THE MidCoast Council initiative ‘#ShopMidCoast’ has won an annual Why Leave Town award.

The initiative won the award for the ‘Most Stores to Receive at Least One Redemption’, with 194 stores within the MidCoast’s program benefiting from a ‘Why Leave Town’ shop local gift card in 2021.

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Runners-up for the award consisted of Far West Proud (161 unique redemptions) and Muswellbrook Shire Council (133 unique redemptions).

“It has been eighteen months since the successful launch of the #ShopMidCoast gift card program and we’ve had over 300 businesses participating.

“The MidCoast now has a convenient gifting solution aimed at keeping money within our communities,” a representative from MidCoast Council told News Of The Area.

Other recipients of the awards went to Orange City Council – Highest Value of Gift Cards Loaded ($561,404), Regional Development Australia Far West NSW – Most Gift Cards Loaded by a Program Partner (4,389 cards) and Most Consistent Loader of 2021 (average 494 cards per month loaded) and Balranald – Battling Above Their Weight (3,781 local gift cards loaded).

There has been more than $121,000 loaded onto #ShopMidCoast gift cards since the establishment of the program, with 302 participating businesses across the MidCoast.

Why Leave Town was established in 2007 by school mates Ashley Watt and Justin Smith with one aim: to show Narrabri locals just how much there is to do and see within one small town.

“Our first gift card program launched in Narrabri back in 2010, but has since expanded across Australia, now reaching more than 70 different communities across 160+ postcodes.

“Over the last decade, we’ve helped inject over $12 million dollars to local communities by loading up and selling more than 165,000 gift cards,” Ashley Watt said.

When a customer purchases a Why Leave Town gift card, the holder can buy goods in any participating store that’s part of the program.

The cards cannot be used outside of the participating shops which means that every time one of the cards is purchased, the money stays local.

“While this remains our primary focus, Why Leave Town offers far more than just plastic gift cards.

“We have a close relationship with hundreds of local councils, chambers, organisations and businesses, all of whom appreciate and respect our authenticity and decade-long dedication to encouraging Australians to ‘shop local’,” Mr Watt said.

By Tara CAMPBELL