With the easing of lockdown restrictions hopefully on the horizon, people will soon be able to get back to doing the things they love and have missed. And Ealing’s businesses are here to help. Whether its celebrating special occasions, meeting up with friends and loved ones, or having a wardrobe refresh, Ealing is full of gems which are ready to serve you. From pubs, cafés and restaurants to beauty salons and gift shops, by choosing local this summer you are supporting local jobs and preserving your community.
Reasons to love local
Using campaign group Totally Locally’s £5 effect, if every adult in the borough spent £5 a week locally it would be worth a staggering £72 million per year to Ealing’s economy.
Local businesses not only create local jobs but also generate revenue to support local charities and fund local services such as libraries, parks and roads that benefit the whole community. They also often stock unique and locally-made items, are experts at what they do and are ready to help you with whatever your shopping needs are.
And that is not all, sourcing local goods is better for the environment and can save you time and money on travel.
Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “While we might be near the end of the road for lockdown restrictions, the road to recovery is only just beginning for our local businesses. With many forced to close for a large part of last year, local businesses need all our support to shop local and help them get back on track. They shape the character of our communities and help to make the borough a great place to live.”
Share the love
We know that many of our residents are facing financial pressures as well. But supporting local businesses does not just mean spending money, you can still share your love for local businesses in other ways too. Using your voice by sharing local knowledge and recommendations on the internet and social media is really valuable to local businesses.
Help your local businesses without spending a penny:
- Like, follow and share your favourite businesses on social media. Engage with their posts and share their stories
- Tag your local favourite shops in your social media posts and share with your friends and online community groups
- Take time to leave online reviews of businesses you love and spread the word by telling others about positive experiences
- Show your support by signing-up to mailing lists to get the latest news and offers and share with others
These small steps are free and still make a big difference to local businesses.
Join our campaign
You can also help by joining the ‘Love Ealing, Love Local’ campaign and help us celebrate Ealing’s high streets and local businesses. Getting involved is simple:
- Visit and buy from your local high street, even something as small as buying a coffee or picking up something locally that you could otherwise buy online with a major retailor makes a big difference
- Join in by using the hashtag #LoveEalingLoveLocal on social media
- Tell us about your visit/s on social media, take a selfie enjoying a local business or of your new purchase and use #LoveEalingLoveLocal and tag @EalingCouncil on Twitter, @EalingLondon on Facebook and @ealingcouncil on Instagram.
- Change your profile frame on Facebook
- Use our social media card and frame templates for your own posts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also view the gallery to see what’s available.
Shop safe
Unfortunately, the easing of restrictions does not mean the threat posed by COVID-19 has completely gone away and people need to continue to follow the safety measures the government has put in place to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.
High street support
Work to help Ealing’s high streets get back on track is delivered by Ealing’s High Streets Taskforce and is supported with £601,518 of funding as part of the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund and the Welcome Back Fund from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Greater London Authority is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations.
