Our Story

Lancaster has a very high percentage of small independent businesses, around seventy percent.  It’s the independent businesses that give any town or city its ‘usp’, but now, these small businesses, felt under threat and even isolated.

Something was needed that was, in effect, an immediate response.  On the 9th of November 2020 we launched a Facebook Group called ‘Totally Local Lancaster’.  Our aim was to Share as many of Lancaster’s businesses Facebook Posts onto the Group, to promote the many fabulous businesses.  We sought to also add a bit of humor as well as some topical information.

It was embraced and grew far quicker than we could have ever imagined.  What surprised us most, is that many stated that this Group had given them a sense of “community”, and that they weren’t feeling alone anymore.

Members also began praising the Group and the fact that they, just like the four of us, were discovering businesses they didn’t know existed.  We were of course pushing the message ‘Shop Local’ and ‘Support Your Local Independents’.

As a City, we first needed to stop leakage.  We needed to encourage the ‘Locals’ to support local, and the Facebook Group is continuing to grow and serve that purpose.  The next challenge is to attract the visitors, tourists, and we aim to showcase everything that is Lancaster… Welcome to Totally Local Lancaster!

Our mission

There has always been a sense of bewilderment as to why Lancaster has never shouted about itself the way other places do, despite having more than many other places.  Visitors leave wondering why they had not visited before.  It is a City rich in culture, architecture and a history dating back to the Roman’s.

Each of us came to Lancaster for different reasons, and at different times.  Bolton, Huddersfield, Carlisle and Rome are our birth places.  Yet, we have fallen in love with Lancaster and we have invested ourselves into it.

So, Our Mission is a simple one; we invite you to See Lancaster Through Our Eyes