TODAY is the first anniversary of the launch of the Echo's Exeter Bites Back campaign.

For the past 12 months we have been highlighting to readers that it is not all doom and gloom where the city is concerned, despite the tough national and global economic climate.

As well as encouraging city businesses to support each other during the recession, the campaign has championed local firms which are bucking the recession.

We have highlighted how companies from Exeter airline Flybe to national retailers such as Toys R Us and local independents are continuing to invest in the city.

The drive to boost business and consumer confidence by focusing on success stories has attracted support from the highest levels of Government.

Praising the campaign in June last year, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "Everyone has a part to play in helping their communities through the global economic crisis. It is encouraging to see the Express & Echo supporting businesses in such a positive way.

"I'm delighted to back the campaign to help Exeter bounce back from the recession."

Chancellor Alistair Darling subsequently gave his backing to Exeter Bites Back, saying: "I fully support every city and town's campaign to put themselves firmly on the map to show what it can do.

"The best people to sell their own city or town are the people themselves and that is very important because it actually gives confidence, especially for people coming into the area to invest."

Conservative leader David Cameron described the Exeter Bites Back campaign as "an excellent idea" when he visited the city in May last year.

"There are success stories out there, from companies that are thriving and doing well, and highlighting them and talking them up is all part of the confidence we need to get the economy moving again," he said.

The campaign has successfully lobbied for Exeter City Council to spend £200,000 on a package of recession-busting measures and is still calling for Devon County Council to invest £10m from the sale of Exeter Airport in a new library for the city as soon as possible.

Exeter Bites Back has reported on positive developments for the city's economy, including several new store openings, the completion of the new Jurys Inn hotel, a £4m revamp of the Mercure Southgate hotel, and the start of work on Flybe's £24m training academy — a £40m teaching complex and accommodation development for overseas students at the University of Exeter.

The campaign started with the support of a handful of ambassadors, including city MP Ben Bradshaw. Since then 35 prominent figures in the city, including businesspeople from a wide range of sectors, have given it their seal of approval and outlined why they believe Exeter is well placed to bounce back from recession.

Exeter Chamber of Commerce chairman Derek Phillips said: "The campaign gave us the opportunity to highlight businesses which were fighting back successfully. That's created a feel-good factor which has perhaps given confidence to others that things weren't as bad as many were saying.

"Exeter still seems to be riding the recession better than most other places, though we await the budget and election to see what public sector spending cuts are made and what impact that has locally."

Along the way our campaign partners at the South West Regional Development Agency have been raising awareness of the support available to help businesses survive and thrive.

After official figures in January showed the UK economy returned to growth in the last quarter of 2009, Exeter Bites Back continues to accentuate the positive during what is expected to be a long recovery.