- Date Tuesday, 24 November 2020
Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on our local businesses and communities. Better Bankside is on hand to help and support you so do reach out to us if you have any issues that we can help with.
We’re listening to Bankside business owners to understand the challenges you face and how we can best respond to your needs. If you want to discuss how we might be able to help, or if you have any questions, we’re only ever a phone call away. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Back to Bankside
We know many Banksiders are keen, where possible, to cycle to work. To help those who are curious but lack confidence, we will be reintroducing the Bankside Bike Train – a series of guided cycle rides with qualified instructors picking up from various London locations and bringing you to Bankside via selected risk assessed routes. Check our events pages for any upcoming rides.
Better Bankside has always advocated the benefits of cycling but we’ve ramped up our suite of free initiatives to those who work in the area with regular Dr Bike health checks, a Brompton bike loan scheme and new secure cycle park with increased capacity and a digital, contact free entry system 24/7.
Building confidence in public spaces
Practical measures have been implemented such as on-street pedal powered hand sanitiser stations and a deep cleaning regime using anti microbial treatment on high contact touch points. If you’d like the exterior entrance to your business treated with an anti microbial treatment prior to reoccupation, please let us know. Our responsive street cleaning team continue to work hard to keep the area clean seven days a week, and our wardens act as our eyes on the ground, providing a reassuring presence in the neighbourhood.
Working in partnership with Southwark Council and TfL measures have been implemented on Borough High Street, Southwark Street and and Great Suffolk Street to allow space for physical distancing and cyclists. A new Low Traffic Neighbourhood in and around Great Suffolk Street is being trialed.
Supporting the hospitality sector
With reduced footfall in Bankside due to the pandemic, we want to support our consumer-facing businesses such as hotels, restaurants, bars, shops and venues more than ever. Are you doing any promotions? Have you launched a new menu? Do you have new imagery to share? Let us know, so we can promote these via our social media channels, website and in our marketing campaigns. Contact the marketing team with the details.
A better start to 2022
Whatever 2022 may bring, we need to look after our wellbeing. Our annual Better You programme kicked off in January with a series of events focusing on mental and physical health, and personal and professional development. These online events will help you jump-start your new year.
Keeping Banksiders connected
We’ve launched a channel in live messaging platform, Slack, to act as a space where you can quickly and easily interact with fellow Banksiders while many of us work remotely and need to react with immediacy. .
Cost saving services
- By signing up to Better Bankside’s recycling provider Paper Round, you’ll get a free allocation of mixed waste recycling sacks and subsidised collection on other waste streams such as PPE collections, coffee grounds and glass.
- Your staff and colleagues have access to a programme of free events which have been adapted to respond to new business challenges. Sessions include Mental Health First Aid Training, cyber security and business continuity planning. See events here.
Financial support
We continue to represent local businesses as a strong, unified voice lobbying on important issues, including Government grants and the business rates holiday. The government has a number of new grant schemes to support businesses affected by recent local and national restrictions. Southwark Council will be be responsible for the administration of these grants. Visit their site to check eligibility and details of the process.
This is just a snapshot of all the work Better Bankside delivers in our neighbourhood. If you have any questions or would like to discuss our
services in more detail, please get in touch. We’re keen to hear from you and understand how we are best placed to support you through this time.
