SHOPPERS are being urged to get their Christmas presents locally by a new campaign to support Enfield's high streets.

The Love Your High Street campaign has started in earnest today, with posters and leaflets springing up across the borough urging everyone to shop locally.

Olly Prigmore, chairman of Enfield Business and Retailers Association (EBRA), which is spearheading the campaign on behalf of Enfield Council, said with the economic gloom and following the summer's riots, traders are in desperate need of a boost.

He said: “Retailers at the moment are struggling and all the signs are saying it is not going to get much better soon.

“We believe next year will be a harder year than this year, everybody is feeling the pinch, and footfall through the town centres is down.”

He said after the August riots, Enfield Council asked EBRA to come up with a campaign in the run up to Christmas and beyond which would help improve the fortunes of Enfield's traders.

Members of EBRA are out in town centre across the borough today starting to distribute posters and leaflets to shops and businesses which get out the message.

Mark Rudling, town centre manager for EBRA, said the campaign grew out of the We Love Enfield posters designed by staff at Fast Signs in Enfield Town immediately after the riots.

He said: “We want to embrace the community spirit that has been generated and follow on from the We Love Enfield campaign. We want to embrace that idea and spread it to retailers across the borough.

“It's a hard time and we want to drive people towards their local town centres. But it's not just about Christmas, it's about the whole future of our high streets. If you don't have people shopping in the high street, they will disappear as we know it before long.”

EBRA brought in Bush Hill Park marketing firm Blaze Communications to deliver the campaign, alongside Enfield social media agency Loving Social Media which has started the drive online through Twitter and Facebook.

Director Jamie Richardson said: “This is a local business, I'm a local person, and I was really pleased that EBRA and the council were getting behind this campaign.

“Here is a situation where everybody is collectively getting off their backsides and doing something to help businesses that may be struggling.

“I think we are starting to make in-roads and if we can get a few people to say they will shop locally and help some businesses out a little, then the campaign will be doing its job.”

To kickstart the campaign, a prize draw is being run for one winner to take home a haul of goods including a 40inch flat-screen TV, a Christmas hamper, and a spa day, in time for Christmas.

To find out more and enter the draw, you can go to the website, Facebook or follow on Twitter @weloveenfield.

The high streets being supported by the campaign are: Enfield Town, Winchmore Hill, Palmers Green, Southgate, Oakwood, Cockfosters, Ponders End, Enfield Highway, Enfield Wash, Edmonton Green, Angel Edmonton.