We think it is great news that Mary Portas has been asked by David Cameron to help save our high streets. The main aim is "to address soaring shop vacancy rates, prevent the proliferation of "clone towns" dominated by familiar big names and boost the number of small and independent retailers in town centres."(Full article available here.)
Wedge are doing our bit to save London high streets, but this high profile initiative will hopefully encourage more nationwide local shopping.
Shops are being forced to close every week all over the UK, and we are all losing out. Independent shops add so much to communities, this is often only noticed when it is too late.
Independent shops offer fantastic customer service. These businesses mean everything to the owners, so they strive to offer the best service possible and are often experts, so can give customers invaluable advice.
As well as great advice and service, independent shops are very often cheaper than chain stores and can also often stock unusual items. Many will even order a specific item in for a customer, something which is unlikely in bigger shops.
We are excited to see what plans Mary unveils and are totally behind the initiative to improve the high street – as we always say......EVERY LITTLE SHOP HELPS.
Showing posts with label independent local shops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label independent local shops. Show all posts
Friday, 20 May 2011
Thursday, 27 May 2010
An Ode to the DVD Store
I don't know if you have noticed or not, but DVD Stores are slowly disappearing. Not only the small stores have suffered during the recession, large stores like Blockbuster have been hit too. It wasn't that long ago when I used to forensic the shelves of DVD stores, searching for those cult movies from my childhood. But now, the local DVD store seems to be internet hire sites. Sure, this is convenient, but what about the discovery of something new? Whilst fingering through rows of DVD's in a shop, I would always discover some strange movie that I probably would never have entered into a title search online.
All this hit me when I wanted to re-watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a movie bursting with childhood memories for me. And what struck me after a search for local stores was the lack of them- independents and chains. They are a quickly disappearing breed, much like toy shops I have noticed.
During my search I did find a gem, Video City on Notting Hill Gate. If you are looking for a DVD they will have it, or they will track it down for you. It is this immediacy of the DVD store that I miss. Walk in, browse (which is half the fun) and walk out with a movie. Call me old fashioned, but I'm not the biggest fan of online shopping and I hope DVD hiring does not dissolve to this. For now, I will keep hiring my DVD's from a shop, and swapping little film reviews with the owner- something you cannot replicate online.
Written by Lauren Ottaway
All this hit me when I wanted to re-watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a movie bursting with childhood memories for me. And what struck me after a search for local stores was the lack of them- independents and chains. They are a quickly disappearing breed, much like toy shops I have noticed.
During my search I did find a gem, Video City on Notting Hill Gate. If you are looking for a DVD they will have it, or they will track it down for you. It is this immediacy of the DVD store that I miss. Walk in, browse (which is half the fun) and walk out with a movie. Call me old fashioned, but I'm not the biggest fan of online shopping and I hope DVD hiring does not dissolve to this. For now, I will keep hiring my DVD's from a shop, and swapping little film reviews with the owner- something you cannot replicate online.
Written by Lauren Ottaway
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
One for the Local Shops!
As an Australian living in this city, independent shops really speak London to me, and for many Londoners, it is important to keep this link with the past alive. It is not only the shops and the shopkeepers though; it is the spaces they inhabit. The little alleys, cobbled little streets, decorative pub fronts and unique markets are not only great for tourists, but they are where you can discover London from years passed.
The Brixton Market, including the three arcades Reliance, Market Row and Granville, are now listed as Grade II buildings. This was in response to outrageous redevelopment proposals, and this time the little guy won.
The Brixton market is the largest thriving hub of Afro-Caribbean culture in the UK that seamlessly combines its 19th century charm of tiny, irregularly shaped independent shops, with a small amount of modern retail. Can you imagine this place, with its smells, sounds, the flavour and essence of Brixton, being replaced with one giant modern retailer? It is nearly impossible to capture this with modern architecture. Now the unique Brixton Market is a little bit safer, for the time being.
Enjoy your local shops, markets, spaces and any little places you love near you, because they are part of us, that’s where our memories are, and hopefully, will continue to be made.
Written by Lauren Ottaway.
The Brixton Market, including the three arcades Reliance, Market Row and Granville, are now listed as Grade II buildings. This was in response to outrageous redevelopment proposals, and this time the little guy won.
