Entrepreneurs including Mowgli founder Nisha Katona will offer free advice for Liverpool city centre businesses reopening post-COVID as part of the Team Liverpool initiative. Tony McDonough reports
A group of high profile business leaders and entrepreneurs will offer free help and support to businesses in Liverpool looking to reopen as the COVID-19 restrictions are eased.
With COVID cases now falling fast and the vaccine rollout continuing, many non-essential retailers as well as beauty businesses will be allowed to reopen from Monday, April 12. Bars, restaurants and cafes will also will be able to start serving customers outdoors.
And, from that date, ‘Team Liverpool’ will start its drive to encourage people back into offices, retail spaces and hospitality venues in the city centre and kick-start the city’s economic recovery.
Downtown in Business, Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and Professional Liverpool are leading the Team Liverpool campaign. They are aiming to organise an event later in the year.
They will be joined by Mowgli founder Nisha Katona, Sarah Bell of DLA Piper, Donna Howitt from Liverpool One, Bill Addy, CEO of Liverpool BID Company, Stephen Cowperthwaite, Liverpool MIPIM Group, Colin Sinclair, Knowledge Quarter, and Chris Oglesby of Bruntwood.
They will be offering free advice and support for businesses who want to ensure that they are compliant with the latest health and safety requirements relating to COVID regulations. They will also spearhead a campaign urging people to get vaccinated and take regular lateral flow tests as the economy begins to open up.
Frank McKenna, chief executive of Downtown in Business, said: “Team Liverpool believes that the city centre will be the catalyst for economic recovery for Liverpool and the wider city region.
“The group has come together to encourage people to come back into the city and enjoy the fabulous assets we have here – our retail, cultural, and hospitality facilities- but also get workers back into their offices.
“Although we all recognise that there will be a more blended approach to working practices moving forward, with some staff continuing to work from home at least for part of the working week, we are also keenly aware of an increasing number of people who are desperate to get back into the office.
“They want to meet up with their work colleagues and to enjoy the great things that Liverpool city centre has to offer.”
For further details of Team Liverpool activity, call 0151 556 1897.