We all know how hard this pandemic has been on businesses everywhere.

Here in Sandwell, the Business Growth Team (the team behind Think Sandwell) is proud to have coordinated the awarding process for 5,545 Covid grants, to help keep our borough’s businesses going.

Central government made the Additional Restrictions Grants (ARG) available to councils across the country, to help businesses that were severely impacted by coronavirus restrictions. Councils were in charge of awarding them locally.

The Business Growth Team coordinated the paying out of ARG across all six Sandwell’s towns. The grants were worth a total of around £11.55m.

The grants were, as you can imagine, in high demand. They reached small and medium enterprises (SMEs), sole traders, taxi drivers and market traders.

It was not easy to get them to the right people at the right time. Many council teams worked closely with the Business Growth Team to help deliver the service – and we’re so proud of this ‘One Sandwell’ approach.

Thank you especially to officers in the finance team and the procurement and business rates team who worked tirelessly to make this all happen during a time of such uncertainty – and all with their own challenges, including working remotely.

A special shout out goes to Darshana Patel, Helen Peach, Gareth Owens, Charlie Davey, Linda Tolley and Steve Lilley.