Totally Locally campaign aims to boost economy by £3.1 million in Ripon city centre
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The festival features the legendary band Hyde Family Jam and aims to celebrate Ripon’s independent businesses with live music, café culture, tapas and pintxos, artisan gifts and much more.
The event will help to highlight the Totally Locally message that if everyone in Ripon spent just £5 a week in local independent shops, it would bring an extra £3.1 million to the city’s economy each year.
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Hide AdRipon is the latest of many towns and cities across the UK to take up the Totally Locally campaign.
The free initiative supports Ripon’s traders by helping them to show the value of shopping locally and the benefit for the local economy.
The Kirkgate Street Festival organiser, and supporter of Totally Locally, Richard Hughes of Manchega said: “This is a chance for locals to discover Ripon’s great shops and businesses, and the real difference they make to our town.
“We have a choice to make the place we live that little bit better by diverting just £5 of our weekly spend back into our wonderful city's economy.“
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Hide AdRipon BID is funding a mentoring scheme from Totally Locally for the independent businesses.
Ripon BID manager Lilla Bathurst said: “We have had a really positive reaction from businesses to the idea of Totally Locally and of businesses supporting each other.
“We really feel that this initiative can bring together the whole community to enable Ripon to succeed.”
Ripon has an unrivalled offering of major attractions, history, heritage and most importantly a wealth of independent businesses.
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Hide AdA spokesperson for the Totally Locally Ripon campaign said: “We know that ‘Riponians’ are immensely proud of their city and we want to let them know about the independent businesses they may not yet have discovered.
“There is a wonderful feeling of community amongst Ripon’s independent businesses emerging and we want to harness that and act as one to keep Ripon’s high streets thriving.”
Totally Locally was created in West Yorkshire, in the UK in 2010 by brand expert Chris Sands for his home region of Calderdale.
The campaign has also seen successes in towns like Hebden Bridge, Scarborough and Crickhowell, many of which have gone on to win awards as thriving areas.
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Hide AdInternational towns have also started the campaign, all of which communicate through social media groups.
Mr Sands said: “It has become an international self-help group for towns!”
“We are confident that it can do the same for Ripon.
“Ripon has a wealth of wonderful shops and Totally Locally will highlight the hidden gems right on our doorstep.
“Totally Locally celebrates all local businesses, from Ripon’s florists to restaurants, to clothes shops and even gift shops.
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Hide Ad“These small businesses support many other local businesses, which keep the local economy alive.
"It’s what the whole fabric of a city like this is built on.
“It’s just highlighting how small changes to spending habits can make a huge change to Ripon.
“The stronger the local economy, the better it is for the whole town.”