Witney News - Witney Shopping Fun Day

Witney Shopping Fun Day

Witney town centre traders are gearing up to hold the town's first ever Shopping Fun Day on Saturday 4th September.

Witney independent businesses have joined with the Woolgate Centre and Marriotts Walk shopping centres and other high street stores to hold Witney Shopping Fun Day on Saturday 4th September.

Shoppers will be able to enjoy a variety of attractions, including live performers, a bouncy castle, carousel and other exciting things to do throughout the day in different areas of the town centre. There will be a 'Where's Woolly' Treasure Hunt, starting from the Methodist Church and run by the Children's Centre: entrants will explore the town centre collecting answers, with prizes for the most successful treasure hunters. Many participating shops and businesses will be running special promotions on the day, and there are lots of prizes on offer. Funds raised from the Treasure Hunt, other attractions and a street collection will be split between Oxford's Children's Hospital and The Old School Building Fund: the Methodist Church's project for a new Children's and Young Person's Centre in Wesley Walk. Programmes will be handed out on the day and will be published in the Witney Gazette.

Witney has a large selection of independent stores and eateries, as well as well-known, high street names, and with Next opening the week before the Fun Day, there should be a groundswell of interest, which will be a great opportunity to showcase all that Witney has to offer. Free parking is the icing on the cake!

Rodney Hartnell, Centre Manager of the Woolgate Centre, says “It has been encouraging to see what the traders in Witney can achieve when we work together. There have been some great ideas, creativity, hard work and a willingness to get involved. I feel sure that the Witney Shopping Fun Day will bring more visitors into the town and increase the footfall for the traders whilst the public are enjoying the day's activities”

Janette Reed, owner of Cotswold Kids and Co-Chair of Witney Independent Traders Association (WITAN) is keen to promote Witney as the shopping jewel in Oxfordshire's crown. “Witney is fast becoming a destination for discerning shoppers who enjoy the character of our lovely market town and the variety of our independent businesses. We are fortunate to have attracted quality high street brands to the town, and it's great that this event enables us all to work together to show just what Witney has to offer”

Independent Trader Ken Hanchard of Baby Warehouse wants visitors to discover the hidden gems in Witney. “The Fun Day Treasure Hunt will take visitors around the town, into the interesting arcades and shopping areas just off the main High Street. Shoppers will find all sorts of interesting small businesses just minutes' walk from all the main car parks. We are anticipating a busy day on 4th September and hope to repeat the event in future”.

“This is the latest in a series of brilliant initiatives we've seen in Oxfordshire's towns, driven by local business people in partnership with council economic development teams. Together they are making a massive different to the vitality of our high streets and we wish the Witney Shopping Fun Day team every success”, says Iain Nicholson, a director of county-wide business network, OTCN.