The Brixton market is the largest thriving hub of Afro-Caribbean culture in the UK that seamlessly combines its 19th century charm of tiny, irregularly shaped independent shops, with a small amount of modern retail. Can you imagine this place, with its smells, sounds, the flavour and essence of Brixton, being replaced with one giant modern retailer? It is nearly impossible to capture this with modern architecture. Now the unique Brixton Market is a little bit safer, for the time being.
Enjoy your local shops, markets, spaces and any little places you love near you, because they are part of us, that’s where our memories are, and hopefully, will continue to be made.
Written by Lauren Ottaway.
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Take your Lunch to the Park
Buds are blossoming, birds are tweeting (and the rest of the world is too), days are getting longer and dresses are getting shorter; spring is upon us! But a lot of people, including us in the basement in Lower Marsh, struggle to see the sun and get our daily hit of Vitamin D. We have a small luxcrete behind a curtain where the new spring rays fight to get through, but that is all the sunshine we get here at Wedge. We have improvised by plastering a lush green forest to the back wall, and dotted our office with palms and greenery; but this is not enough when you enter the basement leaving the beautiful sunshine behind.
We have a lunch rota where we take turns in making lunch for the team, which means everyday we get a different home-cooked meal and save a wedge at the same time. Yesterday our Wedger on lunch duty, Claire, suggested a Wedge picnic. What a brilliant idea we all thought! She popped up to our local independent grocer, Greensmiths and bought:
1. 1 loaf of brown bread
2. 1 tasty cucumber
3. 1 block of mature cheddar cheese
4. 8 boxes of apple juice
5. 8 big red juicy apples
6. 8 packets of crisps
We each had a little packed lunch to take to the local Waterloo Millennium Park and Chrissy’s yoga mats (because she was off to teach yoga later that night). Sat on a grassy knoll, in between the huge, fiery tulips and daffodils worshiping the sun, we devoured our sandwiches in daylight, our skin prickling with natural heat, rather than the bar heaters beside our desks. This was a natural boost to our day.
It was inspiring to sit outside all together for lunch. There is something about a sunny spring day that makes you breathe in a little deeper, hold your head up a little higher, and forge that wintery frown into a blossoming smile.
We urge you to open your plastic-wrapped sandwiches in a park today with your colleagues and enjoy the warming weather. Fresh air and rosy cheeks can change the perspective of your office in an instant. And you may even discover something about the street you work on during the bustling lunch hour. Instead of running in and out of the sandwich shop and then back into the office, take your time and sit somewhere to watch your street go by.
We will certainly be taking advantage of this every sunny day in Lower Marsh, so you may just happen to us see enjoying our lunch in the park.
Written by Lauren Ottaway
We have a lunch rota where we take turns in making lunch for the team, which means everyday we get a different home-cooked meal and save a wedge at the same time. Yesterday our Wedger on lunch duty, Claire, suggested a Wedge picnic. What a brilliant idea we all thought! She popped up to our local independent grocer, Greensmiths and bought:
1. 1 loaf of brown bread
2. 1 tasty cucumber
3. 1 block of mature cheddar cheese
4. 8 boxes of apple juice
5. 8 big red juicy apples
6. 8 packets of crisps
We each had a little packed lunch to take to the local Waterloo Millennium Park and Chrissy’s yoga mats (because she was off to teach yoga later that night). Sat on a grassy knoll, in between the huge, fiery tulips and daffodils worshiping the sun, we devoured our sandwiches in daylight, our skin prickling with natural heat, rather than the bar heaters beside our desks. This was a natural boost to our day.
It was inspiring to sit outside all together for lunch. There is something about a sunny spring day that makes you breathe in a little deeper, hold your head up a little higher, and forge that wintery frown into a blossoming smile.
We urge you to open your plastic-wrapped sandwiches in a park today with your colleagues and enjoy the warming weather. Fresh air and rosy cheeks can change the perspective of your office in an instant. And you may even discover something about the street you work on during the bustling lunch hour. Instead of running in and out of the sandwich shop and then back into the office, take your time and sit somewhere to watch your street go by.
We will certainly be taking advantage of this every sunny day in Lower Marsh, so you may just happen to us see enjoying our lunch in the park.
