From today you will be able to eat at some of your favourite restaurants with a discount of 50 per cent in August, thanks to the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak hopes the scheme will help save jobs and keep businesses afloat in the hospitality industry, which has been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus lockdown. However, with the scheme restricted to Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, critics have said it doesn’t go far enough.
There are 13 days in total on which you can use Eat Out to Help Out, but no limit how many times you can use it per day.
The offer gives you 50 per cent off at all participating restaurants in August, with the following conditions:
It is only available from Monday to Wednesday
There is a maximum discount of £10 per diner
It only includes food and non-alcoholic drinks – alcohol does not count
The discount only applies to eating out, and cannot be used for takeaways
Some restaurants will also allow you to combine it with existing offers and vouchers. National chains like Pizza Express have already confirmed they will allow this.
To get the discount, customers don’t need to have any apps, cards or vouchers, as the discount will automatically be taken off your bill at participating restaurants.
The Government will then reimburse the restaurant within five days.
The Government has released a handy online tool that lets you find restaurants that have signed up in your area.
If you enter your postcode here you can see a list of all participating restaurants within a five-mile radius.
Some restaurants may also have the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out posters displayed in their windows to help you know if they are participating in the scheme.
A new £9.5million funding scheme that will support community-led organisations in England affected by the Covid-19 crisis has been unveiled.
The Covid-19 Community-Led Organisations Recovery Scheme(CCLORS) will provide grants up to £100,000 to community-led organisations in England that are facing severe financial difficulties as a direct result of the coronavirus lockdown.
The scheme is open to all types of community-led organisation affected by the crisis. Applications are particularly welcome from organisations led by or directly supporting Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, which have been disproportionately affected by Covid-19.
The scheme is run by Power to Change, Locality, The Ubele Initiative and Social Investment Business on behalf of The National Lottery Community Fund.
How to apply
The Covid-19 Community-Led Organisation Recovery Scheme(CCLORS) will has three application rounds, with the first round opened for applications between 10am and 1pm, on Tuesday 28 July 2020. The second round to open on Tuesday 4 August and the third round Tuesday 11 August.
Who can apply?
Organisations able to apply must be:
community-led, multi-purpose organisations with a charitable purpose
located and operating in England only
delivering services in their local community to support people who are at high risk from Covid-19, particularly BAME communities.
accountable to local people
facing a negative impact on their organisational finances because of Covid-19
facing increased pressure/demand from their beneficiaries
not applying to other funding pots under the Coronavirus Community Support Fund
The scheme is part of The National Lottery Community Fund’s Coronavirus Community Support Fund. The Fund has been split into several funding streams aimed at different parts of the charity and social sector. All applicants should choose the most relevant funding stream for their organisation and should not apply to more than one fund.
Vidhya Alakeson, CEO of Power to Change, said: “Community-led organisations have been at the forefront of delivering vital support for local people during the Covid-19 crisis. They stepped-up, ensuring the most vulnerable in our society were not forgotten. Now, many face impending financial crisis. This new recovery scheme is there to help them transition through this challenging period, to ensure they survive and continue their vital work.”
Yvonne Field, Founder and CEO of The Ubele Initiative, said: “The Ubele Initiative is pleased to be a strategic partner in the design and delivery of the CCLORS programme. It offers much needed emergency funding and organisational support to community based organisations including those which are BAME led and/or are working to support local BAME communities. We know that front line organisations have struggled to keep afloat in these unprecedented times and a timely injection of cash and professional assistance will help them begin to create more resilient organisations for the future.”
Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Locality, said: “At Locality we believe in the power of community to create a fairer society. As we move from crisis to recovery, community-led organisations will be at the very heart of helping our neighbourhoods rebuild. This scheme will help ensure that many community organisations will be supported to ensure they are in a strong position to do so.”
Nick Temple, Chief Executive of Social Investment Business, said: “Community-led organisations have proven to be more critical than ever during the Covid-19 pandemic, providing local support to the most vulnerable people. We are therefore delighted to be working with our partners Power to Change, Locality and The Ubele Initiative to support a diverse range of those organisations to maintain their crucial work.”
