whose chief officer, Phil Prentice, said: “We are pleased that the work [in North Lanarkshire] will touch on so many towns.
“We encourage everyone to think local first – and safety first – to support the businesses and the people behind them who really are at the heart of the areas in which they live.”
He added: “Whether it be buying your groceries or enjoying a meal out, the support you give is critical as we work hard to secure a sustainable and successful future for Scotland’s town centres.”
“Businesses in our town centres are showing remarkable resilience and innovation in how they are responding to the consequences of Covid-19 to best serve their customers and communities, and the impact they are having should not be underestimated.
“From rapidly accelerating their online offerings to moving quickly to ensure safeguards are in place to ensure staff can work safely and customers shop responsibly, their work is playing an important part in the nation’s recovery from the pandemic.”
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Communities secretary Aileen Campbell MSP added: “Living more of our lives locally – shopping, eating and enjoying activities in the areas we live – has never been more important and has a huge role to play in supporting Scotland’s economic and social recovery from Covid-19.
“Taking simple steps like choosing to visit a nearby shop or cafe, or buying goods or services from a business in your community, helps support local jobs, helps local economies thrive and crucially, helps us to continue to suppress the virus by limiting unnecessary travel.”
