Raise The Bar

This post relates to the campaign to extend the £25,000 grant scheme. It is directed to our members who are in the retail, leisure and hospitality sector and whose business has a rateable value between £51,001 and £150,000, as listed by the VOA on the GOV.UK website.

We are aware that due to the rateable value, your property was NOT eligible to receive grant funding as a part of the governments COVID-19 Retail and Leisure Hospitality Grant Scheme.

This exclusion has negatively impacted businesses in some towns / parts of the country more than others. In the Leamington Town Centre BID Area it means 109 businesses miss out on grant funding, that we know will make a big difference in supporting you, your staff and your business through this trying period. In London, this affects around 19,000 businesses. Feedback from those who have received grants suggest it has offered a lifeline, enabling them to pay suppliers, manage stock-loss, pay rent and overheard costs, support adaption and in some cases, survive.

I have been working with industry organisations and other BIDs to put together a campaign to address this gap. This is called ‘Raise the Bar’. A letter headed by Croydon BID which I also contributed to, has been sent to Rt. Hon. Alok Sharma MP who is the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. This can be read by clicking here.

The website is here: https://raisethebarcampaign.com. In the last week there has been a fantastic uptake in national press and a question was raised at the Government’s daily briefing with Matt Hancock MP about this yesterday.

How can you help?

We have a government petition which has now been signed by nearly 15,000 people, which you can sign by clicking here. Please share with #RaiseTheBar.

We are looking for business case studies … that is, businesses who would be willing to provide further details about the impact of COVID-19, your current position and how getting a £25,000 grant would help you. Please note, that case study information will be shared with the press, and you may be contacted. Of course, we will support you with this also. Please let me know if this interests you…

It is worth noting that the business support that has been provided to date is hard won. BIDs, membership organisations and industry bodies all over the country are lobbying for their members, and it is important that we express an honest picture of your current circumstances. Also, we are well aware that there are many other ‘asks’ of government at the moment, and that further support will be needed going forwards too. For now, ‘Raise the Bar’ is a deliverable ‘ask’ and would make an immediate impact.

If you would like further information or an informal chat about this, please reply by email (stephanie@bidleamington2022.mystagingwebsite.com) and I will be in touch.

Best wishes, stay safe and keep in touch.