Staff at a number of Bury St Edmunds businesses are being rewarded this Christmas with the new Our Bury St Edmunds Town Centre Gift Card as an alternative to a festive bonus. The initiative from the Business Improvement District (BID) organisation works in the same way as buying a gift card for any individual retailer, but can currently be used in more than 50 different outlets in the town centre from jewellers to cafes and beauty salons to bike shops. Businesses giving it to their staff are also helping to lock more spending into the local economy and thus supporting the town centre.

One of the companies that has opted to reward staff in this way is the ingredients manufacturer Treatt. Its Group CEO Daemmon Reeve commented: “As we grapple with the effects caused by Covid-19, there has never been a more pressing time for us to show our support for the local community.

“We are delighted to have partnered with Our Bury St Edmunds this Christmas, providing gift cards to all staff to spend in local businesses in the town. The community of Bury St Edmunds is incredibly important to Treatt and we were keen to assist our resident independent businesses, whilst showing our gratitude to the team for their exceptional commitment and hard work throughout the pandemic.”

A number of local companies have also made corporate purchases including St Edmundsbury Wealth Management and Lark Technology as well as several other BID member businesses in the town centre.

Chief Executive of Our Bury St Edmunds Mark Cordell said: “By purchasing and using this gift card it’s another easy way to help keep our local businesses going in what’s been some of the most challenging circumstances in living memory. The response from local businesses both in purchasing the gift card and signing up to accept the card has exceeded our expectations and so far more than £20,000 is now committed to being spent in the town centre as a result of gift card purchases.”

The full amount on the Mastercard-based Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card does not need to be spent all at once, and it’s simple to check online how much balance is left, where it’s previously been spent and where it’s accepted. It can be purchased safely online or for information about other ways to buy, contact Our Bury St Edmunds on 01284 766258. Purchases as Christmas gifts should be made before December 20.

For more information or to buy the card online visit www.ourburystedmunds.com.