 On 21st of December 2021 central government announced that all Local Authorities will be provided with additional ARG funding. This is to take into account the impact that the new Omicron Variant is having on businesses.
We are working hard to get scheme guidance detailing eligibility criteria and on-line application forms ready for Portsmouth businesses to apply. We plan that these will be ready next week for
- Omicron Hospitality & Leisure Fund (OHLG)
- Omicron Additional Restrictions Grant (Omi ARG).
More information with a link to the scheme guidance and application form will be sent out in this Business E-Bulletin . In the meantime please do not call our Business Helpline.
 Cumberland Infant School in Portsmouth have received a funding boost from Portsmouth City Council's Crowdfund CIL Transformation Fund to reach their target to fund their Community Wilding Project.
The Southsea school has raised a total of £11,710 of which £1,000 came from the CIL Transformation Fund. The money will fund green wild spaces around the school where the children can look after plants, grow fruit and vegetables, and learn about the insects, birds and other animals that the green areas will attract.
Cllr Hugh Mason, Cabinet Member for Planning Policy & City Development, said: " I am delighted that the CIL Transformation fund is benefiting local projects such as the Cumberland Infant School's Wilding Project.
With a New Year and new start, we want to remind local organisations that funding support through the CIL Transformation Fund is available for great ideas that benefit our communities in Portsmouth.
Projects that can qualify include buying new equipment for a community group, building and open space improvements to existing community spaces, public art, street furniture and safety infrastructure like zebra crossings"
 Portsmouth’s leading workspace, Lakeside North Harbour, has secured its second-largest deal on the Solent Corridor since the last COVID-19 lockdown, as leading insurance broker Markerstudy Broking takes 11,259 sq ft of space.
The relocation of Markerstudy Broking’s pet, gadget and ancillary insurance business from its current premises on Kingston Crescent, Portsmouth, follows an 18-month period of rapid growth as pet ownership soared during the pandemic, with an additional 3.2 million UK households acquiring a pet.
Ross Hallifax, Affinity Director at Markerstudy Broking said “Lakeside was the ideal choice for us, and presented a great opportunity for a ‘new beginning’ in the New Year to drive the business forward.”
Markerstudy Broking is expected to relocate to Lakeside in February and will join a diverse collection of existing occupiers already benefiting from Lakeside’s modern facilities, unique surroundings and vibrant community, including IBM, Virgin Media and Capita. The destination recently announced a string of new occupiers, Eco House Solutions, Visitor Chat and Service Supply Network.
 A Portsmouth wine enthusiast who posts wine reviews on Instagram plans to open her own shop after qualifying as a sommelier.
Lucy Reynolds, 34, from Southsea, previously worked in corporate marketing production based in London, but when the pandemic caused her to work from home she decided to pursue her interest in wines.
Lucy started a sommelier course in October 2020 and graduated last summer, which has allowed her to become a fully qualified wine connoisseur. She said that over lockdown she decided she wanted to invest her time into something she really enjoyed.
Last October Lucy took part in Abri’s ‘Create’ self employment training course, which is supported by Portsmouth Council and aims to help people set up their own businesses by giving them all the tools and information they need.
Abri's award-winning "Create" course is FREE and provides a step-by-step guide covering the fundamentals of self-employment and what any new entrepreneur should ideally be considering at an early stage. It covers legalities, financials, marketing, branding, how to create a business model and how self-employment effects benefits.
Lucy plans to open a shop in Southsea with her brand Wines by the Sea in the coming months,
 If you're interested in good health and wellbeing for all in our city, you can see the latest Health and Wellbeing strategy proposal from Portsmouth's Health and Wellbeing Board partnership.
The strategy proposal prioritises tackling poverty, improving educational attainment, creating positive relationships in safer communities, housing and air quality and active travel. You can go online to find out what's being proposed and have your say by completing the online survey before 11:59pm on 21 January 2022.
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