The UK Government has launched its GREAT Inspirations Campaign to shine a light on businesses and their employees across the country who have responded to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic in remarkable ways and are now going back to business. We shine the spotlight on three sparkling businesses who have shown innovation, resilience and community spirit during such testing times.
Car guru inspires with Covid-19 response team
Naveed Khan is well known for his exceptional vehicle customisation work in his local community. His seventeen-year-old business – Enkahnz, has seen him customise cars for boxers and famous personalities across the globe.
The Bradford born and bred entrepreneur also has an accident and repair division as part of his growing specialist vehicle services, however he never imagined that his hi-tech garage would one day be turned into a distribution centre and hub to help vulnerable people.
“When the lockdown was announced to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, although we were allowed to stay open, work immediately went quiet for us.
“So, I thought rather than sit at home and make videos or sort my house chores, I wanted to work on the frontline and help those most in need. I wanted to play my part in bringing communities together and making full use of my business resources during these unprecedented times.” Said Naveed
Naveed of Enkahnz arranging food parcels and vital supplies to those vulnerable and shielding.
Innovation and survival have been the key to Naveed’s growth and success and with the lockdown in place he once again rose to the challenge.
The award-winning entrepreneur immediately put in place a priority service package and discount for frontline workers whose vehicles were involved in accidents or needed repairs. His team were ensuring customers serving in the NHS, emergency services, local authorities and other key business groups, were on a priority service line, with discounts included.
The car guru then decided to customise his own Barugzai Range Rover into a Covid-19 response vehicle, so that he and his team could go out and help keyworkers on the road, with vehicle breakdown or accident repairs.
“We customised my Barugzai Range Rover and had the words ‘COVID-19 response’ painted on it. If you’re worried about crime, but then you see a police car, you might feel a sense of security. But there was nothing to give that sense of security when it came to coronavirus, so that’s why we customised the car like that.
“We want to help people feel safe and secure” Naveed added.
Once the customisation was complete, Naveed put out a message on his social media channels, to ask people struggling to reach out
“We put a message on our social media to make people aware we are here to help in times of need. Within four hours the message went viral and we were inundated with enquiries. My office quickly turned into a hub which was taking calls from needy people and my garage floor was being used as a distribution centre for food parcels and other such items.
“It’s a lot different to what I normally do – from customising cars to delivering food parcels for vulnerable people. It’s a great feeling inside and I am honoured that my team and I can help people like that, during times of need”, explained Naveed.
As demand grew, Naveed managed to utilise his business contacts such as Mercedes Benz of Bradford to get more vehicles on the road and expand the work as a Covid-19 response team.
The team went on to deliver food parcels and safety packages, to laptops and tablets for school children who didn’t have access to the internet while being at home.
Enkahnz’ team were becoming inundated with calls and emails, from vulnerable people asking for health and food packages, to doctors and nurses who needed their vehicles repaired and breakdown assistance.
“The elderly, vulnerable, homeless and key workers are our priority. Local doctors have contacted us who are doing video call appointments, but the patients are unable to collect their prescriptions and need help delivering them. We have had many charities contact us to give out food packages to those in need. With the amount of people in need, we expanded our fleet of response vehicles.”
The dynamic entrepreneur soon partnered up with Mercedes Benz of Bradford, The Bradford Foundation Trust, a consortium of business and charities and Bradford West MP, Naz Shah, to come together in this difficult time, to meet the needs and demands of those in need.
“It’s my duty as a Muslim to help the needy. We need to continue to support each other and lift each other’s spirits during these challenging times. Let’s continue to love each other.” Concluded Naveed.
On the business front, work is now starting to pick up for Enkhanz as more people are realising that it is safe to go back to work and businesses have put in extra measures to ensure safety of staff and workers, restoring consumer confidence that it is now safe to revisit reopened businesses.
Enkhanz have been closely following the HMG guidance and while Naveed’s team generally work in their own bays, keeping more than 2 meters apart and wearing face masks, additional PPE and hand sanitisers have been introduced in the business to keep everyone safe and following all risk assessments and health and safety advice strictly. Customers, when they arrive at Enkanz’ business, can honk their horns and a team member would then go out to see them, allowing a safe distance to be maintained at all times
All 15 of his staff continue to have daily health checks and are monitored so that those who are vulnerable or show symptoms, can stay at home.
