A COUNCILLOR is encouraging residents to shop with small independent businesses following the strain of the Covid pandemic.

Ward councillor for Manydown and Winklebury, Cllr Sean Dillow, has launched a new campaign called Shop Local, Shop Winklebury.

He has launched the campaign in a bid to encourage and ask residents to support businesses including the local pub, local butcher, hairdresser, charity shop, and social club that are ”an intrinsic part" of the community.

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He said: “I just thought with us all coming out of the pandemic after the successful vaccine programme, which has enabled everyone to go back to some sort of gradual normality and business are adapting to new normal being supported by all the government schemes and local council grants.

"I thought now is the time, particularly for the local independent businesses around. We need to try and rally and focus on the smaller businesses so they can continue because they are so important.”

Cllr Dillow said the businesses are a crucial part of the community in Basingstoke who “rely on the trade from the local community”.

He added: “They are the hubs, they are not just places to go and shop they are centres of our community and businesses that are run by generations of families, they are not just shopkeepers but they have become friends and you find yourself popping in to say help and having a gossip.

“I am just trying to focus everyone, especially in my ward Winklebury that there are small businesses that need to be helped if we can.”

He has been visiting businesses as part of the campaign including John Burton Foodmarket.

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He added: “He is an amazing butcher and that is the sort of local expertise that you wouldn’t normally expect to get at a larger shop and local butchers are few and far between now. The community really needs to focus on using them because if you don’t use them you will lose it unfortunately these days.

He said: “When they are gone they are gone and that part of the community spirit is gone so we must try and support those sort of independent shops now.”

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Kimberley Barber.