A COUPLE of mums from Ludlow are helping to spearhead the town’s fightback and are supporting desperate traders as they battle against business that has been lost because of the coronavirus shutdown.

Lucy Cook and Claire Humpe have expanded a website that they set up to list local shops and other businesses that are open during the lockdown and have pledged to continue to do all they can to help Ludlow to recover and make more people aware of what it has to offer to visitors when tourists are finally able to return

When they first set up the LetsGoLudlow site two years ago it was largely a blog based upon what they like about the town.

But after coronavirus struck, they decided to expand it firstly to help people who were isolated and shielding and then as a way of giving a helping hand to local businesses.

“We wanted to have somewhere that people could look to find out where they could get the food supplies they need,” said Ms Cook.

“But it is apparent just how hard the small shops and other businesses in Ludlow are working to serve the people of the town.

“Many of them are flat out taking orders and making deliveries. There are a lot of pubs and other places that are making meals for delivery and they are not making any money out of it but just want to keep going.”

But there are serious concerns about the economic ramifications for the businesses in the town.

“My concern is that as things return to something more normal people will forget how important the small shops have been in keeping us going and will return to doing all their shopping in the supermarkets,” added Ms Cook.

“If we do not support these businesses then we will not have them.

“Because many of the businesses are small, they do not have the time or resources to have any proper marketing strategy.”

The two women who both juggle what they are doing with a family life and having children, met a few years ago at a sewing class in the town and struck up a friendship.

They run the website as a labour of love and do not get any payment.

But they admit that one of the issues is that people in Ludlow are not heavy users of the web for their communications.

“What we do has a role but print still remains very important,” said Ms Cook.

“One of the problems is that the people who are most likely to need the kind of information that we are providing are less likely to go online.

“But Ludlow has a great community spirit and that makes it such a special place.

“If someone needs help as soon as that gets about there will be someone on hand.”

The hope is also that the website will get visitors from outside of the town who will be attracted to the idea of coming to Ludlow when the travel restrictions are lifted.