New website to promote independent shops in Great Suffolk Street

The website at www.greatsuffolkstreet.co.uk highlights the parade's many independent and family-run businesses including a butcher, cafe, fish & chip shop, dry cleaners, locksmith, greengrocer and florist – and the latest addition, a Turkish barbers' shop.

"We really do feel that our street is one of Southwark's hidden gems so what better time to launch our own website than during the Diamond Jubilee," said Austin Yardley, owner of Terry's Cafe which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary.

"By pulling together in true British spirit and promoting the whole street, we hope to continue trading for another 60 years to come.

"We are proud to be independent retailers with a real sense of family and tradition and we believe that once people in the area find out we are here and can offer something a little bit different, they will come to love our street as much as we do."

The new website has been a collaboration between Better Bankside, Bankside Residents' Forum and local IT and digital communications company BUNKER48 who have built the site for free.

'We only moved into our premises in Copperfield Street last September but we have already recognised the energy and change taking place in Southwark on a daily basis," said Tom James, director of BUNKER48.

"Great Suffolk Street is literally on our doorstep yet until this venture we had never discovered it for ourselves.

"As a small business we are keen to help similar sized set-ups thrive, wherever possible, and are confident that the website will drive traffic and footfall to the shops and enable the street to become synonymous with providing good local services for businesses, residents and students alike."

Peter Williams, chief executive of Better Bankside, said: "This website is a great project to support the fantastic independent traders on Great Suffolk Street.

"It links to the public realm improvements under way in the neighbourhood as part of Bankside Urban Forest, particularly the plans to improve the connectivity south from the riverside along Great Suffolk Street which will encourage greater footfall to areas like the Great Suffolk Street shopping parade."