Left to right: Tim Aker (FSB), Cllr Trevor Bartlett, Aly Young (FSB), and Cllr Chris Vinson
Dover District Council (DDC) was formally presented with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Local Government Award for ‘Best Programme of Business Support in the Southeast’ at a networking breakfast of the district’s small business community at the Dover Marina Hotel on 8 December.
Thirty-five small business owners who received grants from DDC joined the Leader of the Council, Cllr Trevor Bartlett, and Cllr Chris Vinson, cabinet member for finance, along with local solicitor, Aly Young, volunteer lead for the FSB in the Dover district, and Tim Aker, FSB Development Manager.
Cllr Trevor Bartlett said: “Small businesses are a vital part of the district’s local economy playing a key role in our town centres and rural communities. The networking breakfast was a great way to bring these businesses together to share ideas and plans.”
Tim Aker, Development Manager at the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “We’re delighted to recognise Dover District Council for its proactive support for small businesses. It was great to see so many small businesses thriving in the district, and we look forward to building the small business network in the district.”
DDC received the FSB Award for its pilot project which saw it retain 100% of Business Rates and used the income to introduce a business grant scheme to support small businesses.
The Council introduced two town centre grants for empty properties and shop front renovations to support ongoing efforts to support town centres, and a green energy grant for businesses located anywhere in the district.
To date, DDC has awarded 66 grants, helping to bring 22 empty properties back into use, renovating 31 shop fronts, and helping 13 small business introduce more sustainable and carbon-free measures.
Posted on 09 December 2022