A CAMPAIGN has been launched in Wem to encourage people to visit their high street ahead of the coming festive shopping period.

The ‘Love Wem Love Shops’ campaign will run for a month from Saturday, October 24 to Saturday, November 22 and has been launched by Wem Economic Forum with help from a Shropshire Council grant.

The campaign involves shoppers collecting stickers for visiting the town’s shops and so far 42 shops, including market traders, have signed up.

Shoppers will obtain stickers for spending at least £1 in 10 different participating shops.

Once 10 stickers are collected shoppers will be able to enter themselves into a prize draw with the chance to win up to £150 worth of vouchers, to again be spent in the town’s shops.

Clerk of Wem Town Council, Penny O'Hagan explained the initiative.

"We made a grant application to Shropshire Council for part of their Small Market Town Fund.

"We were successful and as result of the application we we're able to launch this project.

"We've gone round all the shops in the town and asked if they want to participate in the scheme.

"Theyll have a big poster in the window and if someone spends a pound in 10 different shops they'll be entered in to the prize draw.

"If they win they will receive £150 in vouchers to spend in the shops so hopefully the participating shops will get people through their door twice.

"It starts on Saturday and runs until November 22, so the draw will be made around the beginning of December and the winners will have until December 24 to spend the vouchers in the shops."

To be in with a chance of winning, residents must post a completed sticker sheet in one of the prize boxes located in the Fruitful Deli, Wem Town Hall or the Co-op.

Receipts are also accepted but stickers or receipts must be collected from 10 different shops.