Emergency Fund for Hospitality and Leisure Sector Launched in Liverpool City Region

AN emergency fund of up to £40 million was launched Thursday, 15 October 2020, in a bid to protect Liverpool City Region's vital hospitality and leisure businesses from the huge economic impact Covid19 restrictions are having on the sector. 1st announced Friday, 2 October 2020, by the Metro Mayor and the Mayor and Leaders of the City Region's 6 Local Authorities, the fund had been created and readied for launch earlier last week. However, it was paused following the Chancellor's announcement, last Friday, on the national furlough scheme and business support package and the announcement of Liverpool City Region being placed in to the Tier 3 'very high risk' Covid19 category. Over the last few days, Combined Authority and Local Authority Officers have been working closely with the hospitality sector to understand how the fund could best be redesigned to support them.

In a joint statement, the Metro Mayor, City Mayor and Leaders of the City Region's 6 Local Authorities said:- "The past 6 months have been an exceptionally difficult period for local businesses but despite the challenges they have faced, many have done an incredible job, showcasing the creativity, determination and resilience our Region is known for. We know business owners and staff are absolutely at breaking point and we will do anything we can to prevent businesses and jobs going to the wall. The furlough scheme announced by the Chancellor last week falls far short of what our Region needs and deserves. If 80% was the right level of support back in March, then it should be in November. Lots of the people affected by these new restrictions will be in low paid, insecure work and it is deeply unfair to expect them to survive on ⅔ of the minimum wage. We will continue to fight for a more comprehensive funding package, but in the meantime, where the national Government has stepped away, we, as local leaders, will step up. We know that once a business is gone, they are gone, and we must do everything we can to prevent that. Our hope is that this fund can provide some interim support and will mean local businesses and their staff survive in the coming weeks and months, until the Government does the right thing. Our own teams have worked round the clock, in partnership with the sector, to get this fund ready for applications. We are committed to ensuring that we turn applications round at pace and get money to those businesses who so desperately need it. If, and when, we are successful in securing more national support, it may well replace the need for this fund, enabling us to repurpose the money back to other areas where it is also sorely needed."

The fund aims to enable viable businesses to continue trading and retain as many jobs as possible; support temporarily closed businesses to top up employees' wages and remain solvent; and to help lay the ground for economic recovery across the hospitality and leisure sector in the future. It will be used to help keep businesses in the sector afloat for up to 4 months, until a wider and more substantial financial support package can be secured from Central Government. The aim is that the 1st funding will reach applicants within 10 days of applications being approved, with subsequent payments phased over the period of the grant. A 'grant application window' will open at 10.00am, tomorrow, Friday, 16 October 2020, and will close at 5.00pm, on Friday, 30 October 2020. Eligible businesses wishing to apply should visit their own Local Authority websites for details and will be able to apply online when the window opens.

Detailed eligibility criteria will be available to applicants and will include:-

►  Small and micro hospitality and leisure businesses.

►  Based in the Liverpool City Region (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.)

►  1 full time equivalent employee or more.

►  Going concern.

►  Business to consumer.

►  Trading from a commercial premises.

Paul Askew, Chef Patron of The Art School Restaurant, said:- "The new Tier 3 restrictions are a real hammer blow for hundreds of businesses in our sector and for thousands of our staff. I've been pleased to work with our colleagues in the Combined Authority and the 6 Local Authorities to help shape it to our needs. It will provide an urgent life line to hundreds of viable businesses who might otherwise face closing for good due to the restrictions. While this fund is hugely welcomed, I join the Metro Mayor, City Mayor and Local Authority Leaders in calling on the Government to now step up quickly to provide the hospitality sector and our whole economy with full the support we need."

Natalie Haywood, owner of Leaf and Oh Me Oh My, said:- "This emergency fund is sorely needed to help save hundreds of businesses from collapse and thousands of jobs. It's impossible to overstate just how difficult it will be for hospitality businesses to keep trading with these restrictions in place; either because they are still trading but not breaking even or because they are forced to close. Once a business and the jobs it supports are gone, they will not come back easily, so we have to do everything we can to keep going so that we have an industry left when we get through Covid19. We are doing everything we can to keep going and protect our staff and have been really pleased to collaborate to shape this emergency fund to meet our needs."

