2017 is shaping up to the best year yet for She Loves York

IT’S six years since Tricia Sherriff took a gamble and ploughed her redundancy money into She Loves York, a unique membership club that links women with local businesses through a series of offers and discounts.

For an annual fee, members gain money off at more than 100 businesses in the city as well as discount vouchers.

And she hasn’t looked back.

Last year, Tricia launched the male equivalent He Loves York and staged an inaugural She Loves York charity ball, that raised more than £10,000.

This year, She Loves York will be breaking further new ground.

It is joining forces with Fashion City York in April to organise a glamorous fashion show.

When it launched in 2011, She Loves York had 20 businesses and just one high street brand on board.

Now there are 125, featuring a mix between high street and independent such as Hobbs, LK Bennett, French Connection, Lynx of London and Moda In Pele.

She Loves York now boasts some 2,000 members with a couple of hundred men signed up to the “blue version”, says Tricia.

It’s been quite a journey for the bubbly businesswoman, whose marriage broke up during the first year of business.

“I used my redundancy money to set it up and my divorce money to keep it going,” she says with a hearty laugh.

It’s clear that the business is her passion. “I live and breathe it,” she admits.

It’s all a world away from Tricia’s previous career in pharmaceutical sales. She set up She Loves York to help women like her, she says. “I lived in York and wanted to set up a membership club for women.

“As a local person living in York, I found York was not the cheapest of places to live. I wanted to develop a loyalty scheme, but I wanted it to be all about luxury and having a nice, luxurious lifestyle.”

It costs £39 to join She Loves York for the year, which includes a starter pack of vouchers with offers including a free meal at The Principal hotel (formerly the Royal York) and Hotel Du Vin. The card also secures discounts of ten per cent at a wide range of shops, restaurants and bars locally. One of the most popular offers is a “two for one” on afternoon tea at The Principal, which ordinarily costs £25.90 or £32 with a glass of champagne (and you can take up to six friends with you each time).

Tricia says it doesn’t take long for members to recoup the joining fee – which is why she has so many happy, returning customers.

She launched He Loves York because of demand. “What was happening was that couples were going out and the man was borrowing the She Loves York card to show at the bar. But the men were going to places like Hotel Du Vin and Judges Lodgings and so there was pressure to bring out the He Loves York. I didn’t think it would be that interesting to guys, but they love it!”

Members are also invited to events during the year, such as fashion shows.

On Friday April 7, She Loves York will be hosting a spring fashion show at The Principal hotel, as part of the Fashion City York festival. “There will be a runway in the event centre and we will be serving drinks and canapes on arrival. There will be a bar available too. We will be showing a mix of high street and independent fashion for men and women.”

Following the success of the charity ball, which had the theme Full Length and Fabulous, and included a three-course meal and entertainment from York party band Huge, Tricia is planning another for November. “It will be the same format with full-length dresses – and be fabulous!”

Find out more at shelovesyork.co.uk