This year, I turn 50.

And as anyone who has followed thebestof Eastbourne over the years will know, I’ve often used my birthday as a reason to give something back to local businesses.

This year feels like the right time to do something bigger.

thebestof Eastbourne has now been championing local businesses for 15 years. In that time, I’ve seen brilliant businesses grow, build loyal customer bases, earn strong reputations and become part of the fabric of the local community.

I’ve also seen far too many good businesses disappear quietly.

Not because they weren’t valued. Not because people didn’t like them. Often, simply because they weren’t seen, talked about, recommended or remembered often enough.

That’s why we’re launching Local & Loved.

This campaign is designed for shops, salons, barbers, beauticians, beauty businesses and independent customer-facing businesses that rely on regular customers, repeat visits, referrals and local loyalty.

If people already love coming back to your business, we want to help more people hear about you.

Local & Loved is open to suitable bricks and mortar businesses across Eastbourne, Hailsham, Polegate, Pevensey and Seaford. It is especially aimed at the local businesses people walk into, recommend to friends, return to regularly and would genuinely miss if they disappeared.

To mark 15 years of thebestof Eastbourne and my 50th birthday, the first 15 eligible businesses selected can join for a one-off setup fee of £250 + VAT, covering 12 months of entry-level local marketing support.

After the first 15 places are filled, we’ll still be happy to talk through which of our budget friendly options would suit your business best.

This is not about filling the site with just anyone.

It is about strengthening the local guide with more of the businesses people already value. The ones with real customers, real loyalty and a reason to be seen more often.

The more good local businesses we bring together, the stronger the campaign becomes. More businesses means more reasons to promote local, more opportunities to share recommendations and more ways to remind people where they can spend their money locally.

If you run a shop, salon, high street business or customer-facing bricks and mortar business, this could be a good fit.

If you run a shop, salon or customer-facing local business, contact David Ruddle at thebestof Eastbourne to discuss why your business should be included in Local & Loved.

Applications close on 31st August 2026.