World Heritage village Saltaire is going Totally Locally.

On Saturday the village will officially join in a national award-winning shop local campaign to promote the area and all it has to offer.

It ties in with Saltaire Heritage weekend when members of the local community will be hosting a series of free events including guided historical walks, exhibitions, stalls, a ‘meet your shopkeeper quiz’ and canal boat trips.

The focus of the Totally Locally event will be to celebrate Saltaire’s independent shops and businesses, said one of Totally Locally Saltaire’s organising members, David Ford.

The free initiative showing the value of local shopping and its benefits for the local economy will involve many of the shops, businesses and stalls having special offers – highlighting Totally Locally’s message that if everyone in Saltaire spent an extra £5 a week in local independent shops, it would bring an extra £1.5 million into the economy every year.

“This is a chance for locals to discover Saltaire’s great shops and businesses, and the real difference they make to our town,” said Mr Ford.

“Saltaire’s World Heritage Status has made it a tourist hot spot for many years, and we have a great community feel that we want to build on.

“The fact that we’ve had so much interest from local residents who want to get involved just demonstrates this. After all if it wasn’t for them then we wouldn’t be here!

“The 26th is the launch day for this event but this is only the starting point – we see this as long-running campaign, which will encourage both locals and visitors to see what Saltaire has to offer and get them shouting about what a great place this is.”

Events on Saturday will include walks at 11am and 2pm talking through the history of the shops in Saltaire; a ‘meet your shopkeeper’ quiz with quiz sheets from Saltaire Bookshop or at the Totally Locally marquee outside Victoria Hall; sowing seeds in a community space in Caroline Street car park with Sustainable Saltaire; exhibitions and talks in the Salts’ building, tea and cakes in the United Reformed Church; more than 40 workshops of dance and song at Victoria Hall, and an Eclectic Mix Fair which will be made up of 30 stalls of vintage clothing, collectibles, art, screen prints, hand-made jewellery, food and flowers.

Totally Locally started in West Yorkshire in 2009 and has already been a big success in towns like Hebden Bridge, Brighouse and also Leek in Staffordshire.

To find out more about Totally Locally Saltaire go to totallylocallysaltaire.org or e-mail: totallylocallysaltaire@gmail.com.