Seagull Trust on board to sell District Towns Gift Card in Falkirk bookshop

The Seagull Trust, which offers free canal boat cruises for people with a range of difficulties, will sell the gift card from its High Street bookshop. Purchasers are able to load the gift card with values from £5 - £500, and it can then be used in shops across Falkirk, Denny, Stenhousemuir, Grangemouth and Bo'ness.

Led by Falkirk Delivers, the District Towns Gift Card launched in 2020 as a means to lock money into the local economy with shops, restaurants, salons, leisure attractions, hotels and service providers all signed up to accept it.

The District Towns Gift Card’s partnership with The Seagull Trust is the latest in a series of community initiatives using the gift card. Charity Love Falkirk distributed the card to families in need as part of Christmas fundraising efforts, and Falkirk Council also used the District Towns Gift Cards to encourage sustainable travel in its Take the Right Route campaign.

Marjory Sime from The Seagull Trust said: “Our two boats, the Govan Seagull and the Barr Seagull, are free skipper led cruises open to anyone with special needs and their families. Various cruises are on offer, including a day canal cruise to Lathallan and back or a wheel cruise taking in the Falkirk Wheel.

“We already accept the District Towns Gift Card and it is a good revenue stream for us as people can spend their card at our café or in our bookshop. Every pound matters as a charity, and we hope that being an in-person location to buy the gift card will bring new people through our doors too, especially as we fundraise for the £17,500 needed for a new lift in the boathouse to maintain accessibility.

“It’s great that the District Towns Gift Card is available to buy online but lots of older people don’t have access to the internet so being able to buy the gift card in person will be beneficial for them particularly. When you shop local it contributes to the circular economy, helping people that live in your town, including neighbours and friends. If we don’t shop local, we’ll lose the businesses we love.”

Welcoming The Seagull Trust on board, Stefanie Paterson, assistant BID manager at Falkirk Delivers, said: “We know that one in three people choose gifts based on how soon they can get them. The ability to pick up a District Towns Gift Card in person, on the same day, from The Seagull Trust will be very convenient, especially for last minute gifts.

“The range of businesses on the gift card is strong with national brands such as Aldi, Claire’s and River Island, plus independents like The Croft and Creel, The Lonely Broomstick and Piccolina. And we’re proud that charities like Cancer Research and The Seagull Trust accept our card too. The District Towns Gift Card is a gift card for our district that benefits the whole community, keeping our towns thriving.”