IT’S not only York that means business – Malton does too. The Ryedale town has launched its own recession-busting campaign, which mirrors that set up by The Press.

The We Love Malton campaign aims to highlight the value of local shops and services – and plans to underline that by offering advice on marketing, merchandising and customer service.

On Monday and Tuesday, the town’s traders will have the chance to attend free workshops designed to help their businesses.

The ongoing campaign will also include a new food and drink festival, as well as a revamped motor show, a game food fair and a revitalised Dickens Festival.

Denys Townsend, of Malton And Norton Business In Action, said there was already a real buzz around the town’s famous old Market Square. “And… this is just the beginning,” he said.

We are delighted to see local businesspeople and communities taking this kind of positive action.

These are difficult times for all of us. But the more proactive and more clued-up local businesses are, the better our chances of weathering the storm.

The Press’s York Means Business campaign is all about highlighting positive business stories and encouraging people to use local shops and services.

It takes in not just York, but the whole of our region – including Malton. But this new drive is absolutely in the spirit of our own campaign, and we welcome it wholeheartedly.

This is just the kind of self-starting attitude we need if we are to beat the recession.