Artisan bakery praises new gift card for making 'huge difference'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

An artisan bakery and café has praised a local gift card initiative for encouraging community collaboration and regeneration.Narture Artisan Café is one of 160 businesses ready to accept the Scotland Loves Local South Ayrshire Gift Cards, of which over 9000 were distributed last month to low income households in receipt of council tax reduction.Low income households will each receive a £50 gift card, which can be spent like a debit card across food and drink, shopping, health and beauty, accommodation, leisure and attractions, injecting £495,000 into the local economy.Saskia Singer and father Robert set up Narture Bakery on Cathcart Street in June 2020 as a Community Interest Company, using the profits to fund arts projects in Ayr.They later took over the old Tourist Information Office on Sandgate, turning it into a café and arts space.Saskia said the gift cards will “encourage people to explore what’s in their own area before going online or elsewhere.”She said: “It makes a huge difference when people shop local and is incredibly heart-warming, knowing that people are making the effort to shop local and support projects like ours.“Buying sourdough bread from us, baked for taste and the health of the gut, you have the satisfaction of knowing you’re supporting arts projects in Ayr, breathing new life into our community, whilst giving unused buildings a new purpose.“The disbursement of almost half a million pounds through the gift card is a real positive for our community because that money has to be spent here in South Ayrshire.“The gift card is a way that businesses in South Ayrshire can collaborate for the benefit of our region.“Seeing other businesses as competition is a dated view- working together and being