OUT THE BOX

NOW THAT’S A GOOD IDEA…SANDAY WAVE

VOUCHER SCHEME KEEPS SPEND LOCAL

FORMER SLR COMMUNITY RETAILER OF THE YEAR JACKIE SINCLAIR HAS LAUNCHED AN INNOVATIVEVOUCHER SCHEME TO DRIVE SPEND IN THE LOCAL ORKNEY ECONOMY THIS CHRISTMAS.

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?

A gift voucher scheme that’s redeemable in any business but only on the island.

WHICH ISLAND?

The remote island of Orkney. Or to be more precise, the even more remote island of Sanday, just off Orkney.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Former SLR Rewards Community Retailer of the Year Jackie Sinclair has teamed up with a local graphic designer and a local print business to create gift vouchers redeemable only on the island. The idea is to encourage investment in the local economy this Christmas. Jackie runs Sinclair General Stores on the tiny island and has long been a hero of the local economy, as well as a fantastic community retailer. The initiative is designed to encourage locals to “look to local business before they’re keyboard” and help Sanday recover from a devastating year.

HAS IT BEEN A TOUGH YEAR ON SANDAY?

Just a bit. The store supports the island’s Crafters Hub who use use Jackie’s former premises as a shop to sell their products but they have been unable to operate this year leaving dozens of talented locals on severely reduced income.

WHY THE ‘SANDAY WAVE’?

The vouchers take their name from a popular phrase on the island coined to describe how locals greet each other we they pass each other in their cars.

HOW WILL IT HELP?

The scheme aims to encourage friends and relatives who cannot be together at Christmas to send their loved ones a voucher which they can use to select a precious gift or special service, retaining as much trade as possible within the island.There are no rules about where the vouchers can be spent, and no business is obliged to take the vouchers. However, those redeeming them simply return them to the store to receive payment. The campaign will be supported by social media posts on the store’s popular Facebook page highlighting the broad range of goods and services available on the island.

SO IT’S ONLY OPEN TO RESIDENTS?

No. Vouchers can be purchased by nonresidents online at sandaywave.square. site or by phoning Sinclair General Stores on 01857 600312, emailing sinclairhaulage@btinternet.com or via their Facebook page - Sinclair General Stores Sanday.

WHAT’S JACKIE SAYING?

She comments: “We are very keen on promoting local economic sustainability. We decided to launch a campaign this Christmas to encourage residents to look to local businesses before their keyboard, and help Sanday to recover from a devastating year. We usually sell a lot of gift vouchers for our own shop and thought this year we would broaden their scope.

“The ‘Sanday Wave’ is more than just a greeting, these vouchers support us to pull together as community and repay the amazing community support we have given one another throughout 2020.”