GALLERY: Website which aims to lead high street fightback in Ely launched by MP Sir Jim Paice

Launch of YourEly. Left: Caroline Bailey and Sir James Paice MP. (Image: Archant)

Launch of YourEly. Left: Sir James Paice MP and Caroline Bailey. (Image: Archant)

YourEly is on online innovation designed to enable the city’s businesses to promote themselves and their offers to customers, drawing shoppers back to the high street and away from online retailers.

Ely businessman David Clark at the launch of YourEly. (Image: Archant)

Founder Caroline Bailey was joined by Sir Jim Paice and business owners from around the city at Spa Ely, in Fore Hill, for a champagne reception and launch.

Launch of YourEly. Caroline Bailey with Coley the Hearing Dog (Image: Archant)

Caroline, who revealed she took out a personal loan from her bank to fund YourEly, said: “I started this venture because I really love Ely. It has a wonderful community and a fantastic collection of businesses.

“I believe that the key to the future success of Ely is to improve the engagement between its businesses and shoppers.

“It is hard to predict what the changing landscape of our city will be but with YourEly, we will always be one step ahead to ensure that we all survive and thrive.”

South East Cambridgeshire MP James Paice added: “It seems clear to me that being online and engaging with social media is part of the future and I think YourEly is something that seeks to harness that.

“High streets are always evolving and it’s very easy to complain about what is changing but if the businesses of Ely don’t respond to this change then they won’t survive.

“It never ceases to amaze me at the range of business in and around the city, doing all manner of things. Everything is going on in Ely somewhere and it is important that that is maintained.”