Following the Chancellor’s removal of the minimum placement criteria for small business on Friday, the Devon & Plymouth Chamber has learnt that this action was taken in response to the Treasury’s concern over providers who were failing to pass on the £1,500 training grant to employers and gateways being slow to respond to small business. For each placement, gateway providers receive £300 to support administrative costs, while employers are supposed to receive £1,500 per placement for help with setup
Businesses risk losing top talent due to poor mental wellbeing support Almost half of UK businesses have seen an employee move on because their mental wellbeing wasn’t being looked after, with a quarter losing a key member of their workforce, according to new research from not-for-profit healthcare provider, Benenden Health. The survey of UK employers and employees revealed that 42% of UK businesses have experience of an employee leaving their company because their mental wellbeing wasn’t cared for, with
Leading South West firm Thomas Westcott Chartered Accountants has been announced as an official Patron of Devon & Plymouth Chamber of Commerce. The independent accountancy practice has 17 offices across Devon and Somerset and has played a prominent role in helping businesses improve their financial resilience in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thomas Westcott’s position as a Chamber Patron reflects its status as a regional leader and a supporter of thousands of businesses in the South West. Patrons of
National restrictions continue to significantly affect businesses across the country. While non-essential retail, hospitality and leisure businesses have had to temporarily close during lockdown, those businesses which are still operating will also have been heavily affected by the pandemic. As such, there is an enormous pressure on businesses’ financial situation. They may be juggling reduced income whilst navigating new income streams such as various government support measures. Businesses might be
Plymouth businesses that have been forced to close due to the national COVID-19 restrictions will now be able to apply for financial support through Plymouth City Council. The Government’s Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) scheme is available to support businesses that have been legally required to close and occupy a rateable property. Eligible businesses can claim the following grants, based on their rateable value:For properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or under, grants to be £1,334 per
We’re proud to reveal our shortlist for the Devon & Plymouth Chamber of Commerce Awards 2020. Each of the 20 businesses and individuals named below are now invited to our Chamber Awards ceremony later this year to recognise and promote the best of what businesses in Devon have to offer. Stuart Elford, CEO of Devon & Plymouth Chamber, said: “Thank you so much to each and every member who submitted an entry for this year’s Devon & Plymouth Chamber Awards. “We know how incredibly difficult the last
Keeping the pounds in Plymouth, skills development and a pipeline of construction that will keep people in work during a critical time for the city’s economy - those are the first projects under the spotlight as part of Resurgam - the city’s economic response to the challenges presented by Covid-19. The Council’s Cabinet meeting was given its first update of Resurgam - a plan to reduce the impact of Covid-19 and to deliver a more equal, sustainable and prosperous city. Council leader Tudor Evans said:
Council leader Tudor Evans has pledged to lead from the front the city’s economic recovery programme out of the COVID-19 lockdown. At Cabinet today (Tuesday 5 May) he will announce plans to help Plymouth’s businesses get back to work through Resurgam - a programme to oversee recovery across all sectors. The name is Latin for ‘I shall rise again’ and the word became part of Plymouth’s history when it appeared on a wooden sign over the bombed out St Andrew's Church during the Blitz. Councillor Evans
Shop local, support independent retailers and buy everything you need – from food and drink to gifts from the safety of your home. A new online marketplace is making it easy to do just that. Shop 4 Plymouth showcases local traders that are open and following Government guidelines or which have adapted to offer a delivery service instead. The initiative has been set up by the Plymouth City Centre Company and Plymouth City Council, with support from Plymouth Waterfront Partnership, in response to the
Plymouth’s leading business support organisations are joining forces with the Council to campaign for small businesses that have missed out on vital Government support. A letter is being sent today to the chair of the Local Government Association, Councillor James Jamieson asking for help to ‘plug the gaps’ for support for small businesses. In Plymouth around 400 businesses - employing over 3,000 people - are still without a financial lifeline because they don’t fit the criteria for one of the grant
The Heart of the South Local Enterprise Partnership is currently consulting on its document entitled ‘Stepping up to the Challenge.’ This is a draft Productivity Strategy for the counties of Devon and Somerset. Our area compares unfavourably with most in the county in terms of the volume of the work achieved, per hour, spend on innovation, number of companies which export and overall how competitive our economy is. The strategy aims to double the size of the local economy by 2030 and improve our relative
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