December 2016: A local grandmother and a great aunt have each won £500 of shopping vouchers in Luton BID’s festive Golden Ticket draw.
Gill King, 63 and Chris James, 66, both from Luton, were among four lucky local shoppers to win in this week’s prize draw. £2,000 of shopping vouchers has now been awarded with four more winners set to be drawn on Monday 12th December.
This is the second year that Luton Business Improvement District (BID) has run its Christmas prize draw campaign, aimed at driving more shoppers into the town centre over the busy festive period.
Luton resident Gill said the win couldn’t have come at a better time for the family and she is looking forward to treating her great nieces and nephews to some extra toys this Christmas.
She said, “I was overwhelmed when I found out I’d won as I never win anything. I had a leaflet come through the door and thought it was rubbish at first but then when I saw you could win £500 of shopping vouchers I thought I should enter, especially as I was going into town that afternoon. I posted my form into one of the special post boxes in the library and didn’t think anything more of it until I got a call from a Luton BID ambassador. I feel truly blessed as it means I can splash out a little more on presents for the family and I also have a wedding coming up too so I can buy the bride and groom something special for that as well.”
In line with the Golden Ticket terms and conditions, half the vouchers must be spent in the town centre and half must be spent in independently owned businesses to ensure all shops, venues and businesses are supported over the festive period.
Gill added, “I will use my vouchers in Argos, the Meat-Inn and enjoy some nice meals out in La Dolce Vita and Moziah’s Caribbean restaurant too. I must say I think the Golden Ticket is a marvellous idea. I don’t like how people shop online nowadays and much prefer the social interaction you get from going into a shop. It’s great that the winnings will be put back into town centre businesses.”
The second winner Chris, also from Luton, will be following her usual Christmas tradition and inviting her daughter and two grandchildren over for Christmas dinner this year. M&S and Maxim Jewellery are among the shops she plans to spend her vouchers in.
She said, “I am absolutely chuffed. Winning this means I am going to be able to treat my family and I may even treat my husband too if he’s lucky. My grandchildren are aged five and nine so I will be buying them some extra toys which they will open when they come over for dinner. I am really excited to see their faces.”
Tara McGrattan, 30 from Bushmead and Tony Moran, a 32 year-old legal executive from Luton were also winners in the draw. Tara plans to hold onto her vouchers until the January sales when she plans to spend them in Debenhams, Papa Jones and Shampoo. While Meat-Inn butchers, Smart Cartridge and Nakorn Thai restaurant were among Tony’s choices.
Gavin O’Brien, chair of the Luton BID Board, which drives forward activities under the area’s Business Improvement District status said, “The BID has been overwhelmed with the response to our Golden Ticket prize draw which has enticed more shoppers into the town centre. We are delighted that the first lot of winners will be able to enjoy an extra special Christmas and, with another draw set to take place on Monday 12th December, we are urging more customers to complete and post a Golden Ticket. Hopefully, if they are one of the lucky winners, they too will be able to choose to spend their vouchers in the many fantastic places to shop, eat, drink and visit in Luton town centre.”
For more information on Luton BID and its various events and initiatives throughout the town centre, please visit the BID website www.lutontowncentre.org or contact a member of the BID team by calling 01582 510657 or emailing info@lutonbid.org.