Call for Mid and East Antrim residents to vote for favourite local retailers

Nominations for this year’s High Street Hero Awards, powered by Retail NI, are now open until Saturday, July 31, and locals from across the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area are being encouraged to vote for their favourite online to help them win a coveted award. Pictured are Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts with Cllr Paul Reid; Julie Ozturk, Camelot; Mayor Gerardine Mulvenna; Cllr Maureen Morrow; Edel Scanlon, and Andrew Bartlett from Roam. Photo: Darren Kidd- PressEye

Members of the public are encouraged to cast their votes online before deadline of Monday, July 31 to help secure local winners.

A record 10,000 votes from across Northern Ireland were registered in last year’s competition, which saw Newtownards and Coleraine named joint winners of the prestigious High Street of the Year award.

From the borough, the team from Larne’s Aroma Coffee House and the Spar on the Glenarm Road took home two of the top awards.

Online voting is now officially under way for 13 categories, including two new categories for this year – Best Green Retailer and Best Generalist Retailer – so there’s plenty of chances to ensure retailers in every town and village get recognised in what promises to be the biggest and best annual retail initiative yet.

Winners are determined solely by public nominations, which must be made online by Monday, July 31.

Glyn Roberts, Retail NI Chief Executive, said: “The awards are open to local retailers right across Northern Ireland and will identify those local independent retailers who are taking a lead. Whether it’s a local butcher that’s a cut above the rest or a fashion retailer with exceptional style, it’s time to vote for your favourites.

"Independent retail is the lifeblood of communities right across Northern Ireland and our annual High Street Heroes NI campaign represents the biggest celebration of our thriving local retail sector.”

Retail NI, which represents the independent retail and wholesale sector in Northern Ireland, launched the High Street Heroes NI campaign to recognise and reward local retailers and their impact on local communities – 70p in every £1 spent with a local independent retailer is ploughed back into local the economy, supporting local producers, suppliers and staff.

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The hugely successful High Street Hero NI awards is a joint initiative powered by Retail NI and supported by Camelot, Roam, Strategic Power Connect and Belfast Live.

Shortlisted nominees will be announced in early August.

Welcoming this year’s awards and encouraging local citizens to get involved, Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Cllr Geraldine Mulvenna, said: “Our high streets and neighbourhoods define the great places we live in and are vital for doing business, shopping and socialising. An intrinsic part of our life, the towns and villages across our borough contribute not only to jobs and the local economy – they are the very heartbeat of every local community.

"This year’s High Street Hero Awards provide everyone in the borough with an outstanding opportunity to identify those people and businesses which they think make the best contribution to the vitality of their area and I encourage everyone to get involved and to vote as early and for as many categories as you can.”

Retail NI was established in 2000 and is the only business organisation which represents the independent retail sector in Northern Ireland at every level of government.

Its 1,800-strong membership includes wholesalers, independent retailers of all kinds, suppliers to the sector and affiliated chambers of commerce and local traders’ groups.

For more information on how to cast your vote, visit www.RetailNI.com/High-Street-Heroes