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A message from Cllr James Jamieson, leader of Central Bedfordshire Council.
COVID-19 is the health emergency of our lifetimes and we’re mobilising every resource we have as a council.
In these unprecedented times, our objectives are stark: to preserve lives, support the vulnerable and protect livelihoods. It’s an enormous effort and all of our staff have responded magnificently, as you’d expect.
Staff are packing and delivering food parcels for the clinically vulnerable who must be shielded from the coronavirus while our adult services are working with the NHS to smooth and speed up discharges from hospital.
Central Bedfordshire Council is at the forefront of delivering some of the government’s financial support packages to businesses ranging from small corner shops to multinational companies.
In Central Bedfordshire we have administered £25 million of business rates relief to eligible businesses and will be delivering £45 million of Business Grants to more than 3,700 firms.
Our Business Growth team has also been helping local companies to access the range of support programmes such as the jobs retention scheme and support for the self-employed. And SEMLEP’s Growth Hub has business advisors at hand for one-to-one advice.
We are helping businesses to weather the storm now and looking ahead to how we can aid economic recovery. We will do this in partnership with local businesses so we can understand your needs and shape new programmes to sustain recovery and generate growth.
We should also rally around our communities. If anyone is worried about their neighbour, if they are vulnerable because they are elderly for example, and don’t have access to friends and family to help them then let us know.
And please do follow the advice on social distancing and stay at home wherever possible.
