PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE USE
Local Constituency MSP for Linlithgow, Fiona Hyslop, spoke in a Scottish Government debate on Wednesday (8th Dec) supporting the Scotland Loves Local Initiative, where she highlighted the unique collaborative approach of the One Linlithgow Group that connects community working with local business to support town centres and promote regeneration and resilience.
Fiona said,
“Local businesses are the beating heart of our communities and of course their contribution to the local economy offers opportunity for regeneration, resilience and development.
“In my hometown of Linlithgow, the Linlithgow Community Development Trust along with the Business Improvement District together created One Linlithgow, which brings together local businesses of all sizes and the community groups that help them to thrive and survive.
“With the Scottish Government’s Business Resilience Funding, One Linlithgow were able to offer a tailored response to local businesses, offering face masks or distancing posters to some and assisting others with advice on how to continue trading safely. With the help of volunteers they organised ‘grand re-opening hampers’ and offered assistance to businesses unsure of what Government support they were entitled to.
“The uniqueness of this collaborative approach is one that is rooted in community support and resilience.
“Our local businesses suffered under lockdown because they closed to keep us safe. We must now in turn keep them safe. We must ensure they thrive. And we must do this by coming together as a community and continuing to shop local.”
ENDS
Notes:
One Linlithgow was the first BID in Scotland to be created from the merger of two previous BIDs back in October 2019 and the collaborative efforts of both has proved vital to the town centre over the last 18 months.
One Linlithgow used the resilience funding they received last year to establish digital markets on mylinlithgow.com, which made more than £7,000 for Linlithgow businesses in their first 10 days of going live.
With addition of the Scotland Loves Local Fund, Local organisations and businesses have continued to work collaboratively in Linlithgow by providing an outdoor market and developing their informative website, My Linlithgow.
One Linlithgow and Linlithgow Community Development Trust were also awarded £20,000 to support local businesses and community groups and promote the love local message via an outdoor market and development of the town’s website, mylinlithgow.com.
Link to the official report of speech: http://archive2021.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=13459&mode=pdf