Commenting on the announcement to support jobs and workers in Liverpool City Region, Lynn Collins, TUC North West Regional Secretary said:- "It's important that financial support is available to protect people's jobs. Nearly 41,000 people employed in the sectors mandated to close in Liverpool City Region this week are not getting the support they need. Other sectors in the City Region will be feeling the impact of these same restrictions on their jobs and businesses with no additional help available. That's why we've been calling on Government to pay furlough at 80% of wages, more help for those businesses that remain open and for them to help self employed workers. Credit must go to the Metro Mayor and the leaders and Mayors of the 6 Local Authorities who are stepping in to fill some of that gap. But this raises questions about why the Government is not providing the support needed. Councils are financially hard pressed and the promise of 'whatever it takes' is needed now more than ever."

Liberal Democrats endorse Tier 3 Lockdown for Greater Manchester

THE Liberal Democrats have endorsed a Tier 3 Lockdown for the Region and a national 'Circuit Breaker.' Lib Dem Leader and Opposition Leader in Manchester John Leech said:- "There's no doubt that the Government's handling of this has been poor, but now is not the time for distractions, legal threats or for politicians to bicker amongst themselves. Labour and the Tories are not listening to the clear scientific evidence. We must be consistent and follow the advice. Supporting local businesses is critical, but nothing eclipses public health, and it is completely irresponsible for our leaders not to wholeheartedly endorse, support and encourage local people to adhere to these restrictions. Avoiding our hospitals and NHS being overwhelmed, along with the impact on our frontline healthcare and key workers must be at the forefront of our minds. We must work together; across Local Authorities, Regions and party lines to avoid unnecessary heartache for families. Therefore the Liberal Democrats support a Tier 3 Lockdown in Greater Manchester and strongly encourage local people to adhere to these restrictions. Sadly though, this is likely to be too little too late, and so we also support a 'Circuit Breaker' which must be used to get the Test, Track and Trace system running as effectively as possible, including fixing the outstanding issues with the phone app. The Government missed a huge opportunity in the March lockdown, and that cannot be repeated. But we also firmly join cross-party calls on the Government to now step up and support Greater Manchester businesses, especially small and independents who are struggling now more than ever. Public health should be the number 1 priority, but people's livelihoods must urgently be protected too. Failure to do this will result in an economic catastrophe that could take multiple generations to recover from."

Lifestyle Leisure Centres to open for children's activities and disability sessions

LIVERPOOL'S Lifestyle Leisure Centres will re-open for children's sporting activities and swimming lessons and sessions, from Friday, 16 October 2020. The Centres are also exploring the options to provide activities and sessions for people with disabilities. Earlier this week, the Lifestyles' team announced that the 4 gyms across the City would have to close in line with new Government restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. Liverpool Aquatics Centre, Garston, Alsop Leisure Centre in Walton and Ellergreen, along with shared facilities at Cardinal Heenan School, had been gradually re-opened since August. Now, with Liverpool being classed as tier three, very high level alert, the Centres have been forced to closed.

Council Officers have been examining the exemptions to the gyms closures along with colleagues from Public Health. Now, with agreement from Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson and Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Events, Cllr Wendy Simon, the 4 leisure Centres will re-open for children's activities, from Friday, 16 October 2020.

Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Events, Cllr Wendy Simon, said:- "We were devastated when we were forced to close our leisure Centres, particularly considering all the hard work done by the team to make our venues Covid-safe. We know it has been disappointing for our thousands of loyal members, who have given us their support since the pandemic began. We have examined the new regulations and we can now re-open to the Centres to continue to provide children's activities. We recognise how important the need for sport and exercise is to our children, young people and other members of the community both for physical and mental health and well-being. We believe that we have taken the necessary precautions to provide a safe environment for these activities, however, we will continue to monitor the situation in the weeks ahead and we will be looking to re-open our Centres for everyone as soon as we can."

The sessions will include:-

►  Children's sports and fitness sessions along with swimming lessons and coaching.

►  It also includes:- gymnastics and outdoor sports at sites, such as Liverpool Tennis Centre and Park Road.

►  Certain facilities will also be available to the City's 'elite' athletes and sportspeople.

