Great Gift Card Giveaway campaign launches in Newark and Sherwood.

A new Great Gift Card Giveaway campaign is due to go live in the town centres of Newark, Southwell, Ollerton and Edwinstowe village on 12 May, giving people a chance to instantly win a Newark and Sherwood Gift Card as a reward for shopping local. 

Between 12 and 25 May 2025, businesses who are part of the Newark and Sherwood Gift Card will be handing out small cards to purchasers featuring a QR code which will reveal if the customer has won a Newark and Sherwood Gift Card.

£500s worth of Newark and Sherwood Gift Cards will be given away during the campaign with 20 prizes available: two £50, four £30 and fourteen £20 gift cards.

Backed by Newark and Sherwood District Council, the Newark and Sherwood Gift Card was introduced in March to encourage a ‘shop local’ ethos. 70 local businesses in Newark, Southwell, Ollerton and Edwinstowe village accept the card, including shops, restaurants, salons, hotels and venues.

Councillor Claire Penny, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Economic Growth at Newark and Sherwood District Council, says the campaign is a celebration of local shopping in the area: “The Newark and Sherwood Gift Card is a local gift card purely for our towns, that has to be spent here, locking spend into our local economy, keeping businesses open and encouraging local exploration. The reality is that without local support, our local businesses are at risk. During the Great Gift Card Giveaway, we’re encouraging everyone to go out and support their local businesses, with a chance to instantly win a Newark and Sherwood Gift Card as a thank you for shopping local. 

“For the 20 lucky winners of the Newark and Sherwood Gift Cards, it will be a chance to experience the gift card for themselves, maybe treat a friend to lunch in a cafe they’ve never been to before, enjoy a pampering treatment at a local salon or buy something lovely from one of our many shops. Instant win cards will be handed out from the 12 May, so show your support for your local businesses and you could win a Newark and Sherwood Gift Card too.”

One business accepting the gift card is Doncaster’s Butchers in Southwell. Business owner Rachel Doncaster explains: “We are delighted to be taking part in the Great Giveaway campaign to help launch the Newark and Sherwood Gift Card. It's really positive to be supporting the idea of shopping locally as well as our own business.”

The Newark and Sherwood Gift Card is part of the award-winning Town & City Gift Card concept from fintech Miconex, active across the UK and Ireland. 

Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “Local gift cards like the Newark and Sherwood Gift Card are a lifeline to local businesses, bringing new customers through their doors with money to spend, and locking spend into the local economy that would otherwise have been spent elsewhere. As the Great Gift Card Giveaway goes live, it’s the ideal time to show your support for local.”

To find out which businesses are taking part in the Great Gift Card Giveaway, or to purchase a Newark and Sherwood Gift Card, visit https://www.newarkandsherwoodgiftcard.com/

If you are a local business and wish to find out more or sign up to the gift card scheme allowing you to accept the cards, please email economic.growth@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk or sign up by completing an online form at: https://form.jotform.com/Miconex/universal-UK-mpl-merc