Business Booster - Calling on the Government to ACT

Give a #BusinessBooster to save our high streets, towns and city centres from extinction!

UPDATE[21/12/2021, 3PM]: Rishi Sunak has announced an additional £1bn in financial support for the hospitality and leisure sectors, with every business able to claim a one-off cash grant of £6,000. Matthew Sims, Founder of the Business Booster campaign has responded to the recent announcement: “This isn’t the bailout businesses across the UK need and have been waiting for since Plan B was announced over two weeks ago. A £1bn package of support sounds impressive, but is a headline that distracts from the true reality that these are token measures and in no way reflect the reality that hospitality businesses are facing.”

“A £6,000 grant in no way compensates for the dramatic loss in trading hospitality businesses in particular are facing, and more important they can’t wait weeks for financial aid.”

“With speculation mounting of further restrictions, we need the Government to ensure any announcement is accompanied with a revised raft of financial support and measures to ensure hospitality, retail and leisure businesses get the support they need to mitigate closure and redundancies.”

We are joining hundreds of BID partners and calling on the Government to support Streatham’s pubs, restaurants, leisure services, venues and shops, in light of Plan B.

A letter, sent to the Prime Minister, is demanding a boost for businesses across the country. Main features of the letter include:

BUSINESS RATES RELIEF
VAT EXTENSION
PROVIDE GRANTS

The full copy and pasted version of the letter can be read here.

The campaign is led by Croydon BID, and backed by other parties including British BIDs, Association of Town and City Management (ATCM), The Bid Foundation, the British Beer and Pub Association and many more. Matthew Sims, CEO of Croydon BID and Founder of the Business Booster campaign said: “It is baffling and alarming that our Chancellor is doggedly sticking to measures which are out of date and out of touch with the stark and desperate reality retail, hospitality and leisure are facing. Without swift intervention, many businesses will be faced with closures, layoffs and cutbacks masking the significant financial support Government has ploughed into these sectors during the pandemic a woeful waste of money.”