Change It: Renew Programme

Has the Coronavirus crisis impacted your confidence or wellbeing? Our support for women in the Liverpool City Region is here to help…

We’re excited to announce our ‘Change It: Renew’ programme of support to help women across the Liverpool City Region to improve their resilience, coping mechanisms and mental wellbeing.

We understand that the Coronavirus pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges for women – many of whom have found themselves bearing the brunt of the crisis, both at work and at home.

We know that women are more likely to hold roles as frontline or key workers or to work in industries like travel and hospitality which have been the hardest hit financially.

Closer to home, we also know many women find themselves as primary caregivers for children, elderly relatives, or others in their local community. On top of this, recent lockdown measures have added yet more pressure on the most vulnerable in our communities.

It’s safe to say, we’re all in need of some support.

That’s why we are excited to bring you an extended programme of personal development support and services to help you recover and grow at this time.

‘Change It: Renew’ aims to create a safe, inclusive space for women to gather, connect and support each other through the current crisis and beyond.

We’re inviting women from right across the Liverpool City Region to access services and resources to help you improve your resilience, coping mechanisms and mental wellbeing.

Through the programme you can benefit from peer to peer support, connectivity, and online networks, so that you have appropriate support to help you address any problem areas, rebuild your life and take an active role in your local community.

It is hoped that this support will help women:

•  Be better able to access support, develop and sustain peer networks to deal with crisis issues in their lives and in the particular crisis arising from COVID 19 

• Have improved coping mechanisms and improved mental well being 

• Be prepared and supported to plan for recovery through support on deploying digital tools and technology 

• Have improved levels of resilience

The project builds on the ‘Change It’ programme which currently operates solely in Liverpool.

This new support is now open to women from all six boroughs of the Liverpool City Region, including Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Halton, St Helens, and Knowsley.

Funding from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund, is supporting ‘Change It: Renew’. Thanks to the Government and The Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport for making this possible.

Those wanting to find out more should contact hello@thewo.org.uk for more information.

Support for businesses through Covid-19

We understand that this is a worrying and uncertain time for individuals and businesses alike and so we would like to assure you that The Women's Organisation is, as always, here to support you in any way we can.

Whether this be through our team of expert business advisers who are on hand to help guide you through these difficult times and continue to thrive, or through our range of support to help individuals manage personally. We’re here for you.

This page will talk you through how we can support you and your business, along with some of the most useful links to Government guidance for your business.  

Our Services 

In response to COVID-19 we have now redesigned all our services to operate on a telephone or virtual basis.

1-2-1 Business Support:

Whether you are thinking of starting a business, sustaining your business through the current climate, or even growing your business, we have a team of expert business advisors who are here to help you through the practicalities.

Contact us via hello@thewo.org.uk to find out more or to book your 1-2-1 telephone or video appointment.  

Online Rapid Response sessions:

In response to the Coronavirus outbreak we are running a ‘Rapid Response’ series of online webinars and events designed to help your business survive and thrive. Led by industry experts, the series has so far covered topics from wellbeing and marketing, to accessing finance.

Find out what’s next on our Eventbrite page:  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-womens-organisation-1282675313

Want to find out more? Please contact our team via hello@thewo.org.uk and we can talk you through the support available for you.

Key Links for Business

We’ve gathered some of the key links for the business support available at the moment.

For the most up-to-date advice and guidance on the support available for you and your business, please visit the GOV.UK website by clicking here.

Business Support Grant Funding

You can now apply for the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF) through your Local Authority:                                               

Under the SBGF all eligible businesses in England in receipt of either Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) or Rural Rates Relief (RRR) in the business rates system will be eligible for a payment of £10,000.

Under the RHLG eligible businesses in England in receipt of the Expanded Retail Discount (which covers retail, hospitality and leisure) with a rateable value of less than £51,000 will be eligible for a cash grants of £10,000 or £25,000 per property.

Find out more: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-business-support-grant-funding-guidance-for-businesses

Top-up to local business grant funds scheme

A discretionary fund has been set up to accommodate certain small businesses previously outside the scope of the business grant funds scheme (above) because of how they pay their business rates.

This fund will be allocated on a discretionary basis by your Local Authority.

Find out more: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/top-up-to-local-business-grant-funds-scheme

Apply for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) helps small and medium-sized businesses to access loans and other kinds of finance up to £5 million.

The government guarantees 80% of the finance to the lender and pays interest and any fees for the first 12 months.

Find out more: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-the-coronavirus-business-interruption-loan-scheme

Apply for a coronavirus Bounce Back Loan

The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) enables smaller businesses to access finance more quickly during the coronavirus outbreak. You should apply for this loan directly through your business bank.

The scheme helps small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and up to 25% of their turnover. The maximum loan available is £50,000.

The government guarantees 100% of the loan and there won’t be any fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months. After 12 months the interest rate will be 2.5% a year.

Find out more: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-coronavirus-bounce-back-loan

Claim for wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Claim for 80% of your employee’s wages plus any employer National Insurance and pension contributions, if you have put them on furlough because of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Find out more: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wages-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

Check if you can claim a grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme

This scheme will allow you to claim a taxable grant of 80% of your average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering 3 months, and capped at £7,500 altogether. 