Written by Lauren Ottaway
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Walking in Kensington and Chelsea with Wedge
Visiting the independent shops in Kensington and Chelsea has not only been a walk back in time, but also a discovery of the creativity and individuality of the local shops in the area.
Kensington and Chelsea have long been known for its unique shopping areas, and when you get down on the street and discover the independent shops you normally just walk past, you find out that this really is true.
I have been fortunate enough to interview many independent shops in the borough for Wedge. Sitting at their counters, I have had countless chats with business owners about the past fifty odd years of establishment, the changes they’ve been a part of and the generations they’ve witnessed. Their shops are a part of them, exhibiting their many years of trade and change to reflect the times. But some shops, like the wondrous giftshop Pickwicks at 3 Holland Street is still the same as it was forty-five years ago. Before Pickwicks, the owner Jacqueline Leberne worked at a Dickensian shop called Pickwicks Papers, a local shop selling newspapers. And this is what she later named her cottage-like giftshop after, housing an array of hand-picked items like coasters and porcelain ornaments.
It is an inspiring step back in time being privy to shopkeeper’s stories and I urge you, next time you visit an independent shop, have a chat to the owner; they all have amazing stories to tell, and they love telling them!
When visiting shops, I was frequently greeted by a friendly, furry staff member. And I will never forget Elvis, the snuffling little pug who, when he looks at your with those big googly eyes, you have to give a pat. He trots around Fifi Wilson’s beautiful clothing boutique on Godfrey Street, making sure everyone is happy and well dressed.
Another interesting character I met was Dodo, the wandering pigeon of Notting Hill, the footwear boutique on Portobello Road. The friendly staff leave the door slightly ajar so Dodo can wander in and out, inspecting peoples shoes and then perching on his little bucket in the corner of the shop. Children can come in and hand-feed Dodo some bread and admire the feathered little shopkeeper. Having a pet in your home creates a certain calm, and pets in store adds that small personal touch and is a talking point for many customers.
Getting to know the amazing array of independent shops in Kensington and Chelsea has been an experience I will never forget. It has changed the way I shop; now I take in the whole establishment, from the old awnings to the pride a shopkeeper takes in their business. Go local and discover the unique shops you’ve never visited. It is worth having a chin-wag with your local shopkeeper and his dog; they might have some interesting stories and secrets, or be able to tell you some history about where you live.
Written by Lauren Ottaway
Kensington and Chelsea have long been known for its unique shopping areas, and when you get down on the street and discover the independent shops you normally just walk past, you find out that this really is true.
I have been fortunate enough to interview many independent shops in the borough for Wedge. Sitting at their counters, I have had countless chats with business owners about the past fifty odd years of establishment, the changes they’ve been a part of and the generations they’ve witnessed. Their shops are a part of them, exhibiting their many years of trade and change to reflect the times. But some shops, like the wondrous giftshop Pickwicks at 3 Holland Street is still the same as it was forty-five years ago. Before Pickwicks, the owner Jacqueline Leberne worked at a Dickensian shop called Pickwicks Papers, a local shop selling newspapers. And this is what she later named her cottage-like giftshop after, housing an array of hand-picked items like coasters and porcelain ornaments.
It is an inspiring step back in time being privy to shopkeeper’s stories and I urge you, next time you visit an independent shop, have a chat to the owner; they all have amazing stories to tell, and they love telling them!
When visiting shops, I was frequently greeted by a friendly, furry staff member. And I will never forget Elvis, the snuffling little pug who, when he looks at your with those big googly eyes, you have to give a pat. He trots around Fifi Wilson’s beautiful clothing boutique on Godfrey Street, making sure everyone is happy and well dressed.
Another interesting character I met was Dodo, the wandering pigeon of Notting Hill, the footwear boutique on Portobello Road. The friendly staff leave the door slightly ajar so Dodo can wander in and out, inspecting peoples shoes and then perching on his little bucket in the corner of the shop. Children can come in and hand-feed Dodo some bread and admire the feathered little shopkeeper. Having a pet in your home creates a certain calm, and pets in store adds that small personal touch and is a talking point for many customers.
