A new gift card scheme is set to launch on the Isle of Wight as part of a raft of wide-ranging measures to help get the local economy back on its feet.
Residents will be able to spend in local shops, restaurants, cafes, bars and leisure venues using the special pre-paid ‘Island Card’ — helping to support independent retailers and reboot the high streets.
Working in the same way as a shopping centre or department store gift card, purchasers will be able to choose how much they want to pre-load onto the card.
The Isle of Wight Council is looking to team up with local business associations, alongside town and parish councils, to develop pilot schemes in Newport and Ryde.
By encouraging consumers to shop local, Councillor Wayne Whittle, Cabinet member for regeneration and business development, said similar projects in other parts of the country had brought a welcome boost to the local economy. He said:
“The high street and our town centres are an integral part of post-Covid recovery.
“Now more than ever, we really need Islanders to shop local. If people don’t come into our town centres and support our businesses, we really will lose them.
“This would be a fantastic way to keep spending right at the heart of the local economy.”
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The development of an Island gift card is just one way the council aims to work with its partners to help the Island’s economy bounce back from the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Published for the first time this week, the authority’s COVID-19 recovery plan — A Better Island — forms the blueprint to get the Island on the road to recovery. Based on the ‘3 pillars of recovery’ — community, economic and place — the proposals focus on the next 18 months: keeping COVID-19 infection under control, supporting people and businesses through the recession, and working with partners to do both while under huge financial pressure.
Council leader Dave Stewart said:
“The coronavirus pandemic has hit our island extremely hard, and we now need to ensure that we prioritise helping our businesses and residents by giving them as much support as we can so they can recover from this unprecedented situation.
“The underpinning of our recovery plan is that it keeps people safe as well as helping to bring our economy alive with innovative schemes such as the proposed Island Card, pop-up business school to assist people to start their own business and a youth employment support hub.
“The crisis has shown us how we can all pull together, and why we need to continue with that community spirit. This plan will focus on the most vulnerable but also aims to ensure that no one on our Island is left behind.”
The COVID-19 recovery plan — A Better Island — will go before Cabinet members on 10th September and is available to download here.
Most of us don’t have the money to put on this pre paid card or we would be spending already! I’ve only just gone back to work after months of being furloughed and am still trying to catch up with Bill’s. I expect of a lot of others are doing the same!! That’s if you still have a job of course. Daft idea !!
I agree, totally daft idea. I have a pre-loaded card I can use anywhere, called a debit card. Another way they are trying to get rid of cash. I bet if you went to the purchase point for these proposed cards with a handful of cash (if you have any left) they would tell you they don’t accept cash, only debit cards. And how much is this scheme going to cost our council out of our pockets? So many futile schemes floating about. (Floatie!) If they want to invigorate local shops why don’t they introduce half an hour free parking instead of putting parking charges up again.
Do’nt forget East cowes, then we can go to Newport and shop
Great idea, by the way Grumpy, you don’t buy the card for yourself, that’s why it is called a GIFT card! For example, Instead of an amazon gift card for rewarding colleagues at work, or a birthday present for a loved one, or even just a treat for a friend, the island card will give something back to the local community, whilst enabling you to enjoy your gift on our beautiful island.
And then get charged a small fortune to park
Its not worth the hassle
I suggest that ONE of the cabinet members of the business regeneration group put his money where his very vocal mouth is, and try paying all his staff on the books and not cash in hand, to provide an even playing field for us and other similar business owners in Ryde before having the audacity to promote anything.
WE abide by the employment laws fully, NOT just when it suits, but this puts us and others at an unfair disadvantage to the likes of someone who should and DOES know better.
If such can’t be trusted in private concerns, how the heck can such be trusted with public money in their official role. Answer; they can’t.
Not wrong there boyo.
Akin to putting the fox in charge of the chicken coop, or perhaps more fitting the rat in charge of the big cheese’s.
This is not a gift card … it is a re loadable card and therefore exactly the same as a debit card. You can only spend up to the value of the amount on the card.
I shop as much as i can locally and sometimes i will buy online.. but not through Amazon.
So i wont be getting this card.
If you want to get people spending local then suspend parking charges for the timebeing.
Agree
Reducing rent and rates would help a lot of the smaller businesses, this doesn’t have to be long term, even a year would help small businesses recover.
If shops wernt so overpriced for everything less online shopping may happen.but as such crap choice over here now who can blame us.
And yes parkings also a rip off .another idea which will be pointless and waste money could be used better eleswhere
A miserable failure for certain.