Newcastle businesses set for £1.5m recovery boost

Businesses in the city of Newcastle are set for further financial support with additional multi-million pound funding.

Newcastle City Council has announced a further £1.5m to support businesses and boost employment in the city.

Funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority’s COVID-19 Capacity Fund, the council has developed a programme of support to help businesses, voluntary and community organisations and unemployed residents who have been adversely impacted by COVID-19.

North of Tyne Cabinet Member for Employability and Inclusion and deputy leader of Newcastle City Council Cllr Joyce McCarty explained: “Over £55m has been paid out to support over 4,000 local businesses through government grants, but there are many more sectors who weren’t included in the scope of those grants, which has led to job losses, closures and lack of support in communities.

“This additional funding will only go a small way to plug those gaps, but we remain steadfastly focused on getting people back into work, ensuring businesses grow and communities thrive.”

Cllr Ged Bell, cabinet member for employment and culture at Newcastle City Council, added: “We have a wealth of talent in our city, and we want to ensure our businesses get access to essential support services to ensure their future.

“We also want people to be supported, so we will provide first-class access to employment training and advice, to help the many people who have lost their jobs due to this pandemic, back into work.

“These are challenging times, and this funding will help support our wider plans to boost our local economy and ensure that our city is well on its way to recovery and will thrive once more.”