WEST Somerset businesses have come out fighting in the battle to beat the recession by launching a credit crunching Shop Local campaign with the Free Press.

Shoppers will be encouraged to keep their hard-earned cash in West Somerset by supporting local businesses, shops and services.

They will also be able to save money by making the most of a range of great deals on offer on their doorsteps, from Minehead and Watchet to Porlock, Dulverton, Williton and beyond.

The Free Press will be featuring everything from vouchers and coupons to 'best buys' and bargain deals and competitions.

Posters will be displayed in shops across the district and a dedicated email address has been set up - [email protected]">[email protected].

uk - for people to get in touch with the Free Press and shout about their Shop Local ideas.

We will also be running a competition to win an original watercolour by acclaimed local artist David Jessup to celebrate the launch of a dedicated new shoppers' guide for Minehead.

The brainchild of Minehead Chamber of Trade chairman Graham Sizer, the guide took more than a year to produce and 60,000 copies have been printed by Wessex Malthouse Direct.

While many are being distributed around the area, others have been sent far and wide to tourist information centres throughout the South West.

The guide features almost 50 businesses, who each chipped in £120 towards the self-financing publication.

Each business is highlighted by a watercolour illustration by Mr Jessup, while there is also information on things to do, places to visit and events.

"The guide has been designed to encourage visitors to come to Minehead and experience the unique blend of individual shops and to enjoy such facilities as Blenheim Gardens, the farmers' market, the West Somerset Railway, Butlins, the South West Coast Path, fishing, boating and golfing opportunities," Mr Sizer said.

Plans are already in the pipeline to expand the idea to include eating establishments in a separate publication next year.

"It took over a year to put together and thanks to David Jessup's skill as a painter, I feel we hit the mark," said Mr Sizer.

"The job was in doubt for a while, but thanks to the expertise of one of the Free Press's production staff, my cousin Simon Sizer, who offered his time out of hours, and Wessex Malthouse who did a cut price job, we succeeded.

"Although persuading traders to dip into their advertising budgets was difficult to start with, once the painted images started to be circulated we were soon over-subscribed.

"Professionally distributed throughout the season, we hope it will add footfall to the town."

He said the guide would compliment the Free Press's Shop Local campaign by targeting tourists as well.

He added: "We are mirroring many other market town campaigns by encouraging people to shop local.

"Every pound spent in our towns and villages circulates many times over.

"The Free Press's idea for vouchers and coupons is wonderful and even outlying village shops and post offices can get involved.

"If we all pull together locally, jobs will be secure and the recession better coped with."

All the paintings from the guide will be displayed in the former Stenner's Bakery shop in The Avenue, Minehead, in a move Mr Sizer said would "signify defiance to the downturn".

And one lucky Free Press reader will have the chance to win Mr Jessup's original watercolour of Minehead Harbour by collecting tokens in forthcoming editions of the paper and answering a tie-break question.

Free Press editor Gareth Purcell said: "We're all finding things tough at the moment, but we hope our campaign can help our readers by saving them money, and help our businesses to protect jobs and survive until better times return.

"We're distributing Shop Local posters highlighting the need to back local businesses - you can download one by visiting our website http://www.west-somerset-today.co.uk">www.west-somerset-today.co.uk and choosing Shop Local in the Features menu.

"And we want to hear from shops or customers about recession-beating ideas which could help others."

*To get in touch with the Free Press and support the Shop Local campaign, email us at shoplocal @tindlenews.co.uk; or telephone the newsroom or advertising department on 01984 632731.