NEWS
FUNDING GIVES SKILLS BOOST to 15,000 young Londoners Diners swallow up meal deal
Hospitality businesses in and around Clapham Junction joined thousands of companies in signing up to the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme in August. Under the scheme, which ran on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays until August 31, prices of meals out were slashed by 50% in the Junction’s participating pubs, restaurants, bars and cafes. The half-price discount applied to all food and non-alcoholic drinks consumed on the premises, but not to food or drink served at takeaways or mobile food vans. From the bigger brands to small independents, hospitality businesses within the BID footprint served up a myriad of international cuisine from Spanish, French, American, British and Thai to Japanese, Italian, Chinese and Mexican. The diverse range of food on offer included fine dining, brasserie-style, gastro pub grub, tapas, burgers, salads, wraps, light snacks, speciality teas, continental coffees, cakes, shakes and ice-creams. The scheme offered a maximum discount of £10 per person and could save a family of four up to £40 per meal – keeping more money in families’ pockets and giving a vital boost to the UK’s hospitality sector. Customers did not need a voucher to use the scheme, which could be accessed at the same time as other offers and discounts. There was no minimum spend and diners could take advantage of the deals as many times as they liked, although there was no discount on alcoholic drinks or service charges. The discount was automatically available at participating establishments and the government reimbursed the businesses for the offer. All diners in a group of any size could use the discount.
8 | Business Connexions
More than 15,000 young Londoners benefited from an additional £2.1million investment by the mayor Sadiq Khan in activities and projects over the summer, to boost skills, improve mental health and steer young people away from becoming involved in violence. The funding helped 85 youth organisations across the capital at a crucial time, as London emerged from lockdown and ahead of the new school year. City Hall research, backed up by a UK Youth report on the impact of COVID-19, shows that lockdown has had a significant impact on young people’s mental health, wellbeing, loneliness, activity levels and future opportunities, and continues to have a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable, those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and those from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, who are likely to suffer the worst effects of the recession. The research also reveals evidence of a link between poor mental health, poverty and deprivation, and young people becoming involved in or becoming victims of serious violence.
The Mayor of London and London’s Violence Reduction Unit invested an extra £2.1 million to support projects which are dedicated to improving the wellbeing and opportunities of young people aged up to 25 across London, including some of the most vulnerable young people and their families. Sophie Linden, deputy mayor for policing and crime, said: “The mayor’s funding is supporting some of the city’s most vulnerable young people, providing crucial activities – sports and creative programmes – that help build skills, relationships and resilience. They also provide earlyintervention opportunities to prevent young people from being involved in or a victim of crime.” Since the launch of the mayor’s Young Londoners Fund in May 2018, it has supported more than 300 projects that will help more than 110,000 young people fulfil their potential, particularly those who are at risk of getting caught up in crime.
PUTNEY PEDALS gets on bike to green up the environment
Positively Putney has teamed up with the London Waste and Recycling Board to launch an innovative and unique trade waste scheme for Putney businesses.
The Putney Pedals scheme will see all trade waste collected by electric bike and transported to a nearby consolidation site for bulk collection. It is hoped that, by utilising this methodology, project partners will be able to deliver improvements in local air quality and congestion, as well as increased recycling
accessibility and performance for businesses in the area.They are currently looking for two friendly and hard-working individuals to get involved in the initiative. These individuals must have a passion for cycling, the environment and good customer service, as well as a can-do outlook and a willingness to work in all weathers.
