A passionate post caught my eye this week whilst I was doom-scrolling on Facebook. It came from 5-A-Day in Stalybridge, and it was so powerful, I decided to read it out on the radio. I only had to leave out one word, which I will also omit in this column.

"To those who repeatedly comment on Facebook that Stalybridge is a "**** hole", a ghost town...that on Saturday the town is totally dead...you should think before speaking, before writing anything. You are not doing any good to your town. Try to make a difference, even a small one. Support the traders in Stalybridge. Support your town! Talk positively about your town. Act positively and be a part of the change you wish to see in Stalybridge".

You can tell this was written entirely from the heart, and Corinne who runs the fruit and veg emporium on Melbourne Street is a great advocate for the town centre. It's telling that I have used the phrase "doom-scrolling", as it gets so draining reading the comments section on pretty much any article about Tameside these days.

Next month, I'll celebrate three years since my first show on Tameside Radio, and I see a borough full of great local businesses, passionate people, and determination. I'm absolutely not wishing to argue we live in a utopian 'Barbieland', where every day is the best day ever, but an ounce of positivity goes a long way. Several people heard me read out the post on the radio, and got in touch to say thank you.

It's just too easy to talk things down. Take as an example the forthcoming 'Fridays on the Square', being trialled on the first Friday of each month in Ashton from September to December. Tameside Council plan to put on great food, drink, art activities and music "to help bring a sense of vibrancy and community back to the town centre". The negativity I've seen on some social media posts is astounding, even before a single stall has been set up or gin and tonic served.

Similarly, the Hyde masterplan to rejuvenate the town centre has attracted a huge amount of opprobrium, far outweighing the number of responses to the official consultation. It's easy to sit on your sofa and type a rant on social media, but the turnout in local elections suggests to me that a lot of people opt to have a Facebook rant, yet can't be bothered to walk a few minutes down the road to take part in the democratic process. I'd make it compulsory to vote, even if spoiling your ballot paper. Some would say that's a bit extreme, but it works in plenty of other countries.

Back to the ripple effect of posting on social media. It's heartbreaking to see Wilko stores under threat of closure, which affects jobs in Ashton, Denton and Droylsden. Again, I've seen tons of people passing comment on the prices, stock levels, and essentially denigrating a business that is already teetering on the edge of collapse. Who exactly is that helping? It absolutely does my head in. I think writing this column is sometimes a form of therapy for me, to be honest. Nationally, we're talking about 12,000 jobs at least. It's a huge deal.

What else might work for our high streets? Parking is certainly a hot potato, and I would personally like to see it kept at a reasonable rate. Events like Streetfest in Stalybridge are great, as they bring a bit of magic that shopping on Amazon simply can't. I've done some work in Driffield, where I've seen their loyalty card scheme work a treat. You get a unique four digit pin, and every time you shop locally at a participating store, you are entered into a draw to win a load of great prizes in the monthly contest. Stuff like this is great for keeping money in local tills.

"Fiver Fest" has run in the past in Ashton. Perhaps with inflation, that might need to become "Tenner Fest", but the basic principle is unchanged. If every person in Tameside spend a few pounds more locally each week, imagine the money that would pour into the local economy. As a local business ourselves, we want to see this area flourish. There are issues and tough questions to be asked, of course, and we will continue to ask them. But whilst central government squeeze the amount allocated to local authorities, and we scrutinise if budgets are always being spent wisely, we can all do our bit by considering where we spend our hard-earned cash and what we write on social media.