Author Archive: jennifer@onelinlithgow.com

The Jubilee Corgi Trail

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One Linlithgow is providing some family fun from this weekend to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

The Queen's Royal Corgis have escaped and are hiding in various shop and business windows along Linlithgow High Street from Saturday 4 June to Saturday 18 June.  Her Majesty needs your help in finding out where they are so that she can get them back safely.

Equipped with your trusty Treasure Trail map and pen, help track down the Corgis and earn a small reward!

Pop along to Bright Star Toys or the Linlithgow DIY shop with your completed Trail map and receive your fuzzy gift.  All participants in this free event will be entered into a prize draw and each winner picked will re-home a cuddly Colin the Corgi.

Sally McIntosh-Anderson from One Linlithgow said: "This is a great opportunity to explore the High Street and the local area while helping to support local businesses."

Treasure Trail maps can be downloaded here, and are available from local businesses or your local school.

Good luck!

 

The Jubilee Corgi Trail Facebook page

Linlithgow Artisan Market returns to the High Street

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This weekend will see the long-awaited return of the popular Linlithgow Market, thanks to a grant obtained by One Linlithgow from the Scotland Loves Local Fund. 

The Fund is designed to build the wealth of local communities, revitalise local places, town centres, or 20-minute neighbourhoods; increasing footfall and activity by encouraging communities to ‘think, choose and love local’. 

In partnership with JSG Management, we aim to offer an artisan market with a local flavour and we are excited to be joined at the first market by several local businesses. They will be joined by others from across Scotland to offer a wide selection of produce, food, drink, arts, crafts and artisan goods. 

The market will be located at The Vennel and will occur on the first Saturday of every month. You can follow the Linlithgow Artisan Market Facebook page to keep up-to-date with news and learn more about the various vendors. 

By introducing a new monthly event, we aim to attract more visitors and increase footfall to the town and local businesses along the High Street.  

It is also an excellent opportunity for local businesses to showcase their products at the market with the hire of the stalls subsidised by One Linlithgow. 

Event Calendar

Saturday 4 June
Saturday 2 July
Saturday 6 August
Saturday 3 September
Saturday 1 October
Saturday 5 November
Saturday 3 December (Christmas Market)

Fiona Hyslop backs One Linlithgow Campaign

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Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and MSP for Linlithgow is helping to spread the word about our 'Linlithgow Loves Local' campaign, aimed at encouraging people to 'shop local', helping independent businesses thrive throughout a most difficult year.

One Linlithgow once again secured Scottish Government funding to put a local twist on the nationwide 'Scotland Loves Local' campaign.

We have been all over town putting up 'Linlithgow Loves Local' lamppost wraps (reminding shoppers to stay safe during the pandemic) and bunting.  Businesses the length and breadth of the town have been supporting the message by putting up more bunting, posters and window clings.  If you would like some for your business but do not have any yet, just get in touch! You do not need to be a One Linlithgow member business - we just want to get the message out!

Ms Hyslop said:

"Now more than ever, it is vital that we support our local shops and community and one of the main ways this can be done is by shopping local.

One Linlithgow has launched the 'Linlithgow Loves Local' campaign to encourage locals to support their community.  This pandemic has shown the importance of supporting local businesses and produce.

I think this is an excellent example of what can be achieved through local innovation, and I encourage everyone, not just in Linlithgow but in the whole of West Lothian to shop local."

Coronavirus: Immune Response

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One Linlithgow used its £15,000 'BIDs Resilience' funding from Scottish Government/Scotland's Towns Partnership to deliver a tailored response for our member businesses.

We have handed out thousands of disposable face masks, countless litres of locally-produced hand sanitiser, distancing floor stickers, posters, disposable gloves and much more.

Throughout lockdown, we kept this website updated with impartial information and links to local and national support channels, and collaborated with the Black Bitch community magazine to produce a list of businesses, which had found innovative ways to continue trading safely.  The list was updated for each issue.

We organised a 'grand reopening hamper' as the country entered 'Phase 3' of exiting lockdown, and provided direct support to businesses unsure of which avenues of government support they were entitled to.

Reopening Hamper

Perhaps most importantly, we have paid out over £5,000 in grants, to help reimburse beleaguered businesses having to shell out for their own items of PPE, which we were not stocking off-the-peg.  Mainly, this went towards installation of acrylic 'sneeze screens' across town, keeping staff and customers safe across Linlithgow.

Screens at Purely Patchwork

Funding is now spent in full, but One Linlithgow continues to supply PPE kits and grants to all member businesses.  Just contact us to take advantage!

The Virus Won’t Retire Us! One Linlithgow secures £15,000 external funding

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Many BIDs across the UK are being forced to mothball until businesses can reopen.  This will make it doubly difficult for them to be there ready to help when the time comes.

At One Linlithgow, because we predicated our business plan on strong ties with community groups that are more than just lip service, we have secured £15,000 Government funding to support the local COVID-19 response.  We will be providing meaningful, direct support to our members and the wider Linlithgow community, but the continued operation also means that we will be prepared for the slow return to feet on the streets, promoting businesses and ensuring that customers trust Linlithgow to take sensible measures to prevent/mitigate further outbreaks.

We will not be issuing demands for payment of BID levy until at least September 2020 and we will be using the external funding to deliver our part of the town-wide community response until then, so that no member business must subsidise activity while closed down.

Loyalty Lottery – the Jackpot won’t stop!

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There's not much good news for businesses in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we're keeping spirits high with the Loyalty Lottery!

February 2020 saw winners made in Mackie & Brechin vets, Lilypond Crafts & Gifts, and Complete Health at the Millstone. The streets of Linlithgow looked very different when those lucky transactions were made, with most towns and cities across the globe now eerily quiet... but we at One Linlithgow have vowed to unite those loyal local shoppers and service users with their goodies!

Any winners in self-isolation, or practising social distancing, can call up their favourite outlets and browse "virtually", before selecting their prizes and having us deliver them contact-free to their door.

We're also working on more comprehensive ways to keep retail afloat in these difficult months - and we understand the urgency of enacting emergency measures without delay. Keep an eye on this site and our social media channels, or contact us using the form (just click "contact" on the main menu) for the latest.

Not a Scrooge in sight on Late Night Shopping night

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Ding dong, merrily on high... in Linlithgow, the tills are ringing!

One Linlithgow would like to thank every business taking part in the 2019 festive late shopping event on Thursday 28th November. The event was an enormous success and participating shops were truly "stowed out" with shoppers snapping up bargains, chomping mince pies and savouring mugs of hot mulled wine!

There wasn't a single negative comment from the businesses we spoke to, with many remarking that they had actually been busy all day long - and that the event should be expanded. Plans are now in place to rebrand the 2020 event "Christmas Shopping Day" and we can't wait!

The event saw the proud relaunch of favourite project, the Linlithgow Loyalty Lottery. After a short hiatus while businesses voted One Linlithgow in to existence, festive late-shoppers were rewarded with a chance to win one of four £50 vouchers! The monthly draw will be running from December 2019 onwards, so have a look at our "Loyalty Lottery" project page and, more importantly, head along to a participating outlet and get shopping local. There's £100 to be won every month!

Never mind the ballots…

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...here's One Linlithgow!

On 1st October 2019, following the previous day's announcement of its decisive victory at ballot, One Linlithgow was born. It is an Improvement District, which means that it's subsidised by the businesses of Linlithgow and, by extension, that it exists primarily to represent their interests and to make Linlithgow a better place to live, work and do business.

To the businesses, community groups and Steering Group volunteers, who made it possible to secure five more years of guaranteed, targeted investment in our amazing town... thank you.