Getting to know the amazing array of independent shops in Kensington and Chelsea has been an experience I will never forget. It has changed the way I shop; now I take in the whole establishment, from the old awnings to the pride a shopkeeper takes in their business. Go local and discover the unique shops you’ve never visited. It is worth having a chin-wag with your local shopkeeper and his dog; they might have some interesting stories and secrets, or be able to tell you some history about where you live.
Written by Lauren Ottaway
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Give Good Local Food a Chance
Local food and shopping has been a hot topic in the press recently with further discussion over the relationship between supermarkets and local producers. During The Today Programme on BBC Radio 4 on the 5th of January, the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said that the country should change how we provide and consume food in Britain. The government has a twenty year plan to increase food production on our farms and a strategy to revolutionise how we produce food. Their aim is to heighten food production to cope with increasing demand using sustainable resources. But this cannot be achieved with the unjust relationship between producers and suppliers.
‘In recent years, governments have relied on big food retailers to deliver low prices in the name of a 'cheap food policy'. Rocketing food prices last year have shown how volatile this system is. Government must now put resilience and sustainability at the heart of its food policy,’ Commissioner Professor Tim Lang from the Sustainable Development Commission said.
Increasing sustainable food production sounds like a brilliant plan and it is now feasible with the government’s new supermarket ombudsman, announced on the 14th. The ombudsman will enforce a new groceries supply code of practice (GSCOP). Currently, farmers are powerless to negotiate deals with large supply chains of their products and food giants often abuse their power over these smaller producers. Last year the NFU found that for a basket of food costing the consumer £37 the farmers would only have got £11. Producers need to be able to get their products in store without being swindled by larger supply chains.
The government wants to combat this, and the new code of practice will govern the relationship between producers and suppliers. The idea of a supermarket watchdog has long been debated and now, after a huge push from the Competition Commission who researched the unfair relationships between producers and suppliers, the ombudsman finally got the go ahead. This watchdog will deal with unfair practices, such as squeezing profits, cutting prices, paying late and making producers fund marketing.
Farmers have suffered immensely during the recession and the government want to make Britain a food industry superpower. They want food and energy security for the future and this can be sustained using locally sourced produce. For this to work the government need to loosen the stronghold that large supermarket chains have on local producers for an equal, locally supported market, and this can be achieved with the supermarket ombudsman. Acting under this new code of practice, the government will try and persuade supermarkets to be more responsible, and also provide more locally sourced food.
National Farmers Union President Peter Kendall said: ‘Government has said it will act in the best interests of consumers and it seems clear that the establishment of an ombudsman will give suppliers the confidence to invest and to innovate which will, in turn, improve consumer choice, produce better products, and ensure food remains affordable.’
Wedge thinks that this is fantastic news for local producers and independent shops. Not only will it help local farmers, but also the independent retailers who are in competition with the larger chain supermarkets. This new code of practise will even out the playing field between chains and independents and give local retailers the step up they deserve.
Let’s raise one arm in the air for local producers!
Written by Lauren Ottaway
‘In recent years, governments have relied on big food retailers to deliver low prices in the name of a 'cheap food policy'. Rocketing food prices last year have shown how volatile this system is. Government must now put resilience and sustainability at the heart of its food policy,’ Commissioner Professor Tim Lang from the Sustainable Development Commission said.
Increasing sustainable food production sounds like a brilliant plan and it is now feasible with the government’s new supermarket ombudsman, announced on the 14th. The ombudsman will enforce a new groceries supply code of practice (GSCOP). Currently, farmers are powerless to negotiate deals with large supply chains of their products and food giants often abuse their power over these smaller producers. Last year the NFU found that for a basket of food costing the consumer £37 the farmers would only have got £11. Producers need to be able to get their products in store without being swindled by larger supply chains.
The government wants to combat this, and the new code of practice will govern the relationship between producers and suppliers. The idea of a supermarket watchdog has long been debated and now, after a huge push from the Competition Commission who researched the unfair relationships between producers and suppliers, the ombudsman finally got the go ahead. This watchdog will deal with unfair practices, such as squeezing profits, cutting prices, paying late and making producers fund marketing.
