Training and shop front initiatives launched to boost business in Kendal

Two exciting initiatives to increase footfall and boost business in the town centre have been launched by Kendal Business Improvement District (BID).

For the first time Kendal BID is offering businesses grants of up to £300 to help fund the cost of training and upskilling their staff.

And it has also launched a second round of shop front grants worth up to £500 each to help businesses decorate or generally improve their frontages. This scheme is being run in conjunction with South Lakeland District Council, which will match the £500 sum.

The BID has developed the initiatives to help the local economy in the wake of all the disruption caused by the COVID pandemic.

Kendal BID is a not-for-profit organisation, which aims to improve Kendal town centre, support local businesses and boost the local economy.

Denise Thompson, one of its directors, said any business within the BID’s area could apply for a training and development grant, which could also cover the costs of any travelling needed to carry out the training.

“The main criterion is that the training will improve the business,” she said. “For example, a beauty salon might use it to pay for a junior beauty therapist to go on a shellac course, or a business could perhaps pay for a member of staff to do some spreadsheet or social media training.

“If staff learn new skills the business might be able to offer a new service which will improve its financial position.

“As for the shop front grants, if a frontage looks in need of improvement people will walk past. But if it looks fresh and has ‘kerb appeal’, that will encourage people to come inside and spend money.”

Kendal BID chair Josh Macaulay added: “It is really important to get money back into our local businesses after such a tough couple of years and we think the training and development grant initiative is a fantastic way to help upskill the teams within those businesses to help make sure they are viable for the future.”

He added one of the new BID team’s priorities was to make sure all local businesses could benefit from its work and it had chosen the two new grant schemes because they would help achieve that aim.

Application forms for both schemes can be downloaded on the Kendal BID website kendalbid.co.uk

Once completed they can be emailed to the BID or taken by hand to the offices of Westmorland Homecare.

Late last year Kendal BID funded the dscvr Kendal app, which highlights shops, food and drink establishments, businesses, attractions and varied things to do in the town.