TOWN centre trade in Minehead is set to be boosted by a ground-breaking loyalty card scheme.

All three business organisations in the town – Revive Minehead, the Minehead Tourism & Business Association and MineheadChamber of Commerce – have joined forces to launch the initiative.

Free for consumers and businesses to get involved, it is designed to reward shoppers for spending their money in the town itself and has been widely welcomed.

Graham Sizer, chairman of Minehead Chamber of Commerce, said: “Loyalty card schemes work well where there’s already a pride in the high street.

“It’s initially a fun idea, but as it develops it can become a real incentive to shop in the town centre.”

Customers will get a sticker for their loyalty card if they spend £2.50 or more in a participating shop, restaurant or café, and can collect a maximum of two stickers from each establishment.

When all ten sticker slots are filled the cards can be posted at one of the boxes at Minehead Town Council, Minehead Visitor Information Centre or Minehead Sports to be entered in a prize draw.

Vouchers worth £25, £15 and £10 will be up for grabs each month.

Steve Grice, of the Minehead Tourism & Business Association, said: “The ‘shop local’ scheme has proved successful in other towns, and I hope it’ll be welcomed and supported by retailers and the community.

“Shopping local helps the economy and helps to preserve jobs in the town.”

Funding is already in place for the £2,000 project from West Somerset Council, through Section 106 money set aside to mitigate the impact of the Morrisons development – and from Minehead Chamber of Commerce.

An application for a further cash injection has been submitted to Minehead Town Council, which has also backed the idea.

Fay Dyke, founder of Revive Minehead, said: “I’m fully supportive of the loyalty card scheme.

“I believe it’ll benefit the community of Minehead as well as encouraging people to shop local.”

Those behind the idea, which isdue to be launched in October, maintain that it can run alongside any existing loyalty card schemes without creating competition and can benefit all traders in the town centre.