A COMMUNITY initiative to help promote businesses, attractions and events in Musselburgh has taken a major step forward.

A new website and Facebook page to highlight the enterprise, which is operating under the banner of ‘Love Musselburgh’, have now gone live.

Launched by four local businesswomen – Sharon Brown, of Blueberry Gifts; Mhairri Duxburry, of Mint Fig; Terri Buzzeo, of Maison Macaron Home; and Jeanette Hamill, Hamill Decorating Services – alongside Melanie Roccio of the environment group Love Musselburgh CIC, are working together for “the good of the town”.

Funding of more than £25,000 has been received for the initiative, which got off the ground after £14,300 was received from Musselburgh Area Partnership, £6,875 from East Lothian Council’s Covid-19 economic recovery support fund for towns and villages, and £5,000 from Scotland Loves Local – a national initiative designed to encourage people to think local and support their high streets safely and in line with public health guidelines.

The group plans to use the funding to promote Musselburgh in various ways under the banner ‘Love Musselburgh – Shop, Eat, Live’.

The plans also include displaying Love Musselburgh banners around the town and organising a Shop, Eat, Live Local leaflet to go to all EH21 postcodes once lockdown starts to ease.

The group is looking into providing a loyalty card and voucher scheme to use in participating shops, cafes and businesses.

Musselburgh High Street. Picture: Gordon Bell

Musselburgh High Street. Picture: Gordon Bell

An update on the project was given to members of Musselburgh Business Partnership at its recent annual general meeting, which was held online.

Terri Buzzeo, Jeanette Hamill, Melanie Roccio and Sandra Benn, of Chiya and Chai Loose Leaf Tea, were appointed as new directors of the business partnership.

Office bearers are meant to be re-elected every two years but, due to the pandemic hitting last year, chairman Malcolm Currie, secretary Sharon Brown and vice-chairman John Waddell remained in office for a third year, but re-elections were sought at the agm.

Due to other commitments, Mr Currie did not seek re-election and was thanked for his work.

The following office-bearers were elected: chairperson Sharon Brown; treasurers Mr Waddell and Taylor Bain; secretary Sandra Benn.

In order to take the business partnership forward, new positions were created: strategy and planning Terri Buzzeo; events coordinator Jeanette Hamill; and membership coordinator Melanie Roccio.

Ms Brown told the Courier that they were delighted that the Love Musselburgh website and Facebook page had been launched, saying: “We are making headway and hopefully we will build traction, and more people will get involved.”

Visit musselburgh.org or facebook.com/loveMusselburghshopeatlive