A GROUP of retailers have banded together under the wing of Okehampton and District Chamber of Trade to discuss and organise ways of highlighting what is on offer in the town.

The group of retailers will be joining in with the national 'Small Business Saturday' event on December 7, to promote and generate trade by encouraging everyone in the UK to support their local small businesses.

It is hoped to provide free parking in the town for the day, and shops and small businesses can join in by offering special promotions and activities to mark the day.

Ruth Kelsey, of Hallwood Farm Shop in Red Lion Yard, and member of the chamber of trade, said that the news is dominated by 'doom and gloom' stories about the state of the nation's high streets.

She said: 'Many towns across the country have slipped into becoming faceless clone towns full of chain stores and many are blighted by high shop vacancy rates. Obviously we have not escaped entirely unscathed and there are a few empty shops dotted around the town, which is a sad indication of recent hard times.

'But our resilient little town of Okehampton has managed to keep its head up and even in these austere times we can proudly boast that our retail shop vacancy rate is only half that of the national average.'

Mrs Kelsey said the diverse character of the town, of which nearly 90% of shops are independent, is due in the main to the continued support of local discerning people who value the benefit of shopping locally.

'The positive effect of the locally spent pound cannot be underestimated.

'For every pound spent in a local independent shop or locally owned business,up to 70p benefits that local community, whereas when shopping at an out of town centre or online, as little as 5p finds its way back.'