Member Article

Indie Explorer Challenge finds support for independent retailers

Two Yorkshire businesswomen who undertook an exciting challenge to travel the Yorkshire and Humber region and visit as many independent businesses as they can in 36 hours have completed the task, gaining the support of over 350 people who have pledged to ‘shop local’.

As part of the ‘Indie Explorer Challenge’, Yorkshire entrepreneur Tina Boden, co-founder of Enterprise Rockers, and Kath Turner, chair of the Federation of Small Business (FSB) – North Yorkshire East Coast Branch, engaged with as many independent businesses as they could across the region, during the 36-hour challenge.

Neither woman could follow the same route or spend any money and could only enlist the help of independent businesses for the travel, food and accommodation needs.

Tina was supporting the ‘Friends of Rockers’ Independent Retailer campaign, and Kath supported the FSB Keep Trade Local campaign.

The winner was the woman who visited the most businesses, gained the most signatures and took the most photographs.

Kath Turner was named the winner and awarded a trophy after the duo completed the challenge last week.

She visited over 200 business retailers, took 174 photos of which 166 were with local retailers.

Speaking after the event, Tina said: “The challenge was really worthwhile and we got to meet so many independent businesses who really are the backbone of our local community.

“Getting people to sign the pledge to shop local really did open their eyes to how easy it can be to spend a pound locally and what a difference this could make to struggling indie retailers.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mark Lane .