TODAY the Gazette launches a campaign to support local businesses to help them recover from the impact of the coronavirus lockdown.

Our Love Local Business campaign encourages our readers to back our traders by spending their money with them.

Many of these businesses spent months being closed and some faced tight restrictions once they could reopen.

For those businesses which have been able to remain open during the lockdown, many have seen a significant loss in income.

These are unprecedented times and life as we knew it has changed beyond comprehension.

But amidst the uncertainty and ever-changing landscape our firms have gone above and beyond to keep trading.

Throughout the pandemic the Gazette has given its backing to business sharing their successes and how they have adapted during the pandemic.

Our new Love Local campaign will continue to do that.

Gazette:

The rules are changing and we are facing the possibility of tighter restrictions as we go into winter.

But these firms are doing all they can to survive.

Gazette editor Gary Pearson said: “This is a crucial time for local businesses as they try to recover from the impact of the lockdown which, for many, saw them without any income for months.

“In this area, we are fortunate to have so many great local, independent businesses and we need our community to support them now to make sure we don’t lose them.

“Colchester’s independent businesses are a crucial part of what makes our town special and I know that the Covid-19 crisis has been a huge strain on so many of them.

“In the coming months we will be promoting these businesses in our newspaper, on our website and our social media channels, to help spread the message that they are open and highlight why they are so valuable to this community.

“I urge all of our readers to show that they love local business by supporting them.”

Gazette: