Fiona McArthur – manager of Bournemouth Coastal BID
Bournemouth Coastal BID is backing the new national #BusinessSOS campaign that is impressing upon the government the risk to businesses due to spiralling energy costs.
More than 150,000 retail, leisure, hospitality and tourism firms have warned that the crisis is worse than the Covid pandemic.
There are genuine fears that the increasing costs will lead to the closure of many businesses which, among other things, will cause irreparable harm to the high street.
#BusinessSOS believes mass closures and redundancies are inevitable unless the government implements measures that alleviate the critical pressures that businesses, like households, have been facing since April 2022.
Fiona McArthur from the Coastal BID, said: “While we welcome any assistance to business, there needs to be more.
“A large part of our role as a BID is to represent levy-payers and be their voice.
“We will continue to lobby and do whatever we can to ensure our businesses can survive and weather the storm.”
Matthew Sims, Founder of #BusinessSOS campaign and CEO of Croydon BID said: “The new Prime Minister has days to save the high street as we know it.
“The impending announcement on how the Government will tackle the energy crisis facing businesses will either ensure businesses can remain trading or set in motion mass closures and redundancies.
“To say the energy crisis is worse that the pandemic is not an understatement, it is the reality facing businesses today and why the clock is ticking for the new Government to provide clarity and introduce measures providing tangible and immediate relief.”
