A capital city MSP championed local businesses and communities as city businesses added their voices to the first Scotland Loves Local Week.
Visiting cafes, shops and other attractions in his Edinburgh Northern and Leith constituency, Ben Macpherson MSP applauded the work that local businesses do to boost the local economy and bring communities together, saying “we can all enjoy supporting our local businesses”.
Throughout Scotland Loves Local Week, Edinburgh city businesses and politicians have joined forces to call on everyone to get behind local businesses in order to help communities tackle the triple challenge of the cost of living crisis, the climate emergency and the ongoing financial fightback from the coronavirus pandemic.
Remarking on new polling released during Scotland Loves Local Week which found that nine-in-ten (88%) of people in the Lothians agree it’s vital that they support businesses on their high street, Mr Macpherson said:
“Smaller businesses are the beating heart of our local and national economies, and that’s epitomised in the diversity and quality of businesses in Edinburgh Northern and Leith.
“We can all enjoy supporting our local businesses, whether that’s meeting people for a coffee, going to a local restaurant, buying something interesting from a local shop, or using a local hairdresser.
D“It’s on local high streets where new enterprises start, products emerge and Scotland’s next big thing can come from. Supporting local businesses is enriching for all of us.”
Scotland Loves Local’s poll also found that 96% of those surveyed in the Lothian Scottish Parliament region recognise that choosing local supports local jobs, and almost three-quarters (71%) of people locally agreed that choosing local reduces unnecessary journeys and helps to tackle the climate crisis.
Visiting the Oqo Cafe on Haddington Place and the Cats Miaou on Elm Row on the bustling Leith Walk promenade, Mr Macpherson heard about the work local Edinburgh enterprises are doing to employ local people, keep money circulating in the local economy and provide a vast proposition for residents and visitors.
Scotland’s Towns Partnership, the organisation behind the Scotland Loves Local campaign, has welcomed support for the love local message across Scotland’s cities.
Kimberley Guthrie, STP’s Interim Chief Officer, said: “From Scotland’s city centres to towns and villages, our high streets are not just about collections of buildings. They’re about people – and people who work incredibly hard so that they can be there for us.
“Scotland Loves Local Week was a terrific opportunity to showcase the tremendous dedication we see in running local businesses – and it’s fantastic that during the week we’ve welcomed more than 50 MSPs and MPs from across the country into businesses, social enterprises and community-led organisations to showcase the great spirit of entrepreneurialism and innovation we have here in Scotland.
“The simple act of choosing local has a profound effect, laying the foundations of a new future for cities, towns and neighbourhoods as we seize and create opportunities to make them stronger and more sustainable.”
People across Edinburgh city can also show their support for the region’s businesses by spending using the Scotland Loves Local Edinburgh Gift Card, which local businesses and other organisations are also being encouraged to use as rewards for staff and volunteers – keeping money local for longer. Find out more information at www.lovelocal.scot/giftcard.
