Love Your High Street Awards 2025: The Finalists

Black City is a unique metal record shop and safe space, supporting alternative culture, mental health, and the local community.

Black City began as a Heavy Metal record shop; only the second of its kind in the country and still the only one in the South West. With its founder having a background in counselling and therapy, the vision was always to create more than a retail space. It’s a community hub for those in the alternative counter-culture who may feel uncomfortable in wider society. With a person-centred approach, each customer is treated as an individual with their own stories, struggles, and ambitions.

The shop aims to help people feel comfortable in their own skin, proud of who they are, and confident enough to contribute to the wider local music scene which benefits not just the shop, but also promoters, venues, and other local businesses.

Black City also strives to be the best independent record shop possible by ordering requested titles, undercutting major retailers, and stocking products overlooked by mainstream outlets.

The shop has strong ties to the local air ambulance service, inspired by a personal medical emergency. They host a permanent collection tin, sell merchandise with 100% of profits donated, and gave excess funds from a crowdfunding campaign, following a break-in in 2022, to the service.

Black City was groundbreaking in offering a mental health peer support group for the alternative community. These monthly sessions have grown to include events, a WhatsApp support group, and drop-in support at the shop. They are now in early talks with Avon & Somerset Police to become a designated 'Safe Place' for vulnerable individuals in the city.

An inclusive indie bookshop in Stockton that champions community, literacy, and access, with pay-it-forward schemes and local outreach.

This independent bookshop in Stockton-on-Tees is proudly community-driven and inclusive. Staff are Dementia Awareness trained, and the shop has level access with a wheelchair-friendly layout. A loyalty card rewards regular customers, and many choose to pass their points into a Pay-it-Forward scheme that helps others buy books; not as charity, but as an act of community spirit. Free event tickets are also made available to anyone who needs them.

Each Christmas, the shop runs a book-gifting campaign for children who might otherwise go without. Working with Stockton Borough Council and local schools, they ensure children not only receive a book but one they’ve personally requested. Customers buy books by selecting gift tags from a tree, contributing at a discounted rate.

The shop also won funding to deliver an environmental project educating schoolchildren about the biodiversity of the River Tees. In partnership with the Canal and Rivers Trust and a local author, children explored the river’s wildlife and history, then created poems and letters displayed in a local gallery. Authors are regularly brought into local schools for free workshops and events, often supported by Pay-it-Forward donations, with free books provided when possible. Recent visitors include AF Steadman and Matt Goodfellow.

Every summer, they run the Great North Author Tour (GNAT), which brings authors into schools across the North East and celebrates independent bookshops during Independent Bookshop Week. The shop also donates books to local charities, foodbanks, hospitals, and even a local pub’s lending library, and actively supports the local BID and fellow independents.

Driftwood Designs is a creative Welsh business combining art, retail, and community, with shops, local support, and UK-made products.

Driftwood Designs was founded 13 years ago by school friends Lizzie Spikes and Becky Barratt. What began as a small venture selling prints and cards at a local farmers market has grown into a thriving creative business with three high street shops across Wales, a large e-commerce store, and a team of 18 full and part-time staff. Driftwood Designs also supplies products to over 200 wholesale customers, reaching from the top of Scotland to the Isle of Wight. All manufacturing is proudly sourced within the UK.

At its core, Driftwood Designs is a customer-focused business. High street shoppers benefit from special offers, bespoke products made to order, and even hand-delivery of local orders when needed. All three shops have Welsh-speaking staff to serve customers in their first language, and each location is dog- and cat-friendly, encouraging customers to browse comfortably with their pets.

The business plays an active role in supporting the local community. They regularly donate raffle prizes to charities and community events and fund the design and printing of an independent retailers map for Aberystwyth to help promote local businesses. Driftwood Designs also leads the creative work for the town’s annual ‘shop local’ campaigns, funding posters and signage.

They help organise and promote children’s activities throughout the year and sponsor several local initiatives, including a children’s football team and gym memberships for the local adult women’s team. The business is also a proud sponsor of the local business awards, which celebrate the achievements of fellow independents.

Frankie & Johnny's champions community, retail activism, and indie spirit on York's Bishy Road—online, in-store, and on the streets.

As a bricks-and-mortar business, Frankie & Johnny's takes every opportunity to engage directly with customers to ensure its product offering meets their needs. If an item isn’t available, staff actively seek it out to fulfil customer requests. The shop windows are regularly refreshed to remain eye-catching and inviting, contributing to a vibrant high street presence.

The business is highly active on social media, using its platforms not only to showcase products but also to share updates about the wider Bishy Road community. They consistently support fellow independent traders and have kept their popular #FridayQuiz mystery gadget posts running weekly for over a year—building loyal engagement both in-store and online.

As a founding member of the Bishopthorpe Road Traders Association, Frankie & Johnny's has played a key role in various initiatives—from helping the street win the British High Street of the Year award to coordinating popular community street parties. The traders also fund and organise street decorations, including festive lights and the much-loved Bishy Road bunting. The area is frequently cited as a model of independent retail success and affectionately nicknamed “The Notting Hill of the North.”

The business is currently leading a campaign against a 500% increase in local shopper car park fees. Their petition has gathered over 8,000 signatures, and through persistent lobbying, meetings with the local MP, and community mobilisation, they’ve secured a partial U-turn and a promise of formal consultation. The campaign continues in response to a 1,000-transaction drop in a car park with just 37 spaces.

A unique blend of barbering and heritage, Headhunters is a Fermanagh gem combining haircuts with rich Irish railway history.

