Malton and Norton launch bid to become Totally Local towns (From York Press)

Malton and Norton launch bid to become Totally Local towns

11:18am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in Business news By Karen Darley

PLANS are underway for Malton and Norton to become Totally Locally towns and help redirect £2.5 million worth of business back into the area.

The Totally Locally scheme, initiated in West Yorkshire, supports independent shops and businesses and aims to encourage people to use the services they have on their doorstops from local farmers to accountants.

Emma Brooksbank, who is behind the drive, said she first read about Totally Locally following the severe flooding in Hebden Bridge last autumn.

She said: “The shopkeepers were in a position to help each other as part of the Totally Locally scheme and when I looked into it further, I discovered it had been set up in Calderdale to help regenerate independent shops through a branding and marketing programme.

“A scheme had then got underway in Hebden Bridge and one town after another had got involved so that by the end of last year more than 70 were working towards becoming Totally Locally towns.”

Mrs Brooksbank said a number of people in Malton and Norton were now interested in progressing the scheme in the two towns for a launch in June.

“This is about getting shops to talk to other shops and customers and encourage them to shop and do business in their local area,” she said.

“It is estimated that if every adult spent £5 in local shops it would be worth £2.6 million to the local economy each year. It is all about keeping money in the local area and with local suppliers.”

Mrs Brooksbank said everyone she had spoken to had been supportive of the scheme which would run alongside other initiatives, such as We Love Malton.

“This is very grassroots and really organic with the scheme tailor-made to each town,” she said. “Everyone helps each other to the benefit of Malton and Norton.”

A spokesperson for Totally Locally said the scheme was about opening people’s eyes to the independent shops and businesses in their town.

“It’s here to encourage people to turn into the door of that shop they walk past every day. There’s a good chance they will want to go back.

It’s about supporting your local growers, producers and services, be it furniture makers, farmers, accountants or bakers.

“Totally Locally gives a town an award-winning marketing and branding campaign in a kit, just like the big multinationals have, and spend thousands of pounds on.

“The only difference is that it’s free for any town or village to use. That’s because we’re a bottom-up campaign, rapidly becoming a properly awesome social movement. It costs nothing except some passion, some drive and a determination to get things done. Totally Locally is more than a shop local campaign. It’s about working together to lift your whole town.”

The next meeting of the Totally Locally Malton and Norton group will be held at The Yard on Tuesday at 6pm.

For more information on Totally Locally visit www.totally-locally.co.uk