Local Sixth Form Students support local businesses!

4.14.37pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 29th Apr 2009

Lucy Hurds (right) with Nicole Edey, Laura Hurds and the petition to Keep Trade Local!

When Laura Hurds and Nicole Edey, Hereford Sixth Form College business studies students, heard about the FSB's Keep Trade Local campaign from Laura's mum, Lucy, they were keen to do their bit!

They were already reeling from the closure of Hereford's 'Dinosaur Market', which was any student's shopping delight in offering affordable retro clothes and other 'must haves'. Laura told FSB that she thought high business rates and the raft of health and safety demands made on the market forced it into closure. Laura added: "It's such a shame that the Dinosaur Market' has closed, all of my friends loved to meet there and check out what they had and the prices were affordable. We don't want to look like clones, we like to create our own look and we can't get what we want from the average shops in the high street. I love shopping for vintage stuff and hope that the FSB's campaign will help to keep the independents in Hereford open".

Nicole is no stranger to small business as her mum runs Sally's Pantry in Pembridge, supplying cakes, preserves and pies to other businesses and running her own farmers market stall. Nicole said: "It's not easy competing with the out of town businesses, my mum works really hard and sells absolutely delicious cakes and things to her customers, you just can't get that sort of thing in a supermarket. What people have got to understand is that local businesses gives us a better choice".

Laura added: "We got involved with the petition because we believe that local businesses should be supported by local people. These businesses could be our future employers, if they close down we shall all be vying for the same jobs in the large outlets - it that enough for us? I don't think so! We started collecting signatures from business studies students and it's sort of grown across the campus; we've now got well over a hundred signatures and met loads of people along the way who we probably wouldn't have met if we hadn't had the petition. I hope that the FSB reaches its 1,000,000 target and that the Government understands how important town centres are to everyone - it's not just young people who need them, all ages can benefit from local businesses and as fuel costs will continue to rise there may be a time when we can't drive to the out of town store;, where shall we be then if all of our local shops have closed?"

Strong words from Laura Hurds, who has worked it out for herself and has spent hours with her friend Nicole getting signatures on their petition sheets. Thank you Laura and Nicole!