4th January 2022
Launching Swindon Day
In 2021, the Federation of Small Businesses used Wiltshire Day on the 5th June, to celebrate some of the small businesses that are part of the FSB family. They ran a social media campaign using the hashtag #WiltshireDay with a relevant image and a few words of why each participating business loved Wiltshire. The campaign gave the FSB’s small business community a much-needed boost and showcased the range of businesses across the county. The feedback from the businesses involved was nothing less than positive.
As all this was happening an FSB member enquired if there was something similar for Swindon. It turns out there isn’t – so the FSB is starting one! But when should this day take place? And why?
#SwindonDay: 22nd January
Before the railway came, the town existed only as a small market town up on a hill. It’s now known as Old Town. Then, in 1841, construction began on a greenfield site some two miles from the hilltop settlement, of the GWR railway village. And New Swindon was born.
The two Swindons co-existed, not altogether at peace each with the other, for almost a decade. They remained apart, both physically and administratively, until 22nd January 1900. On that date Queen Victoria signed a charter, the last such of her reign, to bring the old and new Swindon’s together as one. Thus, the hill that links the two, and up which the women of the railway village would daily trudge to buy provisions, bears her name.
So that historic date is surely the perfect hook on which to hang an #SwindonDay small business campaign?
We have support pledged from such august bodies as Swindon Borough Council, Total Guide Swindon, InBID Swindon, Swindon Theatres and the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (SWELP) to help us celebrate and support our Swindon-based members. Such support is needed as much now as it has been over the last two years as Covid19 continues to make its presence known.
Wiltshire Day is now an established feature of the county calendar. Let’s work together to do the same for this day for Swindon.
How to get involved
Send to the FSB the following: – Somerset, Wiltshire & Dorset
Email: gioia.grobler@fsb.org.uk
- Your business name
- What you do (limit to 1 sentence with max 10 words)
- What they like about being based in Swindon (limit to 1 sentence)
- An image of yourself and/or youe team to use with the post
- Your Twitter handle or (web page if you don’t have Twitter)
- Your Facebook page
The FSB needs all that by close of play on Tuesday 18 January. They can then include you in their tweets from their @FSBSomAndWilts twitter account and Facebook posts on our FSB Somerset and Wiltshire page on 22 January.
In sort of related matters – if you’re on Facebook – check out this page all about getting a Swindon flag: https://www.facebook.com/theswindonflag
Not sure mid January will encourage any external activities although I like the idea of celebrating our history and identity.
Well, in the first instance (for now at least) it’s not really about external activities – but it could grow – who knows?
What we’re talking about here is using social media to give a shout-out to small businesses in Swindon – in particular those that are members of the FSB.
But even that needs a hook on which to hang it – a ‘why’ if you like. Otherwise it’s nothing but a random day plucked from thin air. For instance Wiltshire Day commemorates the date that the Wiltshire flag flew from County Hall in Trowbridge.
So in thinking about a suitable hook the date of the charter enactment seemed ideal we thought. And it’s a good reminder of that event.