You may have heard about the Tavistock Gift Card, you may even have one that you bought last year. However, here are six things that you might not know about this wonderful, versatile little card.
You can use one pretty much everywhere
Over 50 businesses accept the Tavistock Gift Card as payment, including Coffee & Cream Patisserie, Lawsons, Partner’s Hair Salon, Continental Fruit, Image Lifestyle, Runventure, Church Lane, The Cornish Arms to name just a few.
Buy one online
Even if you live away from the town, you can still buy a Tavistock Gift Card for a loved one living locally. Perhaps your son or daughter is staying as a student, perhaps a loved one has moved into a new home here or welcomed a new baby. Tavistock Gift Cards can be purchased online. You can also buy one here in the town from Lawsons.
Set your own budget
You can set the value of the card to an amount of your choosing. From as £5, right up to £500, don’t forget that during Totally Locally Fiver Fest, every humble fiver will go a long way.
Big Up the Local Economy
The last year and a half has been so very tough for everyone, not least the many small businesses that are pivotal to the wealth of our rural community. By spending in Tavistock town, you are directly contributing to the health of the local economy.
For Pleasure and for Business
The Tavistock Gift Card is so versatile. Why not give it as a gift to reward your loyal and hardworking staff? That’s exactly what a GP practice in Tavistock did recently. Here’s what Sarah Evans, Practice Manager for Tavyside Health Centre had to say:
“When we think of the impact of the pandemic on the NHS, we tend to think of secondary care such as hospitals, but the past 18 months have been incredibly busy for primary care services too, such as GP practices, who are the frontline for patients.
The team at Tavyside Health Centre have worked so hard throughout, responding and adapting to changes as required. We didn’t have a Christmas party and instead planned a social event for July 2021. When the time came, we realised it wasn’t to be and as the partners at the practice wanted to reward staff, we considered the best way of doing that.
Vouchers are best for tax purposes, but we wanted to support local too, so came up with the idea of giving staff the Tavistock Gift Card, which can be spent with multiple businesses in Tavistock. It’s a secure way to reward staff that supports the area, but it also links to the NHS Green Plan, requiring us to look at every aspect of the business and become more eco-friendly. Encouraging staff to shop more locally rather than travelling is part of that.
Most of the team live and work in Tavistock, or if they don’t live here, then they at least come here to shop. They are also very loyal to the place where they live. I imagine staff will use their gift card in different ways, from a meal out with their family, fruit and vegetable box deliveries, a haircut, coffee with friends, or some new clothes or running gear. It gives them lots of options as there are lots of great traders in Tavistock. Using our local gift card as a reward for our staff is one way that we can give back to our local businesses.”
Top up Your Christmas Bonus
The Tavistock Gift Card was launched in November 2020 to make it easy for people to shop locally and keep money locked into the town. The initiative is led by Tavistock Business Improvement District (BID) and supported by West Devon Borough Council. Independent school Mount Kelly has also supported the programme.
BID Manager Janna Sanders said the Tavistock Gift Card makes an ideal reward for staff: “We’re approaching the time of year when many employers choose to reward their staff for their hard work throughout the year. The UK trivial benefits scheme allows businesses to give an employee a benefit of up to £50 without paying tax, as long as it isn’t in cash. Gift cards tend to top the employee incentive wish lists, and the Tavistock Gift Card goes one better.
Not only does The Tavistock Gift Card allow employers to actively support the local community by giving their staff a reward that can be spent locally, but it offers a huge choice for the employee in how they spend their gift. Employers often have staff with a range of ages and interests, the Tavistock Gift Card has something for everyone. We’re thankful to Tavyside Health Centre for supporting our town with their staff rewards.”
Did you know..
That the Tavistock Gift Card is part of the award-winning Town and City Gift Card programme from payments provider Miconex, and one of two similar schemes in Devon, The Tavistock Gift Card and the InExeter Gift Card.
Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex. He explained that employee expectations from rewards and incentives schemes are changing:
“Employee surveys carried out since the pandemic are showing that over 81% state that their company’s benefits scheme doesn’t fit their lifestyle. Lifestyles have changed post covid. People are shopping locally, taking a greater interest in their own wellbeing and have a strong desire to support the businesses where they live. August 2021 GCVA data showed that 33.5% of customers and 42.3% of Generation X shoppers (aged 35-54) purchased a local gift card for someone else to support local businesses or their local high street.
84% of UK employees are more physically active since working from home and 39% feel they have an improved diet. The Tavistock Gift Card is a socially conscious employee reward which has lots of options for employees to build on new healthier lifestyles.”
It’s a No-Brainer really
So, there you have it. Six great reasons why a Tavistock Gift Card is the sensible choice this autumn. Whether you’re buying for a loved one, for your staff at Christmas, or even for yourself. What are you waiting for?