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06 April 2023

Scotland Loves Local Aberdeenshire Gift Card now available for pick up at council Service Points

It’s just got even easier to support the Scotland Loves Local Aberdeenshire Gift Card scheme.

Aberdeenshire Council will be stocking gift cards for collection at its main office Service Points.

The scheme - supported by Scottish Government funding - aims to encourage people to shop local to support local business and to assist their recovery following the Covid pandemic.

In addition, nearly 8,900 of the 11,349 cards issued earlier this year to support households with the challenges around the cost of living have been activated - with more than £528,000 now having been spent in Aberdeenshire stores.

There are over 280 businesses signed up to accept the gift card across the region and cards can also be spent in all Live Life Aberdeenshire leisure venues. 

It works in the same way as a regular gift card - the only difference being that once you have picked up a card from a Service Point, that they require to be loaded with funds online by visiting www.loadthiscard.com

 There is no limit to the number of transactions or shops the card can be used in, provided there are funds on the card.

Up until now, gift cards could only be purchased online at www.scotlandgiftslocal.com/

Whilst this function is still available, there is an associated shipping fee of £2.49 per order, so we’re anticipating strong interest in the ability to pick them up at a convenient location.

Service Points are located within the main council offices in Banff, Ellon, Huntly, Fraserburgh, Inverurie, Turriff, Peterhead and Stonehaven.

The gift card can be used in any of the participating stores across Aberdeenshire. There are no costs for businesses to sign up to the scheme and the transaction is processed as a regular MasterCard debit transaction.

Cllr John Crawley, chair of the council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, said: “Making it simpler for people to pick up our Scotland Loves Local Aberdeenshire Gift Card is very much the key to the success of the initiative. By offering cards at our Service Centres, it will make the card more desirable and will be an easy go-to for people wanting to treat someone special safe in the knowledge that local shops and services will benefit from the spend.”

Vice-chair Cllr Isobel Davidson added: “The gift card really is the perfect way of supporting our wonderful businesses across Aberdeenshire and I am delighted to see more and more shops and services signing up for it in our towns and villages. It’s a very efficient means of keeping the spend local and that can only be good news for all our communities.”

You can view all participating Aberdeenshire businesses here: https://scotlandgiftslocal.com/product/aberdeenshire-gift-card/   

More information about the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card - including how to sign up - go to www.lovelocal.scot/giftcard or email aberdeenshireloveslocal@aberdeenshire.gov.uk