Headhunters Barber Shop & Railway Museum is one of the most unique attractions on the high street—blending traditional barbering with a rich celebration of Fermanagh’s railway heritage.

Founded in 1981 by brothers Nigel and Gordon Johnston, the business welcomes every customer with warmth and familiarity, offering a nostalgic experience unchanged by time. Some clients have been visiting since the shop first opened, and now Headhunters is serving third-generation customers.

In 2002, the adjoining ladies' salon was transformed into a railway museum, born from the brothers’ lifelong passion for local railways and the need for a permanent space to house artefacts. Today, it holds one of the largest collections of small Irish railway memorabilia, covering the Great Northern Railway (Ireland), the Sligo, Leitrim & Northern Counties Railway, and the Clogher Valley Railway. The museum is a registered charity and has won multiple awards, including the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Admission is free, and visitors often travel from across the world. The site is dog-friendly and frequently hosts school visits, community events, and heritage talks. A large model railway has proven especially popular with children, including those who are neurodivergent, helping to make barber visits a positive experience.

Headhunters is a valued community space where barbering and heritage unite. From local campaigns to international visitors, it stands as a testament to the power of personal connection and cultural preservation—offering not just a haircut, but a story worth sharing.

Loveone is a vibrant gift shop in Ipswich, blending curated retail with deep community ties, local art, and event-led high street revival.

This independent gift shop has built a strong reputation as a one-stop destination for gifts, offering friendly, expert advice on card and gift selections, along with a free gift-wrapping service. Many of the producers and makers they stock are personally known to the team, allowing them to speak confidently about the provenance of their products. Loveone also serves as an information hub, hosting a wide range of brochures and flyers to promote local venues and events.

Recognising the importance of experience-led retail, Loveone maintains an engaging presence both in-store and online. Their website includes a click-and-collect option, making it easier for hybrid and flexible workers to reconnect with the high street. Their Instagram account is used to showcase new product ranges, seasonal highlights, and community events creating a truly experiential connection with customers.

Over the past 18 years, the business owner Cathy has been deeply involved in the local community. A founding member of the Saints Street Markets, Cathy helped establish the twice-yearly artisan market 15 years ago. She also co-founded Saints Ipswich CIC to support local events through grant funding and manages the group’s Instagram and website.

Cathy was the first small business representative to sit on the Ipswich Central BID board and recently completed two terms as a trustee of the local theatre. Her latest project is launching the Ipswich Book Festival, taking place across multiple venues in collaboration with other local businesses and community groups. Cathy also mentors start-ups and provides opportunities for local artists to showcase their work in-store and in the shop window.

R:evolve Recycle is transforming fashion through swaps, thrift, and community, tackling waste while empowering people and the planet.

R:evolve Recycle is a social enterprise transforming the fashion industry by tackling the environmental impact of fast fashion. Its mission is to reduce textile waste, promote sustainable consumption, and empower individuals to make eco-conscious choices that lower their carbon footprint. With three main objectives, namely People, Place, and Planet, R:evolve addresses inequality, supports local regeneration, and promotes climate action.

Operating across Cambuslang and Rutherglen, R:evolve offers a range of services including a Swap Shop, clothing bank, and its flagship thrift + gift boutiques. These high street stores sell high-quality pre-loved clothing, accessories, and gifts, while also hosting a dedicated space for recycled crafting materials called Wee Jinty’s Haberdashery. Named in honour of a beloved volunteer, the haberdashery promotes mending and upcycling as a creative and affordable lifestyle.

The organisation also supports local artists, students, and makers, offering retail opportunities and helping develop creative careers. Its Community Hub hosts workshops and drop-in sessions, providing safe, person-centred environments for people to learn, build networks, and contribute.

Since 2015, R:evolve has saved over 200 tonnes of textiles from landfill, completed 100,000+ swap/shop transactions, and supported over 12,000 members. Its 65 volunteers have logged over 53,000 hours, with many reporting increased wellbeing, confidence, and friendships. All profits are reinvested into its free community services. The thrift + gift model focuses on adding value, both to garments and to people, rather than profit. With a growing impact and a sustainable future, R:evolve is redefining fashion as a force for environmental and social good.

Vintage at the Tower blends sustainable style with community spirit, offering hand-picked vintage finds and award-winning local impact.

Vintage at the Tower is a much-loved treasure trove of high-quality preloved items, located in the village of Corbridge in the heart of Northumberland. With sustainability at its core, the shop specialises in vintage clothing, homeware, jewellery, and accessories—each piece lovingly recycled, hand-restored, and given a new lease of life. Sourced from local clients, markets, fairs, and online, all items are carefully selected to avoid landfill and promote conscious consumption.

Customers value the curated, quirky collection and the warm, knowledgeable service. The shop has a loyal local following and welcomes returning visitors year after year. With a reputation for style, quality, and sustainability, the team offers expert advice on purchases, garment care, and always signposts customers elsewhere if needed. A no-quibble returns policy applies both in-store and online, and a monthly newsletter keeps customers up to date on stock, events, and special offers.

The business has grown to include a successful Etsy store and website, attracting customers worldwide. Recent funding will support further development of the online shop and marketing strategy. Currently employing two part-time staff and several local subcontractors, Vintage at the Tower also produces a small range of vintage-style hand knits.

The founder chairs Visit Corbridge, supporting local businesses and organising key community events including the annual Midsummer Evening and charity fashion show. In May 2025, Vintage at the Tower was recognised nationally with The Small Awards “High Street Hero” title—an honour celebrating the hard work of the whole team.