Coronavirus business update: Latest news across the North West

A new funding package has ensured the viability of several North West hotels

Warrington-based Bespoke Hotels, which provides hotel management services for more than 80 properties worldwide including Hotel Gotham in Manchester, The Chester Grosvenor and The Mill at Chester, has secured a £725,000 funding package from Barclays through the Government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

The funding has provided three North West hotel businesses with the liquidity needed to survive the lockdown period and be in a position to reopen and preserve hotel jobs.

Hotel Gotham and The Mill at Chester both recently reopened successfully and The Chester Grosvenor, a 5-star luxury hotel and spa, will be reopening on August 27.

Bespoke Hotels was founded in 2000 and has grown into the UK’s largest independent hotel group, managing more than 5,000 hotel rooms and 6,000 employees and £525m of assets spanning the length and breadth of the country and overseas.

It continues to add more properties to its representation portfolio. Last week it finalised a five-year hotel management deal on 40 ex-Shearings Hotels with almost all of the sites from the Bay, Coast & Country and Country Living collections which went into administration in May joining the Bespoke Hotels banner.

Bespoke Hotels is also set to open a second Hotel Gotham in Glasgow in Spring 2021, six years after the original launched in Manchester, with further hotels expected to open in London, Birmingham, Brighton and Bath.

Haydn Fentum, Bespoke Hotels chairman, said: “Barclays were outstanding at dealing with our request for a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan. The support from their dedicated hospitality and leisure team with their knowledge of the challenges and issues facing the sector, mean these iconic North West hotels have been able to come through the challenge of lockdown whilst preserving local jobs and keeping the supply chain intact.”

Keith Herod, director for Barclays Corporate Banking, said: “Bespoke Hotels benefits from an excellent reputation built over many years, coupled with a highly unique portfolio of venues.

“When the pandemic forced its hotels to close our understanding of the client and close relationship meant we could act quickly and appropriately to meet the new challenges they were up against in terms of providing vital liquidity and securing jobs until they could reopen their doors.”

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Cllr Mick Warren

The Government has recently announced emergency assistance of £63m to be distributed to local authorities in England.

Cheshire East Council has been allocated £326,292.53 to use to support groups who are helping people who are struggling to afford food and other essentials due to COVID-19.

This additional funding will be used to build on the success of the authority’s community response and recovery fund.

It is primarily aimed at supporting organisations to assist residents who are struggling to afford food and other essentials due to the economic impact caused by COVID-19 and is now open to those groups and organisations that want to help communities through the crisis.

Local charities and community organisations already can apply for grants towards the cost of getting food and other essentials to those who need it the most and by delivering essential COVID-19 related services.

Cllr Mick Warren, Cheshire East Council’s cabinet member for communities, said: “Our share of this government funding will help to ensure our most vulnerable residents continue to get access to food and other essentials at this challenging time.

“Our priority will be allocating grants where the need is greatest and other eligible projects that fall into categories such as food banks, soup kitchens, meal and shopping delivery, food distribution and lunch/breakfast clubs.”

Local charities and voluntary groups, including faith-based organisations taking an active role in responding to urgent needs of Cheshire East residents who have suffered from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, can apply for these new funds.

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National debate regarding the merits of children heading back to school next month aside, the impending return to the classroom for youngsters has spelled a welcome upturn in fortunes for Manchester-based shoe repair and key cutting chain, Timpson.

Parents queueing outside schoolwear shops to stock up on essential uniform items must have been replicated outside many Timpsons high street stores, according to group chief executive, James Timpson.

Tweeting under his Twitter handle, @JamesTCobbler, Mr Timpson revealed the business had been doing a storming business over the past few days, particularly in key cutting services.

He said: “Today was the best days (sic) trading we’ve had since we started to reopen after lockdown. Key cutting is always at its peak for back to school … lots of keys were cut today!”