The Kirkwall Gift Card was launched by Kirkwall BID on their Festive Day Out at the start of December. In its first month it has exceeded all expectations, with almost 700 cards having been purchased, meaning that nearly £25,000 will be spent in local businesses that might otherwise have left the county.
Laura Bruce of BID explained the thinking behind the Kirkwall Gift Card. ‘It’s a gift card scheme for any occasion year-round. Cards are available to buy online at the moment, and we hope to extend this to select stores in the coming months. With over eighty BID businesses accepting the cards, there’s a huge variety of places you can use yours, from shops to salons to lawyers to restaurants and pubs. The card can be spent bit by bit: you don’t have to spend the balance in one go, it can be used in different businesses for different amounts. We hope that the cards will become the go-to gift for anyone in Orkney, as they’re keeping the funds in the local economy, which benefits us all.’
Laura continued ‘We are absolutely delighted with our first month of sales and we’d like to thank everyone who has purchased so far. Our first month of sales places us as in the top three card sellers for the UK, which smashed all our expectations, and is a real achievement for a small town. I think this shows that people appreciate that we need to Keep the Heart in Kirkwall.’
The launch took place amidst the peak events season for Kirkwall BID, following the hugely popular carousel visit for the Big BID Day Out in November, the ‘Most Beautiful High Street in Scotland Award’ win and various festive activities. BID Manager Kelly Kirkness said, ‘We’ve had a fantastic year, with lots going on. None of it would be possible without the support of our volunteer Board of Directors, all local business folk from every sector. We have some good new ideas for 2020, and look forward to continuing supporting businesses in the BID area.’
Kirkwall BID encourage any local business owners or managers to get in touch if they’d like to be involved in the projects for 2020 as a Director or as part of the Events Committee.
For more information or to purchase a Kirkwall Gift Card visit www.kirkwallgiftcard.co.uk
