tothepoint • Helping to #Raisethebar

Our client Matthew Sims, CEO of Croydon BID, and Andrew Taylor of Cocktail Pub Company, had been looking at how to help retail and hospitality in these difficult times and have successfully built and launched the #RaiseTheBar campaign.

We’ve helped a little by refining their website as well.

We think this is a great initiative and it takes the message out beyond Croydon to the rest of London and is even having success further afield. You can join more than 10,000 others by signing the petition today – it only takes 60 seconds – and help save our high streets and local community business. Let’s all put pressure on UK Parliament to increase the rateable value grant cap from £51k to £150k for Retail, Hospitality, Leisure businesses

Sign the Petition!

Their press coverage is being managed by Katie Blake of Kallaway and their press release is hard-hitting with the headline: EIGHT WEEKS TO SAVE THE NATION’S HIGH STREETS FROM ARMAGEDDON. It has had great coverage across national press and radio as well as the attention of 86 conservative MP’s and key players in the opposition all coming together to push to help save our high streets. Some extracts and stats are below but you can see the full press release on the website, or for media enquiries email raisethebar@kallaway.com or call 07827812813 or 07825285235.

54,638 businesses across England and Wales are currently unable to access the £25,000 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant [RHLG] according to the #RaiseTheBar campaign
Discretionary fund’ to Local Authorities falls short of £748m to help businesses in need. #RaiseTheBar has calculated a total of £1.365bn is needed to support all 54,638 businesses in need
High Street businesses face eight-week countdown until the due date for quarterly rent on 24 June, meaning action is needed now to allow more businesses access to the RHLG grant
86 MPs sign letter to the Chancellor calling for the rateable value threshold to be increased for the RHLG grant
Rt. Hon. Dominic Raab MP has raised the #RaiseTheBar ask to the Treasury following local concern in Esher and Walton

The campaign has secured cross-party support including:

86 Conservative MPs wrote to the Chancellor on Friday 1 May, in an open letter calling for the business rates threshold to be increased
The Shadow Chancellor Rt. Hon. Anneliese Dodds MP has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rt. Hon. Rishi Sunak MP, to bring to his attention the #RaiseTheBar campaign and the urgent need to raise the threshold above £51,000 due to businesses operating in high-cost areas
Rt. Hon. Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, committed to discuss the need to increase the business rates threshold with the Chancellor following a question from The Sheffield Star in the daily Government briefing on Monday 27 April
Rt. Hon. Lucy Powell MP for Manchester Central called for the business rates threshold to be increased in Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 22 April
Rt. Hon. Dominic Raab MP for Esher and Walton has passed the request onto the Treasury following local concern

The #RaiseTheBar campaign believes access to the £25,000 is the difference between survival and bankruptcy for businesses on High Streets across England and Wales, which have welcomed an outpouring of support from the public during lockdown choosing to support their local communities.

The grant will enable businesses to mitigate significant stock losses and cash flow challenges, including rent, that wage subsidies do not address. Many businesses are not in a position to take on further debt or have serious misgivings about being able to survive the recovery and service loans. Other cash pressures include suppliers, service charges and the cost of re-opening to repurchase stock and ongoing running costs.

Matthew Sims, CEO, Croydon BID and co-founder of #RaiseTheBar campaign said:

“Access to the RHLG grant is a ticking time bomb for tens of thousands of businesses on our High Streets and in our local communities. There are just eight weeks until rent is due and the prospect of going under is an uncomfortable truth the Government needs to hear and act upon now. The consequences of failing to increase the business rates threshold are to grim to bear.”

newsHelping to #Raisethebar

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Helping to #Raisethebar