Fiver Fest Comes to Town

Leighton Buzzard’s locals and visitors are in for a treat!

Yes, the 7th Totally Local Fiver Fest is back in town for the third year between 12-26 March.  The event celebrates independent shops and businesses.

by Edwina Osborne, Totally Local, Leighton Buzzard

Over 100 towns and thousands of businesses across the UK are joining together again to bring you very special £5 spending offers. The aim is to highlight the contribution to the economy that local shops and businesses bring. It is also an opportunity for those businesses to say “Thank you” to their loyal customers who have supported them through the pandemic. And Leighton Buzzard is joining in!

Embracing Fiver Fest

Over 70 local businesses are involved in this March’s campaign which is being kindly sponsored locally by BannerKid and Fine Homes Property. 

This March’s Fiver Fest Fortnight is returning bigger than before in Leighton Buzzard. Helen Nellis, Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire and Farzana Kharawala, Mayor of Leighton Buzzard, will officially launch the event at 3pm in Leighton Buzzard High Street on Saturday 12 March. She’ll also announce the winner of a special FiverFest “Design a Fiver” competition (open for entries until Saturday 5 March). 

“Totally Locally Leighton Buzzard is really excited to again support our town’s local shops and businesses by coordinating the March 2022 FiverFest campaign“

Edwina Osborne, local resident and volunteer founder of Totally Locally Leighton Buzzard said.

We love FiverFest, which is the UK’s biggest national grassroots shop local campaign. The independent shops and businesses are what makes our town special and unique. The community support for local businesses has been amazing during lockdown, but it is easy to slip back into old shopping habits now that things are returning to normal. So this is a little nudge to say ‘Our local businesses are still here, we are still serving our community and we appreciate your support. And of course we are great value!

Fiver Fest is based around the now famous Totally Locally £5 message: 

“If every adult in Leighton Buzzard spent just £5 per week in their local independent shops and businesses, it would mean £7.2 million per year going directly into our local economy. Which can lead to more jobs, a better high street, a stronger economy & a nicer place to live. Makes you think doesn’t it?!

Participants Get Inventive

Totally Locally, founder, Chris Sands is pleased to see over 100 towns from the North of Scotland to the south coast of England regularly take part in  Fiver Fest events. The campaign sees businesses offer massages, veg boxes, walking tours, dance lessons, lunch deals, ghost story telling and even axe-throwing events for just £5. Of course, independent businesses are incredibly inventive with the offers which also encourages them to promote neighbouring business offers too. It really is a scheme where businesses and others can work together to promote their town and high street as a whole.

Sponsors and Business Support Fiver Fest

Leighton Buzzard sponsor, Marcus Feinhols of Fine Homes Property, is proud to continue to support Totally Locally Leighton Buzzard and sponsor this FiverFest. He believes that it gives participating businesses the opportunity to promote their wonderful offerings. Along with this it, hopefully, encourages locals who might not have used a service to be aware of what is on offer.

Local market trader, Shellie Hopkinson from Bathroomatic, who is helping to lead this year’s campaign said:

Fiver Fest shows that a small change in your spending habits can really make a difference to our high streets. Just by diverting £5 of our weekly spend to local independents we give them a fighting chance to thrive and to keep our High Streets alive.  Fiver Fest makes that easy, and it’s fun!” 

 Leighton Buzzard Fiver Fest March Offers: 

• Two bottles of 500ml beer for £5 (Leighton Buzzard Brewing Co)
• Sets of ukulele strings for £5 (Old Buzzard Ukes)
• Self-care gift box for £5 (Cloud9 Gift Boxes)
• Two bags of Pooch’s Dog Treats for £5 (Reggie’s Corner)
• £5 voucher (New Spice Lounge) 

For the full list of £5 offers go to:

 https://totallylocallyleightonbuzzard.wordpress.com/fiverfest-march2022 and social media. 

Over 70 local independent businesses are participating in Fiver Fest, Leighton Buzzard: 

1. The Baker Boy
2. Twiddle and Twist
3. Bathroomatic
4. The Good Life Refill
5. BOOK Leighton Buzzard
6. The Rocci Tree
7. Busy Tots
8. The Crockery Lady
9. Eilush Melts
10. Aimee Rose Arts
11. Cloud9GiftBoxes
12. Resolve to Play
13. The Secret Courtyard
14. Little Ducklings
15. Skin and Glow
16. Angelica’s 
17. Milosh Media 
18. SJ Bookstall 
19. Nature’s Harvest 
20. Luna J Melts
21. Bedfordshire Phone Sales
22. New Spice Lounge
23. Bearied Treasure
24. Yummy Chumz
25. Zoom Photography
26. Dorvics
27. Ali’s Paper
28. Reggie’s Corner
29. Fuuudge Life
30. Reasons to Season 
31. What Ellis Made
32. Adrienne’s Flowers
33. The Dine Yard
34. Em’s Gems
35. Wild at Heart
36. Dee’s Cards
37. Allframe
38. Perfect Parties
39. Lock Services
40. Buzzard Binding
41. Allen’s E-Bikes
42. Miss Kavita’s Kitchen
43. Selections Hardware
44. Lauren’s Cafe
45. Phone Club 
46. Galleria Guitars
47. Old Buzzard Ukes
48. Me Me Me
49. Marisa Helene Fashion
50. OSV Gaming
51. The Crooked Crow Bar
52. Leighton Buzzard Threading
53. Taluana 
54. Rising Voices
55. Leighton Buzzard Brewing Company
56. Rustico Italian Bistro
57. Chilli Island
58. Cake and Glory
59. Chapman’s Design and Media
60. Freddie and Friends
61. Piccolo 
62. Strattons 
63. Little Smile Sleepovers
64. Ivy Lane Boutique 
65. Pecks Farm Shop 
66. The Hen House Nail Bar 
67. So You Boutique 
68. Room No 9 
69. Ceejay Electronics
70. Happydashery
71. All About Me Fitness