Enkahnz is one of many inspiring businesses which is being highlighted as part of the UK Government’s GREAT Inspirations Campaign to shine a light on businesses and their employees across the country who have responded to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic in remarkable ways and are now going back to business.
Kirklees entrepreneur and charity founder goes from business guru to full-time volunteer
A Kirklees based entrepreneur and philanthropist has volunteered his money, and full-time efforts in supporting his local community during the coronavirus crisis. Shakeel Faraz, owns a number of companies, from sports to events and vehicle hire. Since the lockdown was announced it was no longer business as usual for Mr Faraz and he quickly adapted his business operations to keep in line with the UK Government’s lockdown rules. Mr Faraz, who owns Fast Track Solutions and Corporate Event Tickets Ltd, has always been a long-standing supporter of numerous local charities and is considered a community champion. As a result of his philanthropic ways, in 2018 he set up his own charity –
The Magic Wishing Well, whose purpose is to grant life changing wishes to anyone fighting a critical illness. His charity in the past has
Shakeel ( R ) with Rev Brunel James (L) delivering food parcels.
supported the homeless, elderly, unsheltered individuals and has assisted hardworking student-athletes through their various scholarship and bursaries programs. Therefore, with the global pandemic still looming the successful entrepreneur moved his direction from a
full-time businessman to a full-time volunteer. Over the past few months, Mr Faraz mobilised his team and resources in helping to raise thousands to support those most vulnerable, the elderly and frontline workers. The moment lockdown was announced Mr Faraz wasted no time in announcing that: “Due to the spread of Covid-19 and new UK Government regulations
of self-isolation for the elderly and vulnerable, we will be delivering food and other essentials for free – door to door.” The Kirklees businessman has supported a range of causes, from delivering toys for children in hospital to free ear savers for NHS staff, to delivering food packages, including partnering up with Rev Brunel James, vicar of the Parish of Whitechapel in Cleckheaton where they donated hot food to
those who were most in need. Mr Faraz told Asian Standard: “Helping one person might not change the whole world, but it could change the world for one person.” “I am lucky I am in a position to give and so while our business is quiet and we are waiting for lockdown to ease, I wanted to put my contacts, connections and team to work in helping the community. It’s particularly important we use
this time to build bridges with our community by helping one another as one unit. “We all are one and need to stick together throughout this crisis. No matter what race, gender, age, religion, or sexuality you are, we are here to help. “It’s been such a humbling experience working with my team, Morrisons, the council, Rev Brunel James and many others to be able to put smiles on people’s faces. “All our projects are self-funded either by us or generous members of our community donating, if anyone would like to donate towards our projects please visit https://www.justgiving.com/themagicwishingwell.”
Kindness is ‘key’ between mosque and locksmith
Wearside based Fletcher Locksmith & Safe Co found kindness was key when coming to the rescue of Sunderland Central Mosque.
With premises closed due to the coronavirus crisis, some access was still needed to help set up a regular broadcast from the mosque, so its congregation could worship in their own homes. Unfortunately, mosque officials suddenly found themselves shut out due to a troublesome lock.
There was only one thing to do for former Mosque Secretary Abdur Rouf. Aware of the high reputation of a family company in the city’s Fulwell area, he picked up the phone to ask for help. Paul Fletcher, who runs the business with his dad John
Fletcher, 72 and son Layton, 20, spoke to Asian Standard: “The people at the mosque rang us and said they were having trouble getting in and out of the building – then they couldn’t get in at all. It’s closed because of the coronavirus, but they still needed access, so I offered to help them out.”
Paul Fletcher outside Sunderland Jami-Masjid
Nothing unusual there you’d think until it becomes clear Paul, 44, was angered by tales of businesses profiteering from the lockdown. He was determined to show there are still good guys out there. He quickly cut new keys for the Mosque, offering his services free, even though the work involved at the Mosque itself would normally cost around £100. Emergency locksmiths are also categorised as essential workers – but it does seem some have been asking hundreds of pounds for jobs worth much less.
Paul added: “I’d been reading about ‘rip-off locksmiths’ charging a fortune for little jobs. I don’t want it to be in people’s minds we’re all like that. So, I’m doing my bit.
