Now more than ever, shop local is important, see how your vouchers help!

People thinking of buying a present for a family member, friend or loved one are being asked to buy a Love Oban Gift Voucher.

With Father’s Day coming up and yearround celebrations from retirements to birthdays and now weddings, more than 80 businesses in Oban now accept the vouchers.

As well as being a help to those unsure what to buy someone, the highly successful initiative helps keep money in Oban and spent with local independents, said BID4Oban chief executive Andy Spence.

Buying a Love Oban voucher ensures the money spent stays within the local economy to support businesses, jobs and local people, he said.

The initiative has proved popular with local people who want to see the town succeed and also people from outside the area.

They have purchased the vouchers online on behalf of those planning breaks in Oban or who are moving to the town to take up employment, said Andy.

He said: ‘When you spend local that £1 then regenerates and goes into supporting someone at another local business and is spent in the town.

‘Not just local but every single business is important in Oban as it provides employment for local people and they also spend in the town.’

Andy said supporting Oban at this time is vital as retailers recover from the pandemic.

The process of buying the vouchers took just a couple of minutes and each comes with a handy guide to where they can be spent.

Andy added: ‘We have a lot of new local businesses opening in the town and given what we have just been through, it’s clear the town is extremely vibrant and people have got the confidence in Oban to invest. ‘We are a destination town and a key hub.’ As well as buying them directly from the BID4Oban office in Stevenson Street, you can purchase vouchers from the following businesses.

The Sports Shop Oban, Argyll Square; Websters of Oban Photographic Centre, George Street; Oban Phoenix Cinema, George Street; Alba Artshop, Albany Street; Button Nose Boutique, Airds Crescent, and Etive Restaurant, Stevenson Street.

Alternatively, you can go online to the BID4Oban website and purchase them in denominations of £10, £20 and £50, but in as high a value as necessary. Visit www. bid4oban.co.uk/overview-love-oban