►  Grassroots football sessions for juniors will continue but without spectators and only adult per child allowed.

►  The leisure Centres will remain closed for adult activities until further notice and all memberships will be frozen throughout November.

Members are urged to continue to visit the Lifestyles website and social media channels.

LGA responds to latest test and trace figures

RESPONDING to the publication of the latest NHS Test and Trace and Coronavirus testing figures, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said:- "These worrying figures show that the national test and trace system is failing to track down all those who need to be contacted, to help stop this 2nd wave. By contrast, local public health teams are continuing to reach the vast majority of complex cases assigned to them, with 97.7% contacted and asked to self isolate. Rising Coronavirus cases across the country mean that we all now, more than ever, have a responsibility to get ourselves tested when needed and for sharing our contacts on request. Councils are taking the lead by launching their own locally supported contact tracing arrangements, to complement the national system, but they need clearer, more precise information on who they should be trying to contact as soon as possible. This should include details such as occupation and workplace, working with Police and others to share local intelligence, alongside the right resources including funding and recruiting extra personnel to work on the ground and respond quickly to outbreaks."

Liverpool's Deputy Mayor provides career advice to Hugh Baird College Students

HUGH Baird College students recently had the chance to receive 1st hand career advice from the Deputy Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Gary Millar. Gary, on behalf of Liverpool's Mayor Joe Anderson, has the special responsibility for Business and International Relations. Alongside this, Gary is the President of the Liverpool China Partnership, President of the Liverpool Commonwealth Association, and former Lord Mayor and "1st Citizen" of Liverpool. In a remarkable journey, Gary who is originally from Edinburgh, is a successful entrepreneur and a philanthropist (helping raise over £500,000 for charity) after part owning the City's Parr Street Studios and also creative incubator and event space the Fashion Hub. ary spoke to students from across Hugh Baird College, including its 14-16, A-Level and University cohort, virtually via Microsoft Teams.

Gary's talk formed part of the Hugh Baird University Centre's 'Spotlight on Employment' events programme, that is available for the whole College to take part in. The schedule of events links students with a variety of leading figures and leaders from across a range of sectors. Speakers work with students to get them work ready and aware of the traits and attitudes employers look for when recruiting. Many speakers also draw on the trials and tribulations of their personal career paths to demonstrate that the road to success is rarely a smooth and that learners need to show resilience and learn and grow from their failures.

Speaking following the Spotlight on Employment event, Gary Millar said:- "I was delighted to be asked to present a seminar to students from across Hugh Baird College as part of their 'Spotlight on Employment' programme. It was great to talk to the young talent of the future and highlight how important it is for them take opportunities when they arise. Opportunities open several doors that can lead to various career paths. College and University is just the start for the students and I am sure they will all go onto have successful career journeys"

Colette Mawdsley, Dean of Higher Education and Access at the Hugh Baird University said:- "Our Spotlight on Employment programme enhances our well established Careers Advice and Guidance service in which we strive to ensure our students leave the College and University Centre career ready. Over the course of the programme, students from across all areas of the College will come into contact with some major figures from industry and the Liverpool City Region's business community and they will receive meaningful advice from people who make hiring decisions on a daily basis. I would like to thank Gary Millar for taking the time to talk to our students from across the College to help prepare and develop them for the world of work in the future."

LGA responds to CQC state of care report

RESPONDING to the Care Quality Commission's annual State of Care report, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said:- "Social care was already facing severe financial and demand pressures prior to the pandemic, which have since been exacerbated further, as this report highlights. Despite this, it should be recognised that service quality still improved slightly prior to the outbreak. The unequal impact of Covid19 on people using and working in social care needs to be addressed as part of future reforms, as well as building on the importance of closer working and local approaches. Social care deserves parity of esteem with the NHS, with the pandemic highlighting the incredibly valuable role of social care in its own right. In particular, action is needed urgently on the care workforce including:- on pay, profession allocation, skills and training. The upcoming Spending Review must urgently provide councils with the extra funding they need to help shore up social care ahead of winter and get through the second wave of Covid19, while also using this as the basis for future reform of social care to place it on a long term, sustainable footing."

Total UK cases COVID19 cases in and around Liverpool City Region