“I’ve cut a few free keys for nurses as well. Hopefully, I’ll get something back when things are back to normal.”
Paul’s good deed was certainly greatly appreciated by Abdur who said: “I’ve known Paul for a while. We had a problem with a lock at the mosque. He came out and didn’t take any money, because it’s a mosque. We are all very appreciative.”
Meanwhile the efforts of Paul and his little team are also making a difference in the community as he explained: “I can’t afford to do everything free. But I’m offering discounts to care homes too.”
The Fletcher’s kindness has brought lots of positive social media messages including one from a man in Birmingham who said: “Hello Paul, I read the story about you helping the mosque, NHS workers and a care home.
“I just want to say thank you very much. In these times it’s hard for everyone, but for you to carry out this work for free and help people out is great. If only there were more people like you.
“I know a lot of people who could ignore helping others in their time of need. But you have showed me there’s still humanity out there. I just wanted to say thank you.” Khanage Imran Khan.
As for Sunderland Central Mosque, they’ve told Paul blessings are certainly coming his way.
Non-essential retailers in England re-opened to the public this week. In order to ensure they continued to serve their customers, there was one stipulation – that they abide by government guidance to keep them ‘Covid-19 secure.’
This means ensuring social distancing and regular hygiene procedures are carried out, not just for customers but staff too. Regular disinfecting of surfaces, hand washing, reduced customer flow, clear signage on distancing and direction – it’s all part of the ‘new normal’ for retailers.
Sajid Khan, who runs fashion boutique Ziba Collections shared how he has been preparing his business for Covid-19 When the pandemic struck, Sajid initially closed his fashion boutique which is based on Elswick Road, Newcastle, but has been keeping in contact with his customers via his social media.
Due to being in business for over eight years, Sajid has built up a loyal client base and this has helped him reach customers virtually and online, keeping them informed about his business plans.
“Like most businesses we were worried when we were forced to close our business in March, however safety is of paramount importance and we are lucky we have loyal customers who trust us and are ready to support us.
“We are very excited about opening and although our shop is clean and tidy anyway, we are following the government guidelines to ensure our customers can be assured of a safe shopping experience. “We have sanitized and cleaned extra to make sure our customers are safe.
“We are following social distancing measures and asking customers to keep 2-metre distancing when shopping. “We are only allowing three individual customers at a time only or a family of any size living in the same house is allowed.
“We have marked our store with stickers on doors and the floor about 2 metres safe distance.”
Sajid is looking forward to meeting his customers and being back to making people feel and look good. He said it has been hard getting his risk assessments in place and making changes to his business, but it’s worth it to see the smiling customers and to be back at work.
The government has published COVID-19 secure guidance to support businesses to reopen and for workers to feel confident, safe, and empowered to return to work.
If you run a business and would like to know which of the coronavirus support schemes you are eligible for, you can use the business support finder tool https://www.gov.uk/ business-coronavirus-support-finder It takes just minutes to complete and will help you easily find support for your business.
Non-essential retailers in England re-opened to the public from 15 June.
In order to ensure they continued to serve their customers, there was one stipulation – that they abide by government guidance to keep them ‘Covid-19 secure.’
This means ensuring social distancing and regular hygiene procedures are carried out, not just for customers but staff too. Regular disinfecting of surfaces, hand washing, reduced customer flow, clear signage on distancing and direction – it’s all part of the ‘new normal’ for retailers. Bradford’s original indoor Asian market was one of many businesses forced to close from 23 March due to lock-down rules.
The Bazaar which houses more than 50 market stalls ranging from clothes, to perfumes, to shoe shops, told Asian Standard how they have been preparing to re-open to ensure their traders and shoppers can be assured of a safe and pleasant shopping experience.
They have been following the Safer Workplaces Guidance issued by the UK government to ensure customers can continue enjoying their shopping experience in a safe and healthy environment.
“Here at The Bazaar we are committed to ensuring all our traders, staff and customers continue to enjoy a great shopping experience taking into consideration the extra safety and health measures in tackling coronavirus.
“We have been working around the clock in carrying out essential risk assessments and ensuring health and safety measures are in full practice to enable a healthy environment for all our staff, traders and shoppers.
“Those visiting The Bazaar will be greeted with signage across all floors and entrances which advise of our new shopping rules and to maintain 2 metre distances while shopping with us.
