ARGYLL and Bute MP Brendan O’Hara is urging small shopkeepers in the area to enter a competition to celebrate the role of retail in the community.

The Best Small Shops Competition is open to any small shop operating in the UK. The competition is free to enter and all shops who enter will also be promoted to consumers through an online Indie Retail Directory.

O’Hara said: “Argyll and Bute is a hub of small local retailers, many of which are a lifeline”.

Shopkeepers can nominate their businesses until September 9 via www.bestsmallshops.co.uk. The best 25 applications will be shortlisted by a panel made up of established representatives from the independent retail industry.

The judges will be looking for evidence of a small shops’ entrepreneurial spirit, ways that they have been innovative in their business and what they have done to have a lasting positive impact on their community. The shortlisted small shops will be invited to a Parliamentary Reception on November 13.