Newark and Sherwood Gift Card to boost tourism and drive ‘shop local’

A new Newark and Sherwood Gift Card has launched which can be spent in more than 70 businesses in the town centres of Newark, Southwell, Ollerton and Edwinstowe village.

Available as either a physical gift card, or an e-card that can be added to digital wallets, the card will make it easy for recipients to ‘shop local’ with a range of local shops, restaurants, salons and service businesses.

Launched by Newark and Sherwood District Council, the card is a local gift card option for a variety of gifting occasions, from Mother’s Day to birthdays, end of term gifts to Father’s Day presents. As well as being a local gift card option for residents, the card can be used by organisations for employee rewards, locking spend into the local economy.

Hopes are also high that the new gift card will encourage tourism within the district by showcasing a variety of local businesses, cafes and retailers and making them accessible through a single gift card.

Councillor Claire Penny, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Economic Growth at Newark and Sherwood District Council, explains: “This really is a fantastic opportunity for local businesses to increase footfall and spend in their premises. For our local residents, being able to give the gift of shopping locally and supporting our town centres as opposed to online shopping is something I feel really passionate about.  We must do all we can to support our high streets and our local businesses, and I know I will certainly be gifting these cards to my friends and family. 

“I am proud that the District Council is funding this scheme to offer support to our local businesses and high streets. The gift card scheme is so simple to use and works through existing Mastercard systems so district businesses can accept the card with no additional equipment required. There is also no charge to businesses to be a part of the initiative either!  So, it really is a win-win.”

One business accepting the new gift card will be Shirt Sleeves, based in Newark. Shop owner Henry Tacey explains: "We think the Gift Card is a fantastic initiative to help increase footfall in the local shops, cafés and restaurants of the area. Shoppers will have a fantastic range of local businesses to use their Gift Cards with & we’re very excited to see the impact the Gift Card has.

A big thank you to everyone involved and Newark and Sherwood District Council for their continued support of local business."

Another business accepting the gift card is Acorn Interiors, in Edwinstowe. Shop owner Julie Thomason explains: “The new gift card is a great way for consumers to support local businesses and encourage others to use the many independent shops, cafes and restaurants we have in our area.”

The Newark and Sherwood Gift Card is part of the multi-award winning Town & City Gift Card concept, active across the UK and Ireland.

Colin Munro, Managing Director of Miconex, said: “Shop local sentiment is extremely high in the UK, with 98% of people in our 2024 research saying support for local is important to them. Gift cards are ever popular too, with consumers and organisations. The launch of the Newark and Sherwood Gift Card gives people a local gift card option that blends unbeatable local choice with support for local, in an easy-to-use gift card. And with digital gift cards overtaking physical gift cards in popularity for the first time in 2024, the Newark and Sherwood Gift Card is positioned for the future too.”

The Newark and Sherwood Gift Card is available to buy online at https://www.newarkandsherwoodgiftcard.com/