Shadow Minister David Willetts urges Formby people to back the Shop Local Campaign

May 27 2009 by Lyndsay Young, Formby Times

Shadow Minister David Willetts urges Formby people to back the Shop Local Campaign

A SHADOW Minister and a Conservative prospective MEP have backed the Formby Times’ shop local campaign.

The support came at an innovative week-long business forum - Fit 4 Business.

David Willetts, Shadow Minister for innovations, universities and skills, said small businesses are necessary in creating “strong communities”.

Our campaign aims to bring together retailer and people the community to support the local economy - and be loyal to Formby.

Praising the campaign he said residents don’t want to live in “clone” towns and called for support for independent traders.

Mr Willetts said: “I think it’s an excellent campaign.

“People don’t want to live in ‘clone’ towns, in which all they see is branches and national chains. They want individual shops that are routed in their community.”

He toured Formby with Sefton Central Conservative MP Debi Jones and visited Fit 4 Business in Halsall Lane, which hosted a Chamber of Commerce Business Builder Week.

A total of 94 businesses visited the centre to receive a range of training seminars on a host of subjects.

Steve Dickson, chief executive of Sefton Chamber of Commerce, said: “It’s all about supporting local businesses, getting them to do business with each other and showing them the way forward.”