Aberdeenshire Council urges north-east businesses to attend free economy-boosting rewards and incentives event

The team behind the successful Aberdeenshire Loves Local Gift Card is encouraging businesses to register for a free 30-minute webinar looking at how the initiative can be used in staff reward and incentive programmes, boosting the local economy at the same time.

Hosted by Aberdeenshire Council on Thursday, October 12 at noon, the webinar will feature several guest speakers including council Chief executive Jim Savege, Pamela Neri of Fraserburgh Harbour, Gordon Drummond of Cairngorm Lodges and Lynn Esslemont of Grampian Opportunities.

Businesses can register for the free webinar at: Big Marker

The webinar, “Fueling Employee Satisfaction: The Aberdeenshire Gift Card Unleashed”, will also explore the use of the Aberdeenshire Loves Local Gift Card to support organisational aims, including recruitment and retention, corporate social responsibility and community support.

Local businesses will hear how the gift card is a tremendous option when they are considering what to give employees this Christmas, or more generally throughout the year as rewards, retirement gifts and so on.

Paul Macari, head of economy at Aberdeenshire Council, explains: “In the current climate, businesses have varied challenges, from recruiting the right people to retaining them, positively impacting their community to driving sales.

"By using the gift card, it ensures money stays local for longer, boosts local businesses, stimulates economic activity and protects jobs and makes communities stronger.

“Our free webinar for businesses delves into how the Aberdeenshire Loves Local Gift Card could be used by them to solve many of their business needs in 2023 and beyond and benefit our community.”

Aberdeenshire Council introduced the gift card - which is supported by the Scottish Government – as an effort to power the region’s economic fightback from the Covid pandemic. Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP) - the organisation spearheading the Scotland Loves Local Campaign – delivers the gift card scheme in partnership with Perth-based fintech specialist Miconex.

Earlier this year, Aberdeenshire Council issued a £100 pre-paid gift card to more than 11,300 households to support households with the challenges around the cost of living funded by the Scottish Government’s Local Authority Covid Economic Recovery Fund (LACER).

There is no limit to the number of transactions or shops the card can be used in, as long there are funds on the card. The instructions on how to check the balance on the gift card are written on the reverse of the card.

There is no restriction on the type of goods which can be bought using the card other than the standard age-restricted products which apply to any purchases.

The card is now accepted at over 370 Aberdeenshire-based businesses with more added regularly.

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