Jo McGowan, BID Manager for Dorking, shares some of the ways you can support your town centre and high streets in Surrey this Christmas.
What are your best childhood Christmas memories?
Mine are being in my town centre looking up at the twinkling Christmas lights, gazing in wonder at the festive window displays and then enjoying festive treats in a local café before laughing my head off at the pantomime. Are yours similar?
There is no doubt that the High Street has changed in the (cough) 40 years since I was a child but many of the festive traditions remain, and our High Streets need our Christmas cheer more than ever.
Here are some ways you can support your town centre and high streets in Surrey this Christmas.
Plan ahead
You will find more events taking place in your town centre than you might imagine. If you have a local theatre then look out for their classic pantomime, festive concerts, or other Christmas shows. Many will offer early booking discounts, and the key dates will get booked up quickly. Get the family organised and book now!
Look out for community events too. Carol singing round the town Christmas Tree or at your local church, Santa’s Grottos and Christmas trails all get the family out and celebrating their town. Here in Dorking, we’re seeing in the festive season with our DorKingdom Fairytale Christmas Festival on Sunday December 1 with artisan market stalls, Santa’s Grotto, free children’s activities, live music, street performers and more. Every town centre is unique and will have their own special events planned from lights switch-ons to Christmas trails. You can easily have a variety of Christmas adventures without leaving Surrey!
Restaurants, cafes and bars all get busy this time of year so do book early to get the date and times you want whether it’s for your office Christmas party or for gathering friends and family together. Or why not plan a Twixmas or New Year get together when hospitality venues may be a little quieter.
Shop local
The classic message to shop local and shop independent to support our high streets remains. Surrey is blessed with many independent retailers that have a gorgeous selection of gifts at this time of year, but more than that they also have a wealth of knowledge around the products they sell so can offer priceless advise on what to get that hard to buy for person (Dads, I’m looking at you!)
However, we also value our chain stores in Surrey who equally bring amazing product knowledge and want to support their communities too. They will often be rushed off their feet at this time of year so do show kindness and patience, it will be very much appreciated.
Make it a pre-loved Christmas
The pressure to buy new at Christmas can be overwhelming but there are so many pre-loved items in fantastic condition that would love a new home. It’s also a great way to do your bit for the planet too. Check out the many excellent pre-loved and antiques shops, we have in Surrey, where you will find unique treasures that will make the most special gifts.
Share the love
It really is true that town centre and high street businesses really do do a happy dance when you buy from them, but it’s about more than you spending money - they also do an excited wiggle when you share, like or comment on their social media posts, leave them a positive review or tell a friend about them. Word of mouth really is the most powerful form of advertising so share the love this Christmas.
The perfect opportunity to support your small local businesses is December 7 on Small Business Saturday UK. This grassroots, non-commercial campaign, highlights small business success and encourages you to shop local to support the small businesses in your community.
There will also be lots of local charity and community initiatives you can support in your town. Have you heard of the reverse advent calendar? It’s one I personally have taken part in in recent years – it involves buying an item of food or household goods each day of advent in December and donating them all to a food bank. You can collect an item a day, donate a few items at once, or contribute as much as you are able, or even use it as an opportunity to kickstart a new habit of doing something small for a charity each month.
You can find out more about food banks across Surrey here - Find a food bank | Trussell
Support your town centres across Surrey this Christmas and discover the wealth of events, activities and shopping and leisure opportunities across the county.
Celebrate our High Streets this Christmas