Farmers have suffered immensely during the recession and the government want to make Britain a food industry superpower. They want food and energy security for the future and this can be sustained using locally sourced produce. For this to work the government need to loosen the stronghold that large supermarket chains have on local producers for an equal, locally supported market, and this can be achieved with the supermarket ombudsman. Acting under this new code of practice, the government will try and persuade supermarkets to be more responsible, and also provide more locally sourced food.
National Farmers Union President Peter Kendall said: ‘Government has said it will act in the best interests of consumers and it seems clear that the establishment of an ombudsman will give suppliers the confidence to invest and to innovate which will, in turn, improve consumer choice, produce better products, and ensure food remains affordable.’
Wedge thinks that this is fantastic news for local producers and independent shops. Not only will it help local farmers, but also the independent retailers who are in competition with the larger chain supermarkets. This new code of practise will even out the playing field between chains and independents and give local retailers the step up they deserve.
Let’s raise one arm in the air for local producers!
Written by Lauren Ottaway
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Local Shops Make a Heart-Warming Christmas
In this day of superstores, rushed and faceless online shopping, it is easy to forget what Christmas is all about. Some of our Wedgers have been re-inspired and injected with that Christmas spirit, and all they did was take a five minute walk to their local high street. Here are two stories to hopefully inspire you to shop locally this Christmas:
Camden is bustling this time of year and one of our Wedgers was struggling in a large organic wholesaler, with last-minute food purchases on her list. Cranberry sauce: an essential item which is inevitably sold out during the festive season. She shouldered her way through the hungry crowd and found an employee hurriedly restocking the diminishing pile of home-made mince pies. Querying him about the absence of cranberry sauce and also the alternative red currant jelly, she finished her shopping and queued to pay, without either. In the line she suddenly turned to a heavy tap on her shoulder. The employee, large grin on his face dropped a large jar of fresh cranberry sauce into her basket. He had found a stray bottle in his storeroom and had been looking for the lucky Wedger for fifteen minutes! It is tiny acts like this which make not only our shopping experiences special, but they also lift our spirits- especially Christmas spirits.
Another one of our busy little last-minute Christmas Wedgers was trying to buy a Christmas stocking for a party the next day. This, surely, was an item which is never out of stock she thought. Along her local Barnes High Street she searched hurriedly for a stocking, having bought everything to stuff it with previously. She came across a beautiful stocking hanging in the window of an independent gift store crammed with trinkets and delicate presents. Inside, she searched the shelves for this festive miracle but she could not find the stocking anywhere. The shopkeeper, with a warm smile that nearly swallowed her entire face explained that she bought if from another shop and it was only a display. But it did not end here; the shopkeeper took the stocking down from her festive display and sold it to the ecstatic Wedger.
This is what Christmas is all about; going out of your way just that little bit for somebody else. And your local high street is the perfect place to inspire Christmas spirit. Merry Christmas!
Written by Lauren Ottaway
Camden is bustling this time of year and one of our Wedgers was struggling in a large organic wholesaler, with last-minute food purchases on her list. Cranberry sauce: an essential item which is inevitably sold out during the festive season. She shouldered her way through the hungry crowd and found an employee hurriedly restocking the diminishing pile of home-made mince pies. Querying him about the absence of cranberry sauce and also the alternative red currant jelly, she finished her shopping and queued to pay, without either. In the line she suddenly turned to a heavy tap on her shoulder. The employee, large grin on his face dropped a large jar of fresh cranberry sauce into her basket. He had found a stray bottle in his storeroom and had been looking for the lucky Wedger for fifteen minutes! It is tiny acts like this which make not only our shopping experiences special, but they also lift our spirits- especially Christmas spirits.
Another one of our busy little last-minute Christmas Wedgers was trying to buy a Christmas stocking for a party the next day. This, surely, was an item which is never out of stock she thought. Along her local Barnes High Street she searched hurriedly for a stocking, having bought everything to stuff it with previously. She came across a beautiful stocking hanging in the window of an independent gift store crammed with trinkets and delicate presents. Inside, she searched the shelves for this festive miracle but she could not find the stocking anywhere. The shopkeeper, with a warm smile that nearly swallowed her entire face explained that she bought if from another shop and it was only a display. But it did not end here; the shopkeeper took the stocking down from her festive display and sold it to the ecstatic Wedger.
This is what Christmas is all about; going out of your way just that little bit for somebody else. And your local high street is the perfect place to inspire Christmas spirit. Merry Christmas!
