‘Raise the Bar’, created by Croydon BID and Andrew Taylor of Mr Fox Croydon, lobbied the Government to increase the arbitrary business rates threshold requirement in the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant (RHLG) from £51,000 to £150,000, to enable access to the vital £25,00 grant which many businesses would have otherwise been exempt from receiving.
The campaign, supported by national trade bodies, partners and politicians, created a unified approach which stretched across the country through the collective voice of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), shining a light on the issue in every region of England, Scotland, and Wales.
It was calculated that the change in policy would support over 56,000 businesses at a time of great need and cost over £1bn to deliver. The combined efforts of partners from across the country as part of this and other campaigns brought a change in policy, opening an essential funding stream for businesses within the retail, hospitality and leisure sector in February 2021.
I am delighted to receive the award on behalf of Croydon BID and our many partners. In driving the Raise The Bar campaign, we were committed to representing our members locally, regionally and nationally and this is a great illustration of the hard work, commitment and determination in delivering for our business community.
ATCM, who are one of the largest not-for-profit membership organisations dedicated to promoting the vitality and viability of urban centres across the UK and the Republic of Ireland, awarded Croydon BID ‘Best Business Support’ on 21st June 2022 – a category highlighting schemes that best supported a businesses or businesses through the pandemic either in lockdown or recovery.