HMRC will work out if you’re eligible and how much grant you may get, but you can visit the GOV.UK website to help you understand the process and if you’ll be eligible to claim: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme

Sign up for Universal Credit

If your income has reduced significantly, or you are now out of work, we would urge you to sign up for Universal Credit. If you're already receiving benefits you should get a Better Off calculation before applying to see how your current payments might be affected.

Find out more: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/

Still unsure? 

Use this Coronavirus financial support finder to see if you and your business could be eligible for loans, tax relief and cash grants: https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder

Share your experiences with us

We are actively lobbying local and national Government on the issues which are currently affecting businesses to make sure that they are properly supported through the Coronavirus crisis. Your insights and experiences can help inform these discussions.

Whether you have successfully applied for a Government grant or have found your business outside the scope for support – we want to hear from you. Tell us how you’ve found the process, how quickly you were able to access support and any challenges you’ve faced.

Tell us via hello@thewo.org.uk and help us to represent SMEs and social businesses so we can protect jobs, incomes, and the local economy.

Our ask to Local Government: Small & social businesses MUST be able to access discretionary top-up fund easily & speedily

Last week The Business Secretary Alok Sharma announced a ‘discretionary’ fund to accommodate certain small businesses which were previously outside the scope of the business grant funds scheme, simply because of how they pay their business rates.

The announcement followed a lobbying effort led by Liverpool-based social enterprise, The Women’s Organisation, with several Liverpool City Region MPs, CEO’s and business leaders from across the Liverpool City Region adding their support. (Find out more here).

While this new £617 million discretionary fund has been welcomed as a vital lifeline for private and social businesses, The Women’s Organisation and Enterprise Hub - Liverpool City Region’s “one front door” for business support - have today written to Local Authority leaders and Cabinet Members with two key asks to ensure businesses can access the support easily and speedily.

Firstly, to ensure that Local Government expedite grant payments to SMEs and Social Businesses and secondly to ensure that is it not an onerous task for businesses to access.

Helen Millne, Deputy CEO of The Women's Organisation, (left)
with CEO, Maggie O'Carroll (right)

Maggie O’Carroll, CEO of The Women’s Organisation, says: “The priority is to get that resource out to businesses as matter of urgency as many have ongoing businesses costs and reduced income during the lockdown period. As we look forward to an easing of restrictions it will be crucial that they have the cash to aid them now and in their recovery.  

“We hope that urgency, pace and flexibility are the watchwords attached to this process and are asking for support and leadership from Local Authority leaders and Cabinet Members in ensuring that authorities right across the Liverpool City Region can expedite claims immediately and use a simple process which also protects the public purse from any attempted fraud.”

Helen Millne, Deputy CEO of The Women’s Organisation, and National Growth Programme Board member, added: “There is a concern if officials decide on a process which involves officers doing individual business assessments on proving reduced income that the grants will be unnecessarily delayed. 

“What’s more, businesses that have been in touch with their respective local authorities are being told that there is very little money and it’s a first come first serve basis. Given that there is a significant underspend in the previous round of grant resource, this is not a helpful for already distressed small business owners and social enterprises.”

In the letter issued today, The Women’s Organisation and Enterprise Hub have updated their original suggestions, as were put forward to local government and Alok Sharma MP, to reflect the discretionary fund: 

Issue 1

Businesses that operate from managed workspaces or incubators will often pay a contribution to a shared business rates where one rateable value is applied to the whole building within their tenancy or licence agreement. Indeed, this is often advised as the most appropriate method for business rates collection by the Business Rates Office when tenancy agreements are often “easy-in-and-easy-out” and would mean a lot of change in billing. 

Solution 1

Upon receipt of appropriate evidence the grant is paid to businesses with tenancies in properties with shared business rates. To prevent any fraud the following measures could also be added to check the veracity of the grant claim:

The local authority may ask:

- Managing agents or landlords to provide a declaration including a list of all legitimate tenants, including company name, size of space occupied, and confirmation that they have been paying  a contribution to the business rates prior to 11^thMarch 2020; 

- Businesses to provide their most recent tax return showing that business address and a copy of their licence/tenancy agreement; a second form of evidence such a bank statement and a copy of their licence/tenancy agreement and;
- In the application form produced by the Local Authority indicate by a tick box that their income has reduced since the onset of the crisis (as it will not be possible for officials to make a judgement on this and there simply won't be a timely evidence base to assess).

Issue 2

Social enterprises can have many structures, including charitable status. It has been suggested that as these small businesses receive mandatory relief for charities and not Small Business Rates Relief that they may  not be eligible for this additional grant from their Local Authority. 

Solution 2

We would ask that it be confirmed that Social Enterprises with the appropriate rateable value and receiving mandatory relief for charities will be eligible for this grant.

You can catch up with the original story and find out how The Women's Organisation lobbied Government on this issue, here: https://thewomensorganisation.blogspot.com/2020/04/thousands-of-businesses-missing-out-on.html
For more information on the support available through The Women's Organisation please contact hello@thewo.org.uk