Keep Trade Local - Keep Trade Local

At the FSB National Conference in March National Chairman, John Wright, launched the FSB's latest national campaign – ‘Keep Trade Local'.

The FSB will be lobbying local MP's and local authorities to call for measures that support local businesses and offers a level playing field.

To ensure we send a message loud and clear to MP's we would like your help. We ask 3 things of you that will take no more than 10 minutes.

Background to the Campaign

According to data from the House of Commons All Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group:
• 2,000 local shops will continue to close each year
• By 2015 there will be few independent retailers left in the UK.
• Over 50,000 independent retailers could close unless there is action taken to protect them from unfair practices.

If this trend continues it will be the beginning of the end for the unique nature of many of our local high streets such as Wargrave, Twyford, Pangbourne and Hungerford.

The FSB believes that small businesses are the backbone of local communities yet everywhere we look they are under threat. Planning decisions that benefit supermarkets and out-of-town retail parks, anti-social behaviour, parking charges and restrictions not to mention the closure of thousands of post offices are all contributing to the problem.

It's the independents that give our high streets their distinctive character and variety. Do we really want to live in a county where choice is limited to a handful of national retailers. Shopping centres such as The Oracle in Reading add value to our town centres but don't we also want to retain our small shops and businesses. Do we want to live in a town where browsing on our local high street is a thing of the past. No more local shops, no more local high streets!

Of course the current economic climate is making trading difficult for all companies but the decline of the independent business community is happening even when market conditions are good. Small businesses aren't looking for protection – they just want national and local government to pay the same attention to their needs and requirements as they pay to big business.

How can Business In Berkshire subscribers help?

1. Sign our on-line petition. We're aiming for a minimum of one million signatures country wide and need your signature.

2. Write to you MP and tell him or her about the real experiences you have had with local businesses closing. Do you have a local shop/business that has closed down recently. Below are links to a draft letter and contact details for your MP.

Click here to copy the wording for the letter.

Click here to find the address of your MP

3. Display our “Keep Trade Local” poster in your window.

We would also like to hear from you if you have a story to tell about a local business closing down or how your business has been affected. E mail us keeptradelocal @ businessinberkshire.co.uk

Read more about the Keep Trade Local campaign

DOWNLOAD

[ Keep Trade Local Poster ]