|
Our charity has developed in exactly the way that was planned despite the ever-changing operational circumstances of Covid-19.
We have seen positive progress through our four key strategic partnership projects: The Compassionate Community Hub; our new Debt Advice Club; our enhanced DWP Partnerships; and our new partnership around a Bath Spa University Law Clinic.
A year that started on such a positive note, with a Royal Visit from HRH Princess Anne, has ended in another lockdown and remote working for us as an organisation.
It has indeed been a rollercoaster and we have had to adapt accordingly as a charity. Earlier this year we completed a full cloud migration using Microsoft Office 365, allowing us all to work together remotely and stay in touch via Teams. We have also adapted the way we use our office in Edgar Buildings, allowing us to provide a limited, Covid-secure face-to-face offer here for those most in need or unable to access our services online.
We have had to consider all options and apply for extra support, such as the Government’ s BEIS and Kickstart funding
|
as well as the Money and Pensions Advice funding announced earlier this year.
We have instigated a new“ triage” call system to handle more enquiries remotely and our website has been updated and continues to do well.
We have been able to upskill volunteers with the increased Training Supervisor resource and we are also part of the national Citizens Advice volunteer recruitment drive, helping us to prepare for the anticipated tsunami of extra enquiries over the coming months.
Our three-year strategic business plan has been updated to reflect the operational challenges of Covid and it has also been aligned with our original‘ six pillar strategy’ which guides us in our aim to deliver a sustainable, growing and successful Citizens Advice B & NES.
Turning to our Business Development and Fundraising delivery, the excellent continuing support from St Johns Foundation allowed this work to flourish under Doug Eason’ s stewardship; our Trusts and Foundations work has been most successful.
|
We are hoping that regular donations will increase with our full 80,000 leaflet mail out across B & NES and we have also applied for extra Help to Claim DWP monies alongside numerous other grants and funding.
This year has shown that we need to work together more than ever now to succeed. I must pay huge thanks and gratitude to our brilliant staff team, our amazing volunteers, our trustees and our strategic partners B & NES Council, VirginCare and B & NES 3SG. Thank you all!
Lastly, I want to add a personal thanks to Anita, Sian and the incredible Business Exchange team – we really could not do it without you. Thank you so much for all your help and support to this region and its community in a truly different year!
Keep safe and well- and here’ s to a happy and healthy 2021 to us all!
For more info: www. citizensadvicebanes. org. uk
|
les. redwood @ cab-banes. org |
|
Every business will have their own story of the impact of Coronavirus and we’ ve heard some heart-breaking ones during the course of the past year as people who have committed their life, energy and passion towards the business they loved faced the most dreadful of choices and scenarios and even wondered whether they would actually survive to tell the tale.
It has felt both an honour and a privilege at the FSB to be able to help some of these businesses where we could. Yes, significant amount of people were left out of the various support packages- something which we have been( and still are) lobbying about- but it was enormously impressive to see how our councils and banks locally used their skill and shrinking resources to speedily get grants and loans out to many in a way we’ ve never previously seen in this country.
It would be very easy now to look ahead
|
and just be filled with gloom as we consider the businesses we’ ve lost, the jobs which have disappeared and the huge uncertainty around both our personal, business and national finances. But, for all those that are really worried about whether we can ever return, I can sum up a simple reason to believe in one word – August.
As Covid numbers started to fall and the Government introduced its excellent( and totally unexpected)‘ Eat Out To Help Out’ scheme things genuinely( for one fleeting month at least) looked brighter again. Our shops were busy, restaurants and pubs and bars were doing fantastic trade and there was even a tentative( although still very small) rebirth for our especially beleaguered hospitality / tourism venues. Optimism and confidence really rose and although it was to come down quite quickly in September and October I hope that we can all remember August because that
|
showed no matter how bad things get there is still a chance of recovery.
My hope for 2021, therefore, is that some of that confidence we saw in August is returned and we have a solid revival. We know, sadly, it will be too late for some businesses but in every recession many new great businesses are formed and older ones come back looking better equipped for the future so I really, truly hope that is what we see in the coming year.
Can I just wish everyone in the area a fantastic Christmas and a happy New Year and I’ m sure I won’ t be alone in making sure I stay up till midnight on 31st December – not to welcome 2021 but just to make sure 2020 has genuinely left us....
If you want to know more about the FSB please visit www. fsb. org. uk or( for Bath), contact sam. holliday @ fsb. org. uk or( for Somerset) ruth. lambert @ fsb. org. uk
|
@ FSBGlosandWoe |
12 THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2020 |