It’s autumn 2013 and the UK’s high streets continue to be squarely under the cosh from all sides. Undercut by online competition, besieged with parking restrictions, clobbered by spiralling rents – it’s a tough time to be an independent trader. Yet our beloved small shops, community pubs, arts spaces and impressive eateries soldier on, enriching our lives and giving the area its soul.
Everyone wants to support them in whatever ways they can, and we know how grateful Kentishtowners are to still have so many fantastic choices within walking distance. How do we know? Because of the thousands of votes cast in our annual Kentishtowner Awards, which has grown exponentially over the last three years.
We also know how important it is for a local business to be recognised in these public-voted gongs (the framed 2012 winners and runners-up awards can be spotted in pride of place behind counters and in windows all around the neighbourhood). So now, as the year draws to a close, we should be embarking on running the biggest local awards poll yet, just as you should be drawing up a shortlist of favourite local haunts.
2012 Reader Awards Winners in full
The thing is, our resources are stretched to the limit. Although Kentishtowner has experienced huge success in 2013 – going into print, being covered on BBC1, and expanding with a south London sister site among the highlights – it is still run by a very small team, and on a shoestring budget.
We believe in the potential of this project to continue to become ever-more sustainable, offering unrivalled support for local businesses alongside quality, daily, freely-available features. But we’re simply unable to commit resources to something on the scale of the Awards without the support of a sponsor.
Last year we had just such an investment from Kabbee, the minicab-finding mobile app. This year we need a similar headline brand to make it happen.
Is this right for your company? Or do you know one who might be able to help? Estate agents, tech startups, locally-based national brands… It’s a great opportunity for a company to show it cares about the fabric of our vibrant area.