“We have put on extra staff to manage queues at our entrances, with a limited number of customers allowed in the market at any one time.
“We have ensured there is additional hand sanitiser facilities and more frequent deep cleaning routines on our equipment and our toilets and rest areas.
“All our staff have been given extra safety training and health screenings before returning to work and we will continue to monitor their well-being as well as continue ongoing training to ensure we keep following the rules and keeping people safe.
“It’s been welcoming to see that our traders have also made extra efforts to keep their stalls clean and safe and are adapting to the new rules so that they can ensure their customers and their staff are fully supported and interact in a safe and healthy environment.
“It is great to be open again and it’s going to be wonderful seeing all our customers and interacting with people.”
The government has published COVID-19 secure guidance to support businesses to reopen and for workers to feel confident, safe, and empowered to return to work.
If you run a business and would like to know which of the coronavirus support schemes you are eligible for, you can use the business support finder tool https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder It takes just minutes to complete and will help you easily find support for your business.
Applications from Pubs, restaurants and cafes in Newcastle to use more outside space has been fast-tracked as the council supports the re-opening of more non-essential shops.
To adhere to the new guidelines, many businesses need to expand their trading space onto nearby streets to accommodate the space needed for social distancing.
Newcastle Council has received interest from more than 50 businesses about expanding or creating pavement spaces for customers to use.
Road closures could be implemented as part of the new measures, while neighbouring businesses are being urged to work together to maximise any outdoors space to ensure safe trading is taking place.
New Government guidelines begin from Saturday July 4 which allow licensed premises to serve customers, but two-metre social distancing must be in place.
Non-essential shops may introduce protective screens, one-way systems, and app or text message-based ordering systems, with table service to prevent the spread of the virus.
Cllr John-Paul Stephenson, cabinet member for environment and regulatory services, said: “This is a difficult and challenging time but we are working with businesses to get up and running quickly.
“Safety remains paramount but we are cutting red tape as best we can and making it as easy as possible for the hospitality industry to make the changes they need to welcome back customers, including creating new pavement café areas.
“We’re encouraging publicans, restauranteurs and café owners to let us and police know what their reopening plans are, so we can support them.
“Starting on a busy Saturday is going to be incredibly difficult for the trade and we fully support any who decide not to reopen until they are more confident they can keep their staff, customers and the public safe.
“Where businesses are open we can only encourage the public to follow the measures that businesses put in place.”
Cllr Ged Bell, cabinet member for employment and culture, said: “Newcastle is returning to some form of normality but we know that is a different normality to what we had before.
“Yet our city is resilient and ambitious, and we know businesses are determined to succeed.
“We’ve seen though, through the reopening of shops, that parts of the economy can restart successfully and that people are capable of being sensible, social distancing and showing respect for others around them.
“We now hope to see that happen again and that our hospitality trade, which supports so many jobs and makes Newcastle the vibrant place we all love, can quickly get back on its feet while ensuring the safety of staff, customers and the wider community.”
Small businesses owners can download a free app which logs customer contact details so they can be alerted if they have come into contact with anyone with COVID-19 symptoms.
New government guidelines, which come into place on Saturday, July 4, mean all hospitality venues must keep registers of any customers and visitors for 21 days to help track and trace coronavirus cases.
The visitor registration app, Twine, can be used by non-profit businesses to support their reopening plans. The app uses an online guestbook so business owners can log guests’ contact information, customers will also receive a QR code which they can scan on any return visits.
The app was designed by independent trust Power to Change, who aim to support community businesses in England.
Vidhya Alakeson, Chief Executive of Power to Change, said: “The coronavirus pandemic has been a very challenging time for all third sector organisations, and we know that many are facing real challenges as they prepare to welcome people back through their doors. Twine Visitor is a great, free tool to help community businesses start to reopen in a safe and measured way”
Settle Community Hub in North Yorkshire has already been using the platform. Sarah Wiltshire, Volunteer Co-ordinator at Settle, said: “We’ve been using Twine Visitor since late 2019. Now that the lockdown is easing, we are going to have the data capture already in place to record everyone who physically attends one of our services.
