Keep It Local! Campaign Organised by Mr. Steve Brine MP

Explained in Mr. Steve Brines own words, the following text annouces our nomination and subsequent award for the 'Best Small Business in Winchester 2007'.

Dear All,

Back in May of this year I launched a unique search to find Winchester’s best local shop, service or business.

The ‘Keep it LOCAL’ competition asked members of the public to nominate their favourite as part of a campaign aimed at encouraging people to support independent shops and businesses. The intention was to support the many long-established independent shops that are a real feature of Winchester and its surrounding villages.

Hundreds of entries were sent in – via email and post - and I just wanted to let you know that Little Sanctuary emerged as the public choice. They are exactly the sort of unique independent business that needs to thrive if Winchester is to avoid the fate of so many towns and cities and become solely a parade of national chains and judging by the emails I received in nominating them, they obviously have some extremely loyal customers already.

I awarded the first ‘Keep it LOCAL’ trophy to the owner on Friday and you can see pictures as well as links to the Little Sanctuary website at:

http://www.stevebrine.com/issue.jsp?ID=23

The story was covered in WIN FM this evening, should be in this week’s Hampshire Chronicle and will feature on the frontpage of this week’s Winchester & Mid Hants Observer, delivered free to homes in (mostly) central Winchester from tomorrow.

Thank you to those ofyou who voted; for the record a very close runner-up was the great team fromD&G

Hardware in St Georges’ Street.

Little Sanctuary is located opposite the Theatre Royal on Jewry Street, Winchester and is run and owned by

Melody Ann Buckland.

Best wishes,

Steve Brine