Lorraine Angliss who owns local restaurant Annie's in Mortlake and Rock & Rose in Richmond has joined other local traders and has stripped bare for a calendar to celebrate the introduction of the Richmond Hero membership and rewards scheme supporting independent shops and businesses in the borough. 

The first of the 2009 calendars will be on sale at the Barnes Christmas fairs on 5 December and will then be available through all participating retailers. The programme has the backing of national ecological and small business campaigner, Zac Goldsmith, through his Support Our Small Shops initiative.

If a naked retailer isn’t enough of a bargain for you, there’s also the Richmond Hero Bounty Card, entitling members to discounts at local shops and businesses. 

For an introductory price of £10, an annual membership could see you saving 15% from a la carte lunch at Rock & Rose, 10% off hairstyling at Sugar, 10% discount on all cases of wine at Valentina or getting half price shoe repair at Shoenique. Calendar participants have all offered discounts, as have a growing range of other local businesses. Member bounty will increase throughout the year, as more traders are added to the programme. 

Richmond Hero is a very personal campaign for founders Nicole Solange, Andrea Craig, Lizzie Fryers and Tina Van Breugel, who have witnessed the decline of local businesses firsthand in their own neighbourhood and banded together to find creative ways to support them. 

Solange says: “Small business is the lifeblood of our community, yet our local traders are fighting the tide of competition from large chains and landlords charging increasingly high rents with little local authority support. This has a very real impact on both the local economy and the character of the borough. Research by the Federation of Small Business shows that for every pound you spend in a local independent shop, 80p stays in the area.” 

“We all have a part to play in the success of our local businesses and the quality of life we all enjoy because of that. When you shop at local independent stores or use local services, you’re going to make a difference. If we want independent traders to survive – and help our communities thrive – it’s time for us to spend wisely to create a better future for everyone.” 

 Other upcoming promotions include environmentally-friendly Richmond Hero shopping bags which will be available for purchase in the new year. Perhaps we will see local businesses in The SW15 area following suit next year?!