“It’s simple to use, it allows touch-free signing in for Covid-19 hygiene rules and we can pull the data off from a separate computer, so it’s perfect for handling track and trace needs. We would definitely recommend it if you’re looking to re-open soon.”
Middlesbrough Council has launched the second phase of its business support scheme and asks small businesses to apply for funding.
Businesses must have less than 50 employees and be able to demonstrate a large drop in income since the COVID-19 outbreak.
Further criteria include businesses not based from home, who were trading on or before March 11 2020, have ongoing fixed costs (such as rent) and have a rateable value under £50,999.
Small businesses can apply if they have not received any other COVID-19 related grants such as business rate holidays.
To support businesses further during the pandemic crisis the Government outlined on May 1 a discretionary grants fund.
Phase 1 of the discretionary scheme is now closed but Middlesbrough Council is now inviting businesses to express an interest in Phase 2 of the discretionary scheme.
The closing date for applications is Friday, July 3.
Hotels are being supported financially by UK Government funding schemes following closures due to the outbreak of coronavirus.
Paul Bream, who owns the Merrion Hotel in Llandudno, Wales, had to utilise the UK Government’s furlough scheme to support his 47 staff and to prevent any redundancies.
The hotel owner was also able to halt his business rates due to a relief scheme provided by the Welsh Government and the UK Government Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS). These schemes provide businesses with a loan up to £5 million, with no interest for 12 months
The UK Government support has allowed the Merrion to pay their bills until the hotel is able to open again to the public, while the CBILS has also helped Bream maintain positive relationships with his suppliers.
The Merrion hotel has been closed to the public since March 21 as social distancing measures were put in place by the UK Government.
Bream, who owns the Merrion hotel with his brother Gareth, said: “At the moment we would be in the heart of our season. This is the first time in 70 years that this kind of thing has ever happened and to be closed as we are through the season is bizarre.
“We kept our commitment to staff in the hope that something would come along, but it was deeply unsettling because we just didn’t know what was going to happen. And then the UK government announced the furlough scheme and we just breathed a sigh of relief. We could hunker down for a bit.
“The CBILS loan was offered at the beginning of this and we weren’t sure whether the scheme would be withdrawn or reduced or changed so we took the loan while it was on offer – whether we used it or not was another thing.
Bream is now considering future opportunities to move his business forward in preparation for when customers can return. He said: “Maybe the staycation will be the thing for a couple of years, which would be great, but we have still got to present a safe and reassuring image to customers who are coming away and we want to be in a position to do that.”
The Huddersfield Food and Drink Festival will take place online this year and organisers are looking for independent food and drink businesses from Kirklees to take part.
Businesses can make products available for purchase online and are encouraged to offer promotions and incentives, such as promotion codes or special festival menus, for customers.
Local musicians, bands and entertainers are also needed to contribute online content for the festival.
Kirklees Council and Huddersfield Live are working together to host the four-day event, which usually takes place in St George’s Square, Huddersfield. The online event will take place between Thursday 6 and Sunday 9 August to celebrate local food and drinks businesses.
Cllr Rob Walker, Cabinet Member for Culture, said: “We’re supporting the festival this year, to help our fantastic local restaurants, cafes bars and food businesses to recover from the impact of lockdown.
“We know that the Huddersfield Food and Drink Festival is much loved by people from Kirklees and further afield, I hope that they will all visit the virtual festival and maybe discover something or somewhere new. If you’re an independent food or drink business why not get involved, it’s completely free and a great way to drum up some new business.”
Sam Watt, Director of Huddersfield Live, said: “Although we are saddened that due to the current situation we can’t bring our ‘Live’ event to Huddersfield, we’re really excited about delivering this new concept. Working with Kirklees Council to help the recovery and bring positivity back to the area is so important to us.
“We want lots of local independent businesses to join the festival, and we are working on this for you, to showcase and to help increase awareness and economic footfall to your door.
“I know that there are also many talented people in Kirklees who could be part of the entertainment programme and children’s section, this is a great opportunity to record content to promote themselves.
“If you think you can support us we’d love to hear from you, as we say at Huddersfield Live it’s all about ‘Creating better events together’”
The festival is a free event and businesses must be independent, based in Kirklees and have a Facebook or website. Food retailers must have a minimum four-star hygiene rating.
