The Lincolnshire Gift Card launches!

​The Lincolnshire Gift Card can be spent at a variety of shops, cafés, restaurants, hotels, attractions and leisure providers across the county.

It can be purchased online, either as a physical card or digital version, be loaded with a value of £10 to £500 and then spent like a debit card at participating venues.

Healing Manor Hotel in Grimsby, The Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa and Bridleway Hotel near Lincoln are just three of the accommodation providers where the cards can be spent.

Three Joes, Doughnotts, Stokes Tea & Coffee and The Electric Bar in Lincoln, Uncle Henry’s near Gainsborough and The Cross Keys in Stow are some of the food and drink businesses participating in the scheme.

Nikki Bawn, marketing manager for Stokes Tea & Coffee, said: “Joining the Lincolnshire Gift Card was a no-brainer for us because it will help to keep money locked into the county and bring new money in too.

"Stokes Tea & Coffee is a fourth-generation family firm that was established in 1902. Our ethos is very much about working collaboratively with the community, stocked by local suppliers and supporting the local ecosystem.

“Lincoln is one of the UK’s best cities, full of unique independent businesses. Receiving the gift card will pique people’s interest and encourage people to Lincoln and wider Lincolnshire for that immersive experience of the county.”

Nikki added: “For locals, the gift card will also encourage people to rediscover what’s in their local area. It’s all too easy to overlook local businesses that are on our doorstep, but SMEs contribute 60 per cent of all jobs in the UK. If we lose our small and medium businesses, our local communities will suffer. The Lincolnshire Gift Card is vital to making sure that people continue to have a choice.”

Lincolnshire attractions accepting the new gift card include Wild Pines Park in Market Rasen, J&J Alpacas in Dry Doddington, plus International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln and Rand Farm Park.

Jack Walker, head of marketing at Rand Farm Park, said: “Rand Farm Park is a family-run, farm park attraction with activities and events all year round, working closely with other local Lincolnshire businesses. When we heard about the Lincolnshire Gift Card we thought it was such a good idea as a collaborative project for us to really showcase Lincolnshire.

"It’s one of those moments when you think ‘why haven’t we done this before?’

“Lincolnshire is one of the biggest counties in the UK and has so much to offer. What’s great about the Lincolnshire Gift Card is that it gathers local Lincolnshire businesses together behind one gift card, giving visitors places to stay, things to do and places to eat, drink and shop, without any research needed. It’s also peace of mind knowing you’re supporting local businesses.”

Not-for-profit Community Interest Company Destination Lincolnshire is behind the card as part of its mission to grow the economic value of the visitor economy.

Charlotte Goy, Chief Executive at Destination Lincolnshire, said: “We’re really proud to be able to provide this fantastic opportunity for people to give the gift of Lincolnshire!

"It’s an easy way for visitors and residents to make those postcard memories to cherish, taking in everything the county has to offer. It’s really easy to load a card with a specific value that can be spent on creating tailor-made experiences, to suit each recipient’s individual interests. It’s a fantastic way to take in the wide variety of businesses and experiences that Lincolnshire has to offer.”

Coun Adam Grist, Portfolio Holder for Market Towns and the Rural Economy, at East Lindsey District Council said: “The launch of the Lincolnshire Gift Card is a great initiative to support local businesses and to encourage more people to shop locally. The shopping offer and customer service from independent traders in our market towns is highly valued by customers and any new initiative which supports businesses and gets more people shopping locally has my support in helping keep town centres busy and trading well.”

Colin Munro, managing director of Miconex, said there’s still time for businesses to join the Lincolnshire Gift Card: “The Lincolnshire Gift Card is a future-proofed initiative that caters for how people shop now and in the future. 27.5 per cent of gift card buyers converted to digital gift cards in 2021, and mobile payments will overtake cash and credit cards as the most popular way to pay in 2023.

"Customers have the choice between the physical Lincolnshire Gift Card or the digital version that they can upload to digital wallets.

"It’s free for businesses to accept the Lincolnshire Gift Card and requires no new equipment. It is a route to new customers and increased revenue.”

Any local businesses wanting to get involved should email: [email protected]

For a full list of participating businesses or to purchase a Lincolnshire Gift Card visit: www.lincolnshiregiftcard.com