Скачать или смотреть Leader of Kingston Council: Update on local businesses

You don't have to go very far to see how tough it is for the business community. We're working with Kingston First and the Chamber of Commerce and other organisations to offer help and support. There is help at hand in terms of grants and business rates relief.

We understand that businesses need help quickly and I am confident that grants will start to be paid this week. If you are eligible for a business grant you should have received a letter or an email already.

If you haven't claimed it yet please go online to our website, that's www.kingston.gov.uk. In terms of the business rate relief you don't have to do anything if you're eligible, that will happen automatically.

In these tough times though it has been amazing though to see the resilience of some businesses. Take Frankonia in Tolworth for example. They usually supply bread and pastries to top London hotels. That business has stopped completely but now they are selling to the public directly, they are setting up a delivery service and are giving very generously the bread that is usually eaten at the Savoy to the foodbank.

In Berrylands, Stears greengrocer has lost most of its wholesale business but is still selling to local people, delivering fruit and veg to the elderly and helping to feed the most needy.

We're lucky in our business community here in Kingston but we know it's tough. At the council we are constantly updating information on our website to add new Government initiatives and you can subscribe to a regular update if you wish.

Here at Kingston Council, along with Kingston First and The Chamber of Commerce, we want to be here to help.