Our fine city is a unique and great place to be - and we want you to help us celebrate this with our new Love Local campaign which is being launched today.

Local businesses are key to helping our city maintain the original charm and character which makes Norwich so special - and to keep this aspect of our city thriving we all need to give our support to them.

The campaign has already been praised by a number of key people from Norwich's business scene who have outlined why your support is so important.

'Everyone should support the Love Local campaign. I think it is a brilliant idea and we are fully behind it,' said Graham Gauld, a partner at Aladdin's Cave, in Magdalen Street, which is described as possibly the largest secondhand warehouse in East Anglia and sells everything from second-hand furniture to antiques to vintage clothes.

Mr Gauld said local support was vital to help local businesses survive, and said in turn local businesses support other local businesses.

'At Aladdin's Cave there are about 40 of us downstairs and then in the fleamarket upstairs on a Saturday there are 55 stallholders, so this building alone supports about 100 individual businesses.

'All the small businesses support each other. We buy our stationery from the chap across the road and other items from the other local shops. It is about being part of a community.

'Local stores have a lot of charm and the personal touch - you get to know everybody by name.'

Stefan Gurney, Norwich City Centre Partnership manager, said: 'Supporting local businesses is key to the city centre. It allows the great diversity of offer that Norwich has to continue.

'Norwich is a top 10 retail destination and the small boutiques and the independent businesses along with the large national chains are key to that. They all add to the vibrancy of the city.

'The businesses in Norwich Lanes, Timberhill, Elm Hill, and all the other independent traders all add to the heritage and culture of the city, making it an exciting place to be.

'We support all business in the city and the more diversity Norwich has the better.'

John Adams, trading director at Jarrold, agreed: 'Having strong independent retailers as well as some great national chains is what makes us stand out from lots of other cities across the UK, and the more interest we can create in our local retail scene, the more people we will be able to encourage to visit the city.

'By supporting local businesses people are also supporting the local economy too because we source a lot of our products and services locally.'

Roger Pemberton, Norwich Lanes Traders Association chairman, said: 'In the tough times we have all been facing it is even more important people are looking after their local businesses. These businesses help the city to have an independent and vibrant offer that makes Norwich different to other cities.

'Archant (the Evening News' publisher) should be applauded for launching the Love Local Campaign.'

• Are you setting up an unusual new business in the city? Call reporter Emma Knights on 01603 772428 or email emma.knights@archant.co.uk