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01 December 2023

Business Direct

YOUR BUSINESS NEWS FROM RICHMOND COUNCIL

Small Business Saturday - Shop Local!

Small Business Saturday - this year falls on the 2nd December - is a national campaign to celebrate the UK’s amazing small businesses. Encouraging people to shop locally and support small businesses in their communities.

Watch and emulate Cllr. Phil Giesler's visits to some of the amazing small businesses in the borough.

Watch #RichmondShopLocal

APPROACHING DEADLINES 15 Dec: Twickenham Map submission   10 Jan: Empower100 by Virgin StartUp

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 1 Dec: VisitRichmond Advents Calendar 2 Dec: Small Business Saturday

The Healthier Catering Commitment has relaunched in Richmond!

The Healthier Catering Commitment is a voluntary scheme that is promoted by local authorities to help caterers and food businesses offer healthier, nutritious food to the public. The scheme run by us, is backed by both the Mayor of London and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

Businesses who receive the award will be listed on the Council webpage and on the Healthier Catering Commitment London Website. Your business will receive a window display sticker for your premises and a certificate. Your business will also be promoted via our social media channels and to workplaces participating in offering healthy lifestyle activities for their employees.

Further information about the Healthier Catering Commitment scheme can be found here and on the Council’s webpage.

The River Thames Scheme: have your say in shaping the scheme

Working in partnership, the Environment Agency, Surrey County Council and local borough councils are delivering the River Thames Scheme (RTS).  

The scheme represents a new landscape-based approach to creating healthier, more resilient and more sustainable communities and is a scheme of national significance.

How can I shape the scheme?

In early 2024 the RTS will launch its Statutory Consultation and we encourage businesses and residents to come and have their say. They will be sharing details of events from early January 2024.

www.riverthamesscheme.org.uk 

VisitRichmond's Advent Calendar

To celebrate the festive season, VisitRichmond is launching a Christmas advent calendar giveaway on Friday 1 December, where you can enter each day for a chance to win one of 24 fantastic local prizes.

Thank you to all businesses for their generosity!

Prizes include an overnight stay at The Selwyn Hotel, midnight swim at Hampton Pool, a private group tour of Eel Pie Island Museum, High Tea at The Original Maids of Honour, Tour of Strawberry Hill House and Walpole Afternoon tea for 4 and so much more!

Click here to start

Empower 100

Empower100 has been designed to help Black, Asian and minority ethnic founders, women founders and founders with a disability, based in Greater London, unlock the potential for growth and investment in their startups.

Delivered online and in-person over 8 weeks, Empower100 is a free accelerator for founders on the move, who're ready to take on the next stage of growth, raise investment and boost their skillsets.

The programme is run every quarter and  the next one will run from 24th January – 14th March 2024. 

Deadline: Wednesday 10th January 2024

To apply and find out more

Twickenham Map

Producing the 10th annual edition of the Twickenham Map 2024 there are still some spaces available for any relevant businesses that want to be on the map!

Cafes, bars, restaurants, dentists, solicitors, venues, theatres, retailers, estate agents, sporting clubs etc. - all are included. The map is distributed for 12 months through local businesses who give them out to their customers.

It is a win win as the business giving out the maps is promoting not only their own business on the map but the other 50 businesses on the map.

Deadline: Friday 15th December

Please contact Con O'Brien

£3 million cost of living support this winter

Richmond Council has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting residents through the cost of living crisis. 

Last year the Council allocated £3 million to supporting people in the borough and deliver frontline support to those in need.

This winter, Richmond Council and its partners will continue to provide community spaces at local libraries, youth centres and other venues, offering hot drinks, activities and access to other services.

Last year the Council helped 861 households to offset their energy bills through the Fuel Grant Scheme. This year, applications will be open in December so this much needed support can be provided in the earliest part of the winter period. 

Find out more

Inclusive Employer Toolkit

Strengthening equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is not just the right thing to do, it also makes business sense. It improves staff satisfaction and boosts an organisation’s performance.

The Mayor’s Workforce Integration Network has just launched new Inclusive Employer Toolkits.

The toolkits, based on sector-specific research and tailored to varying sizes of organisation, contain practical guidance and links and will help employers support workplace equality and inclusion in four sectors: Hospitality, Healthcare, Creative industries and the Green economy.

Find out more

The most wonderful time of the year is here... Find out about the Christmas lights switch-on, the fairs, the markets and any other festivities, activities that are going on in the borough. Find out more

The Richmond Business Support Team wish you All: 

Nadolig llawen - חג מולד שמח - ¡Feliz Navidad! - ਮੈਰੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਮਸ। - God jul - Joyeux Noël - Fröhliche Weihnachten - Веселого Різдва і з Новим Роком - Nollaig shona duit -     メリークリスマス - Buon Natale - शुभ क्रिसमस - Crăciun fericit - Prettige kerstdagen - Καλά Χριστούγεννα! - Meri Kirihimete

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Key Links

• Business Rates
• Licensing and street trading
• Richmond Card Scheme
• Trading Standard

Business Hub

• Events, workshops & webinars
• Arts, Culture and creatives  industries
• Richmond Cost of Living Hub
• Workspaces