Written by Lauren Ottaway
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
This Wouldn't Happen at Westfield
Walking home past the swans bobbing on the Thames, laden with Christmas gifts, decorations, wrapping paper and mince pies I reminisced; that was Christmas shopping bliss. You must be thinking I am crazy, no? I had just spent three hours Christmas shopping at my local Barnes High Street and I had returned smiling.
Like everybody else in London, I left my Christmas shopping to the last minute; and my family Christmas lunch was tomorrow because we were going away next weekend. I prepared myself for a bustling high street- a rugby scrum of desperate, clawing and snatching people hungry for the perfect, last-minute gift. I imagined a traffic jam from a pile up of banged-up buggies, a twisted mess of plastic shopping bags and screaming children. I wouldn’t even dare take the car out today, not after last month’s traumatic ordeal in the Westfield car park.
As I got closer to the high street I could still hear the liquid dance of the Thames... where was the foreboding hum of busy shoppers?
The small independent gift shop I had in mind for teachers’ gifts for my son’s school had two tiny aisles and little jangly breakables hanging precariously from random shelves. I love these tiny shops but I wondered how much of a battering it would have received this Christmas.
To my surprise, there were no buggies in this store, only a handful of quiet customers and soft Christmas music. I breathed a sigh of relief and stepped into the cosy little gift store. I was surrounded by unique gifts and funky little knick-knacks. That is what I love about the local high street; eccentric, individual retailers where every gift is unique. I remember being at a function last week and seeing three women wearing the same gold leaf chain. I didn’t want the mass-produced product. Trusting in my local high street, I can be confident in knowing that my Christmas will be cracking with quirky presents.
I spent three magical Christmas hours shopping along Barnes High Street. I was greeted with smiles, mulled wine and local Christmas cheer. I walked to my own beat, not offensive, booming music. This is what Christmas is all about: coming together, family, friends and community. There were no queues and blind customer ‘service’; I felt like I was a part of a festive fellowship of people enjoying the local shopping experience at this special time of year.
So I urge you, take a walk down your local high street this Christmas- you will be surprised what you find, and will probably discover a little independent shop you never knew existed. For a calmer Christmas shopping experience- stay local.
Written by Lauren Ottaway
Like everybody else in London, I left my Christmas shopping to the last minute; and my family Christmas lunch was tomorrow because we were going away next weekend. I prepared myself for a bustling high street- a rugby scrum of desperate, clawing and snatching people hungry for the perfect, last-minute gift. I imagined a traffic jam from a pile up of banged-up buggies, a twisted mess of plastic shopping bags and screaming children. I wouldn’t even dare take the car out today, not after last month’s traumatic ordeal in the Westfield car park.
As I got closer to the high street I could still hear the liquid dance of the Thames... where was the foreboding hum of busy shoppers?
The small independent gift shop I had in mind for teachers’ gifts for my son’s school had two tiny aisles and little jangly breakables hanging precariously from random shelves. I love these tiny shops but I wondered how much of a battering it would have received this Christmas.
To my surprise, there were no buggies in this store, only a handful of quiet customers and soft Christmas music. I breathed a sigh of relief and stepped into the cosy little gift store. I was surrounded by unique gifts and funky little knick-knacks. That is what I love about the local high street; eccentric, individual retailers where every gift is unique. I remember being at a function last week and seeing three women wearing the same gold leaf chain. I didn’t want the mass-produced product. Trusting in my local high street, I can be confident in knowing that my Christmas will be cracking with quirky presents.
I spent three magical Christmas hours shopping along Barnes High Street. I was greeted with smiles, mulled wine and local Christmas cheer. I walked to my own beat, not offensive, booming music. This is what Christmas is all about: coming together, family, friends and community. There were no queues and blind customer ‘service’; I felt like I was a part of a festive fellowship of people enjoying the local shopping experience at this special time of year.
So I urge you, take a walk down your local high street this Christmas- you will be surprised what you find, and will probably discover a little independent shop you never knew existed. For a calmer Christmas shopping experience- stay local.
