TODAY this newspaper launches Grow In Evesham, a campaign to ensure a prosperous future for our wonderful town.

Our message – one that we’ll be shouting from the rooftops – is that Evesham is an attractive and vibrant place to visit and go shopping. It is full of welcoming people, has a skilled and willing workforce, and dynamic businesses.

We want to build on the good work already achieved by Wychavon District Council’s efforts to promote the Vale as a great place to do business through its Grow In Wychavon initiative.

Grow In Evesham replaces our own Come In, We’re Open campaign, which has for the last year been supporting the town through the disruption caused by the rebuilding of the Abbey Bridge.

Thankfully, the bridge closure is behind us.

Now we need a fresh start as we renew our efforts to champion the town and restore its reputation as an attractive destination for shoppers and visitors.

We have the backing of Wychavon District Council, Evesham Market Town Partnership, Worcestershire County Council and Quicksilver PR, as well as that of the town’s traders and the many groups that have sprung up to do their part for Evesham during the difficult last 12 months.

The months ahead will be challenging, but the Journal is determined to help see our town prosper. So we will be supporting Evesham in new and innovative ways.

We will continue to help our independent businesses in print with our popular Meet Your Local Trader features and special bargain advertising rates. But we are also introducing an innovative social media element.

There will be a live Grow In Evesham blog on the home page of our website eveshamjournal.co.uk and everyone will be able to get involved simply by including the #GrowInEvesham hashtag in their own tweets and Facebook posts.

This will help you get your message to the biggest possible audience. And, best of all, the service is FREE!

Together we can help make the Vale of Evesham prosper. Please join us and help everyone Grow In Evesham!

 

Traders welcome Grow In Evesham campaign

TRADERS have thrown their support behind the Journal's new campaign, Grow in Evesham, and are looking forward to a bright future for their town.

After months of hard times business owners in Evesham are setting their sights on returning the town to a thriving place to be.

Over the past year the paper has supported the town with its appeal, Come In, We're Open, encouraging shoppers to spend in local stores.

Now with the help of Grow in Evesham, the new campaign backing business in the town by promoting it in the pages of the Journal and online, traders can be sure of the town's success.

Hanna Knight, from Abbey Appliances in The Courtyard, off the High Street, appeared in the Journal as a featured business and said it was a great help.

"It was really good. We have been saying how the Journal has really stepped up to the plate. I think having more stuff online with the new campaign will be great."

Ali Adlkish, of Avonside Motors in Abbey Road, also benefitted from a feature. He said: "It's amazing how many people didn't know we are here until we were in the Evesham Journal.

"Obviously the new campaign is a good thing. The Evesham Journal is the best local paper and it's effective. I will be supporting anything that is supporting Evesham."

Penny Jones, of Cartridge World in Merstow Green, said after they featured in the Journal a number of new people came into their store.

"I thought it was really good. I learnt a lot about what's available in the local economy."

Adrian Lowe, of OHL Stationers in Evesham High Street, said he thought the campaign had been good adding that the town needed support.

Evesham Town Councillor Robert Raphael, whose family own Raphael's Restaurant at Hampton Ferry, said: "I think it's absolutely brilliant, it's certainly helped. It has highlighted businesses you didn't realise were there.

"Being out of the way the more exposure we can get in a paper like the Journal is brilliant."

Tony Fisher, who founded the LIFE Emporium, Vine Mews, said: "Grow in Evesham looks like a good campaign, I have been looking at it. Any initiative should help the town."

And Evesham's mayor, Cllr Mark Goodge, said he was right behind Grow in Evesham.

"I think what the town needs is for people to get together and be positive. Now the bridge is done there are a lot of reasons in Evesham to be positive and we should focus on what the town has to offer. I think Grown in Evesham is a great idea and I am behind it."

 

Here's how you can join in

We want everyone to get involved in our Grow In Evesham campaign.

And so we are inviting people to help spread the word about our wonderful town using social media.

Anyone with a Twitter account or Facebook profile can join in.

All you have to do is use the #GrowInEvesham hashtag on your own tweets and Facebook posts.

Our searches will find them and we'll use the power of our market-leading news and marketing operation to ensure we get to the biggest audience possible.

All you have to do is tell people what you love about Evesham, and why you think they should visit or shop here.

Let everyone know when there is an event coming up, especially one that will attract visitors. And then post pictures of it!

If you are a business, let everyone know what a terrific product you have or service you provide.

Post pictures of the parts of town you adore, pictures of your customers, or pictures of your staff at work.

And keep up to date with the campaign here: