Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
25 January 2009
14:0213818Can we do more than talk? Can we help? I, like many other's, I think, sit with family and friends over a cuppa and put all the countries problems right, then go off home and do nothing about it. Since joining this forum and listening to you all, I have been thinking how I can do more than just talk. My main concern is youth problems within the communities; no one can tell me we are doing enough to help them.
What I have done this weekend might sound a strange way to help them but if everyone joins in, I think, long term, it might help.
I have gone back to having my milk delivered by the milkman and getting my papers delivered by the local newsagent. Not much on its own I know, but in Deal our local milkman comes from (gets his milk) from Broadstairs. We have lost our milk depot; going back to buying from milkman should create more jobs, maybe even new dairy, getting people off jobseekers, giving them some respect that might just rub off on their children, long term. Same with your papers, business for local shops, more paper boys (pay decent wages) giving them better start in life. If we all encourage our family and friends to do the same, I am sure this can make a difference.
.I am also sure someone will tell me it wont.
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
Guest 658- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 660
25 January 2009
15:2113834I think you have made a valid point, in that its the little things that we can all do locally that might just make a difference in the long term.
beer the food of the gods
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,695
25 January 2009
15:2413835Gary there is a fine balance in all these things, however I am with you in looking to purchase more locally particularly from small independents.
Of course if we all did this then the national chains would have to contract and shut stores putting people out of work, not all of whom would necessarily pick up jobs from the independents as they expanded.
Regarding youth problems we need to work as communities with local authorites and other providers to provide:
Youth centres/cafes
Mentoring schemes
Skills coaching sessions
Activities that give them a sense of ownership of their community
Use of schools at weekends and evenings for community activities
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
25 January 2009
15:2913836Local community forums always welcome new members, fresh input and help with organising events. Input is as much time as you feel happy with, there is no pressure. Every little helps!
25 January 2009
15:5813837Gary - lovely! Everything we do matters and you have demonstrated that. Ross makes a fair point, but it is not likely that we will all suddenly start shopping locally, so a slow but sure start is good, and if the nationals eventually go out of business - good!! Local jobs will be created. Nice one, Gary!
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
25 January 2009
17:2213846As I do get my milk delivered and would have my paper only our local shop refuses to add anyone to the round who was not on the list when they bought the shop nearly twenty years ago. I do try to do most of my shopping in Dover, although not being a fan of the Richard and Judy reading list or the top ten downloads that is getting harder. On the personal view I would love to see the demise of the big supermarkets and a return to local shopping, not least because it would actually provide more choice for the customer and and more local jobs where the staff could see the benefit of their work in the success of their shops etc.
I also believe that having local shops (and play areas and liesure facilities) helps to restore community feeling rather than the reliance on large faceless and homogenised outlets steering everyone to the 'taste of the week'.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
25 January 2009
18:3313849i can rember when tescos was a small local shop situated between st marys church and the market square.
25 January 2009
19:0513851Chris -
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
25 January 2009
19:2013853Is this a new thing - shopping locally, supporting local independant shops ?
The reason I ask is that I tried this with the Dover Loyalty Scheme for two years - promoting local independant shops and businesses. I promoted them in the local paper every month with full-page adverts; in a quarterly newsletter; fortnightly articles in the Express; web-site promotions, posters and emails etc. etc.
There were around 16,000 card-holders, but the vast majority of them didn't use the card to obtain their due discount, nor advise the shop or business that they heard about it from the promotions I ran: they simply didn't use the card or promote the scheme.
On the other side - the business side, the vast majority of the members did not ask their customers if they had a Loyalty Card, didn't even put up the poster I created and laminated for them, so the passing public wouldn't know they were members of the Loyalty Scheme and so wouldn't go in their shop.
Just a small few would ask their customers to fill out the registration form, so I couold bui;d up a database and email address groups, so I coud advise as many people as possible about public information, up and coming events and local business news.
Is it me or is it apathy ? I'd love to know what I was doing wrong as it could save my head an awful lot of banging on the proverbial brick-wall.
Roger
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
25 January 2009
20:0013860Roger
No, I'm sure it's not a new thing.
I have read about your loyalty scheme and I am surprised it did not take off, no answer I'm afraid, other than one you already given, apathy.
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
26 January 2009
08:3213879Thanks GaryC
The "Best of Dover and Deal" who work very hard to promote local businesses, have now started promoting them in the local East Kent Mercury - same kind of thing I was doing, only it's vouchers not loyalty cards you take to the shop(s).
Contact The Best of if you feel this will work for you.
The main difference is that I charged £4 per week (which included everything), these adverts alone cost £99 per month - on top of your normal cost of membership.
Where can you get an advert in the local paper for just £16 (a month) ?, let alone all the other promotions.
Roger
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
26 January 2009
08:4513881Roger I think in times of recession its a well known fact isnt it that advertising and promotional things are the first to go south. It would be very hard to keep a system like that going( The Loyalty Card Scheme) in these hard times as the shops businesses are struggling to survive and all external expenditure gets slashed. And with the Loyalty Card businesses may have felt they were paying twice. Once through the annual fee and then on top of that through discounts.
This is particularly the case in somewhere with poor shops like Dover, much better chance to make a go of these things in thriving towns like say Cheltenham or somewhere similar. The irony is that Dover needs it more. This is not any kind of criticism though Roger as I always admired the brave effort you made on behalf of the town.
Sadly or maybe not so sadly, a town needs the major stores. People see stuff advertised on TV and they want to buy it..its that simple. If they dont get it here they will go eleswhere. Advertising is a very very powerful drug.
Brian hits the nail on the head with his telling posting above ( no 7).
"Tesco used to be a small store beside St Marys Church and the Market Sq" says it all really.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
26 January 2009
09:0213887Thanks Paul
I agree that advertising/marketing, usually goes first, but in reality, it should be the last as you need more than ever to tell people what you're doing, especially if it involves any kind of promotion or discounts.
The main point I was making (or trying to) was that I asked only £4.00 per week for everything, but these new ones are £99 per month - for the one advert, so much, much more expensive - I believe that's a difference of £83 - a month.
If giving a discount (usually around 10% - some were more, some were less) attracts a lot more customers - bigger footfall, then it's not a problem, as it will be greatly increasing your profits not cutting into them.
I appreciate the value that chain stores/department stores bring to a Town or City Paul, but no matter how much we shopped in them, the head-office decide whether to close all or some branches, but if we don't shop in an independant shop - where someone has invested their life, effort and money, it will make a hell of a difference to them - no customers, no income; no income, no pay bills; no pay bills, no shop - simple.
Roger
26 January 2009
12:2613904Yes, we used to have two Tescos - one in Cannon Street and one in Pencester Road. Oh for those days, before shops became globe-swallowing megaliths.
26 January 2009
21:4313955And horn swoggling pismires to boot!
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
28 January 2009
20:3414180How many of you have ordered milk from milkman and ordered papers from newsagents this week?
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
28 January 2009
20:3914182i have always done that gary, like many people.
my milkman delivers to me all sorts of goodies that i do not wish to lug back from the shops.
i do not know of anywhere that one can purchase a newspaper, other than from a newsagents.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
28 January 2009
21:5514194tescos,somerfield,costcutters and evan the railway station.
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
28 January 2009
22:4714198delivered by the paper boy?
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
28 January 2009
22:5314200only for internet users.