Written by Lauren Ottaway
Monday, 7 December 2009
Councils Crying out 'Community'
Community action is becoming a positive, immoveable force. Wedge has discovered some exciting initiatives springing up in local communities. Local residents no longer need to stand idly by whilst their high streets are overrun by corporate chains because they have the Sustainable Communities Act (2007) to draw upon. The Act is the first step towards building a bottom up democracy where local people can influence what happens in their own communities – providing, of course, that local authorities sign up to using the Act.
This Act means that councils will have more say in local decision-making. For example, once they have signed up to the Act they could appeal and decline the take-over of a chain supermarket in their local high street.
The original movers of the Act in Parliament and the campaigners believe that more strength has to be put into it to make sure that it is working to its fullest potential. The latest campaign by Local Works, a coalition group campaigning to promote the use of the Sustainable Communities Act, concerns the requirement in the Act of the publication of local spending reports since the public has a right to know how money is being spent locally. So Alistair Burt MP is on the case.
Alistair Burt’s office has decided to adopt the Sustainable Communities Act Amendment Bill as his Private Members Bill. He was drawn at number seven in last week’s Private Members’ Ballot, so he can introduce a Bill of his choice into Parliament with the idea of it being made law by the election. Wedge is very excited about the increasing advocacy for local communities.
To be a part of this exciting movement please come along to the free, public event, Parliamentary Reception hosted by NCVO: A New Form of Government: The Sustainable Communities Act. With free beer: kindly donated through SIBA - the Society of Independent Brewers. 6pm to 8pm, Tuesday 8th December 2009 at The Jubilee Room, Houses of Parliament (via St Stephen’s entrance on Parliament Square), London SW1A 0AA - nearest tube: Westminster.
There is another giant community-binding initiative growing as we speak. The Support Our Small Shops campaign (SOSS) is doing something amazing for the diminishing neighbourhood high streets in the London Borough of Richmond. SOSS is passionate about keeping local, independent high streets alive, by campaigning to change people’s shopping habits so they regularly use local shops.
These are our pubs, our grocers, our post offices; the little shops that keep the community blood pumping. The New Economics Foundation reports that 2,000 smaller independent shops per annum are closing. So SOSS is being pro-active, by using shop skeletons as pop-up shops for local artists to bring back some flavour and colour to the community. This will create vibrant spaces for artists to display their work and show how a derelict shop can be turned into a great retail space.
Not only are they breathing some life back into the community, but the campaign is also pushing for local schemes such as free 30 minute parking around local shopping areas, and to reintroduce the Civic Pride Fund to maintain attractive and vibrant high streets. SOSS is also petitioning to rid the borough of plastic shopping bags. Wedge applauds these schemes taking practical action and breathing life back into our independent, local high streets.
Voice your community spirit and take action now! For more information and to get involved, take a look at these websites:
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=39615&SESSION=903
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=39680&SESSION=903
http://www.localworks.org/
http://www.supportoursmallshops.com/default.asp?contentID=1
Written by Lauren Ottaway
This Act means that councils will have more say in local decision-making. For example, once they have signed up to the Act they could appeal and decline the take-over of a chain supermarket in their local high street.
The original movers of the Act in Parliament and the campaigners believe that more strength has to be put into it to make sure that it is working to its fullest potential. The latest campaign by Local Works, a coalition group campaigning to promote the use of the Sustainable Communities Act, concerns the requirement in the Act of the publication of local spending reports since the public has a right to know how money is being spent locally. So Alistair Burt MP is on the case.
Alistair Burt’s office has decided to adopt the Sustainable Communities Act Amendment Bill as his Private Members Bill. He was drawn at number seven in last week’s Private Members’ Ballot, so he can introduce a Bill of his choice into Parliament with the idea of it being made law by the election. Wedge is very excited about the increasing advocacy for local communities.
To be a part of this exciting movement please come along to the free, public event, Parliamentary Reception hosted by NCVO: A New Form of Government: The Sustainable Communities Act. With free beer: kindly donated through SIBA - the Society of Independent Brewers. 6pm to 8pm, Tuesday 8th December 2009 at The Jubilee Room, Houses of Parliament (via St Stephen’s entrance on Parliament Square), London SW1A 0AA - nearest tube: Westminster.
