FORESTERS are being encouraged to celebrate their local high streets and could win a cash prize.

A new competition invites shoppers to support local businesses, discover hidden gems, and show off their purchases, to help Forest towns in the run-up to Christmas.

The competition, which runs until December 14, is part of a new Shop Local campaign which brings together the Forest Council, the town councils of Cinderford, Coleford, Lydney and Newent and businesses in the district.

Cabinet Member for Economy, Cllr Johnathan Lane (Green, Tidenham) said: “Through our Shop Local campaign and competition, we want to encourage more people to rediscover their local high streets.

“Recent town centre monitoring shows that footfall across all our Forest towns has held relatively steady over the past three years.

“However, numbers have not returned to pre-Covid levels – a trend we recognise as part of changing shopping habits and the continued rise of online retail – and we remain committed to finding new ways to encourage residents and visitors back into our town centres

“If every adult in the Forest of Dean spent just £5 a week in local shops instead of online or at large supermarkets, it would add over £9 million to our local economy.”

To take part, people should take a photo or video of themselves and/or their purchases in a local shop, write a few words about why shopping local matters to them or why they love their chosen shop, and share on Facebook or Instagram using the #ShopLocalSmallBiz hashtag ending with one of the four towns or ForestOfDean.

There is a £100 to spend in local shops in each of the four towns, along with others of £50 and £25.

Printed directories have been produced are available from local shops and the Forest Council website, featuring detailed maps of local High Streets.