Fareham Borough Council has relaunched its Shop Local Shop Safe campaign as non-essential retailers across the borough opened their doors to the public for the first time in more than three months.
The Council is putting a number of measures in place to support retailers and traders to bring shopping centres and parades back to life while continuing to keep people safe from the virus.
Shop Local Shop Safe flags have been hoisted in the non-pedestrianised part of the town centre to make it a more welcoming environment and to encourage people to use local traders and shops.
The Council has already launched a fully-funded programme of support for businesses across the borough. The programme is completely free and available to any business within Fareham’s town and district centres including Locks Heath, Titchfield, Stubbington, Warsash, Park Gate and Portchester.
The six-week programme of training webinars and one-to-one financial advice is available throughout April and May on a variety of topics to help businesses survive and thrive following the pandemic.
More information is available via Business South’s event page and businesses can register for the webinars and training programmes by emailing info@enterprisesouth.co.uk
The programme also provides business owners with access to a support platform, courtesy of www.SaveTheHighStreet.org, which includes services such as a free business ‘Health Check’ survey, a personal action plan, weekly updates of ideas and resources, help with improving trading, reducing costs and much more.
In addition, the Council has been allocated funding from the Government to ‘Welcome Back’ visitors and shoppers to our high streets and seaside locations. The idea of the project is to provide people with reassurance that they can shop and socialise in a Covid secure way. Full details are yet to be published on the fund but will be announced when the details are known.
The rule changes from April 12th include:
- All shops can reopen
- Hairdressers, beauty salons and other close-contact services can open
- Restaurants and pubs are allowed to serve food and alcohol to customers sitting outdoors
- Gyms, spas, zoos, theme parks, libraries and community centres can all open
- Members of the same household can take a holiday in England in self-contained accommodation
- Non-essential journeys between England and Wales are allowed
- Up to 15 people can attend weddings and 30 can attend funerals
- Children can attend any indoor children’s activity
- Care home visitors will increase to two per resident
- Driving lessons can resume, with tests restarting on 22nd April
However, people taking advantage of the relaxed rules are urged to still show caution with the Government urging everyone to remember “hands, face, space and fresh air” to suppress the virus while the vaccination programme continues.
