The Cheltenham BID team have been making weekly trips in to the town centre to offer two-metre social distancing stickers to open and closed businesses in preparation for when the town starts to slowly re-open. The town centre currently has around 30 businesses that are ‘open for business’, these include banks and building societies, pharmacies, […]

Planning for the next 90 days is vital for the local business owner. With the world changing so quickly it is important that you have a plan to allow you to stay focused, manage your time but also that gives you the flexibility to change with the world around you.  Cheltenham BID’s most recent business […]

We all realise that, even when lockdown is lifted, things are going to look very different and business will need to operate with a completely new model. With the recent announcement by the government that some businesses may be looking at reopening as soon as June, Cheltenham BID wants to help ensure you have as much […]

• 54,6381 businesses across England and Wales are currently unable to access the £25,000 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant [RHLG] according the #RaiseTheBar campaign • ‘Discretionary fund’ to Local Authorities falls short of £748m to help businesses in need. #RaiseTheBar has calculated a total of £1.365bn is needed to support all 54,638 businesses in need2 […]

It is not clear when businesses will re-open and the final decision on this will be made by Government and the public health experts. However, employers need to be ready for when we start to think about preparing for the re-opening of some shops and it is likely that some virus control restrictions will continue […]

The Cheltenham Trust (The Trust) is a registered charity that was established in 2014 to manage the town’s iconic venues, the Cheltenham Town Hall, The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum, Pittville Pump Room, Leisure at Cheltenham and Prince of Wales Stadium on behalf of Cheltenham Borough Council. The charity stood out during this unprecedented time […]

Cheltenham BID held their second COVID-19 business support call, which was open to all BID levy payers. Concerns were raised on the first call back on April 2 around a lack of flexibility from some landlords around rents that are due. Some landlords were demanding payment without offering any sort of delay or alternative. Since […]

These are unprecedented times for our economy at a local, regional, and national level. Industry leaders, political figures and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) are calling on the Government to support businesses within the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors who have a rateable value of more than £51,000. Cheltenham BID is supporting the new #RaiseTheBar campaign, […]

HMRC has confirmed that the new portal for employers to register and claim for furloughed staff will open on Monday April 20. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been created by the government to support businesses and protect the UK economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The scheme is designed to help businesses keep their employees […]

To everyone working in the UK’s retail sector – you are valued. Read the letter to the retail sector from the Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

What are the main concerns for Cheltenham businesses as they tackle the impact of the coronavirus? What funding and support is there to help them and what further help do they need? It was questions like these that inspired Cheltenham BID to hold its first video conference call for our businesses. It proved to be […]

After representations from Cheltenham BID, it’s great to see Cheltenahm Bourough Council leader Steve Jordan calling on commercial landlords to work with tenants to make new rent arrangements as the impact of COVID-19 bites in so many ways. In an open letter to commercial landlords the leader of the council encourages both landlords and tenants […]

Primark reopened its doors on Monday 15 June after three months of lockdown. Kevan Blackadder, Director of Cheltenham BID, said: “I was so impressed with the preparations that have been made by Kristan and his team. Kristan , Primark store manager said: “The most important thing for a large store like this to get right […]

The Eat Out to Help Scheme started last week, and the BID made sure all eligible businesses knew how to register, the terms and conditions and how to claim. Our ambassadors have spoken to some businesses who have given positive feedback on how the scheme is already helping them. The BID is also working with […]

Cheltenham BID has pulled together an overview of the support and guidance which is available to businesses during these challenging times. This information is correct at the time of publication. Use this link for the most up to date advice from Cheltenham Borough Council. Protection from eviction – Commercial tenants who cannot pay their rent […]

Cheltenham BID has stepped in to help Cheltenham Borough Council act quickly to support businesses eligible for grants during the coronavirus epidemic. The council has received £24.5 million from Government and grants have already started to be paid out. Payments will continue to be made daily.  The council is one of the first local authorities […]

As lockdown has eased, we have been delighted to welcome businesses back into town for the first time since March. The BID team made weekly trips into the town centre to put down social distancing stickers in preparation for when the town began to reopen. We contacted those businesses where the largest queues were likely […]

What the BID did during lockdown Cheltenham BID stepped in to help Cheltenham Borough Council be one of the first Local Authorities to pay eligible businesses their grants during the coronavirus epidemic. The BID was able to help by contacting more than 100 businesses to ensure they completed documents needed by the council to make […]

Before Lockdown Incom Gaming was a bustling hub of tabletop gaming in the centre of Cheltenham. During Lockdown they have increased their sales by 40% via online purchases and continue to ship daily games and gaming accessories. If you’re looking for a game for the family times, adventures on your tabletop, or something for that […]

A local Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic consultant and leader, Katie Chapman, has opened up her ‘NYR Shop’ to us and donating all commission from all sales to us when someone shops from this webshop link between today and Monday at midnight. ​You might already know and use Neal’s Yard Remedies ethical and organic products or […]