There is another giant community-binding initiative growing as we speak. The Support Our Small Shops campaign (SOSS) is doing something amazing for the diminishing neighbourhood high streets in the London Borough of Richmond. SOSS is passionate about keeping local, independent high streets alive, by campaigning to change people’s shopping habits so they regularly use local shops.
These are our pubs, our grocers, our post offices; the little shops that keep the community blood pumping. The New Economics Foundation reports that 2,000 smaller independent shops per annum are closing. So SOSS is being pro-active, by using shop skeletons as pop-up shops for local artists to bring back some flavour and colour to the community. This will create vibrant spaces for artists to display their work and show how a derelict shop can be turned into a great retail space.
Not only are they breathing some life back into the community, but the campaign is also pushing for local schemes such as free 30 minute parking around local shopping areas, and to reintroduce the Civic Pride Fund to maintain attractive and vibrant high streets. SOSS is also petitioning to rid the borough of plastic shopping bags. Wedge applauds these schemes taking practical action and breathing life back into our independent, local high streets.
Voice your community spirit and take action now! For more information and to get involved, take a look at these websites:
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=39615&SESSION=903
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=39680&SESSION=903
http://www.localworks.org/
http://www.supportoursmallshops.com/default.asp?contentID=1
Written by Lauren Ottaway
Friday, 20 November 2009
Starbucks' Faux Independence
There’s a phony in amongst our local, independent shops. Sipping away the business from real independent retailers, Starbucks has gone all cosy and local on the community.
Starbucks is trying to regain its soul. With thousands of chain store closures around the globe, people were starting to think that was the end of Starbucks saturation. But no, they have come back with another tactic; faux independence.
This chain store is trying to re-link with the community by turning their franchise into a local, high-street coffee house. Starbucks are re-opening stores with a homely feel; cosy furniture, unique artwork (some have Plato quotations on the walls) and one thing that was always missing- smiles. Not to mention pretty mugs without Starbucks printed on it. In fact, there is no Starbucks branding in the entire shop, except for a small, unnoticeable foreword in the shop window: Inspired by Starbucks.
Companies like Starbucks are like cuckoos- ‘brood parasites’ laying their eggs in the nest of other species. They have taken the empty nests of closed-down local shops and laid their eggs there for the surrogate neighbourhood to keep warm and thrive. The impostor is killing off the real thing.
Starbucks are trying to manufacture the independent, local shop experience, but can this really be done? After all, they have monstrous amounts of money at their disposal and they are using £8,000 coffee machines. The links of these counterfeit shops aren’t as strong as the links between neighbourhood shops and local people. But maybe once we have all cottoned on the Starbucks’ ploy we will not be fooled so easily.
Why would Starbucks feel the need to pretend to be like its competitor? Local and independent shops are so compelling right now, but Wedgers and like-minded people have known this all along. Will people be enticed into the fake forceps of Starbucks?
Written by Lauren Ottaway
Starbucks is trying to regain its soul. With thousands of chain store closures around the globe, people were starting to think that was the end of Starbucks saturation. But no, they have come back with another tactic; faux independence.
This chain store is trying to re-link with the community by turning their franchise into a local, high-street coffee house. Starbucks are re-opening stores with a homely feel; cosy furniture, unique artwork (some have Plato quotations on the walls) and one thing that was always missing- smiles. Not to mention pretty mugs without Starbucks printed on it. In fact, there is no Starbucks branding in the entire shop, except for a small, unnoticeable foreword in the shop window: Inspired by Starbucks.
Companies like Starbucks are like cuckoos- ‘brood parasites’ laying their eggs in the nest of other species. They have taken the empty nests of closed-down local shops and laid their eggs there for the surrogate neighbourhood to keep warm and thrive. The impostor is killing off the real thing.
Starbucks are trying to manufacture the independent, local shop experience, but can this really be done? After all, they have monstrous amounts of money at their disposal and they are using £8,000 coffee machines. The links of these counterfeit shops aren’t as strong as the links between neighbourhood shops and local people. But maybe once we have all cottoned on the Starbucks’ ploy we will not be fooled so easily.
Why would Starbucks feel the need to pretend to be like its competitor? Local and independent shops are so compelling right now, but Wedgers and like-minded people have known this all along. Will people be enticed into the fake forceps of Starbucks?
Written by Lauren Ottaway
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