New £1 billion Grant for UK businesses affected by COVID!

The Government has announced it is introducing a new £1 billion Grant for UK businesses affected by COVID – especially businesses in the hospitality, leisure and cultural sectors affected by the Omicron variant.

“With the surge in Omicron cases, people are rightly exercising more caution as they go about their lives, which is impacting our hospitality, leisure and cultural sectors at what is typically the busiest time of the year.

That’s why we’re taking immediate action to help with an extra £1 billion in grants to these industries and reintroducing our Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme.”

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson

In summary:

• Businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors will be eligible for one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises. More than £100 million discretionary funding will be made available for local authorities to support other businesses
• The Government will also cover the cost of Statutory Sick Pay for Covid-related absences for small and medium-sized employers across the UK
• £30 million further funding will be made available through the Culture Recovery Fund, which will enable more cultural organisations in England to apply for support during the winter months
• Around 200,000 businesses will be eligible for business grants and will be administered by local authorities and available in the coming weeks. These include businesses that supply hospitality & care sectors.

(You can read the full article on the Government website here)

For further advice please contact Haggards Crowther on 020 7384 0920 or visit our website www.haggards.co.uk.

Andrew Haggard FCA

Andrew founded Haggards Crowther with his brother in 2004 and took over as Managing Partner in May 2023. He has always been closely involved in client work, in particular providing high level strategic tax and structuring advice, business advice and supporting the technical and compliance teams.

As Managing Partner, he has focussed on growing the business and ensuring the firm upholds its core values of Quality of Service, Innovation, Collaboration and Integrity. These remain central to all that we do both internally and in serving our clients.

A Fulham resident for over 30 years Andrew is closely connected with the local business community and supporting many of them on their journeys. He is especially linked with fellow start-up entrepreneurs advising them on their growth strategies and optimal structures.

A passionate Fulham FC supporter, along with his two sons, Andrew rarely misses a game. He plays and coaches volleyball, something he has done since university in Edinburgh, and which offsets another of his passions: exploring the vast and diverse range of food that London’s restaurants have to offer.

He has a keen interest in many conservation projects especially in protecting endangered species of birds and actively supports the Mabula Project in South Africa. This charity supports the Southern Ground Hornbill, a charismatic species of cultural and ecological importance threatened by loss of habitat through the encroaching development of the savannah.