Kate writes a bi-weekly column for the Uttoxeter Echo. This column was originally featured in the 23rd November print edition.
Last week, I attended the wonderful Uttoxeter Christmas lights switch on outside the Town Hall. This is always a much-anticipated event with early festive cheer. This year, families and local dignitaries, including the Town Mayor, Helen Headech, were treated to a visit from Santa himself, and there was even snow to mark the occasion! It was great to see the community coming together and the high street so busy with many of our small businesses staying open to serve residents
This week (Monday 21 - Friday 25 November) sees the return of Family Business Week (FBW), run by the Institute for Family Business (IFB). FBW 2022 is building on the success of the first-ever Family Business Week last year which saw family firms from across the country celebrate their contribution to local communities and provide a platform to showcase the role of business as a force for good.
In Uttoxeter and the surrounding villages, we have some fantastic family businesses which have served the community for many years in a variety of sectors. From Edmonston Butchers to Atkin Farms, and Daisy Chain to Denstone Hall Farm Shop, our local area has not only a brilliant array of dedicated family firms, but also top-quality products and produce too.
On Saturday, 3rd December, it will be Small Business Saturday, another opportunity to remind us all of how important small independent local shops and businesses are to our local economy, and a reminder as well to support them, particularly in the run-up to Christmas. We were all grateful for the support from local businesses during the covid-19 pandemic and no doubt many will be providing a level of service to the community this winter that larger companies simply cannot match. That is why I am shopping local this Christmas and urging constituents to do the same.
