MyMiltonKeynes announces BID Recovery Fund

From 1 April 2021, retail & leisure businesses in Central Milton Keynes, who pay the Business Improvement District (BID) levy and have been unable to trade during lockdowns, can apply for a recovery grant, thanks to MyMiltonKeynes.

Funding has been created for BID members who paid their levy for the 2020/21 financial year, but have been unable to open and have no online revenue stream.

Despite the unprecedented challenges of the past 12 months, MyMiltonKeynes has worked harder than ever for the businesses and wider community in the city.

It has provided everything from community support in the very early stages of the pandemic, delivering food parcels to shielded residents and PPE to the NHS, to working with key organisations to support businesses to reset, restart and recover. Not to mention, the introduction of a drive-in cinema at Halloween and Christmas, which provided much needed family entertainment, encouraged increased visitor footfall for takeaway and click and collect services in CMK and raised more than £13,000 for MK Food Bank.

The team at MyMiltonKeynes has also been busy volunteering at MK Food Bank and has provided support to NHS vaccination centres in MK.

This activity has all been in addition to the ongoing improvement role of the BID, with landscapers continuing to keep Central Milton Keynes clean, MyMiltonKeynes’ Police Officers providing increased safety and advice to employees and visitors and regular maintenance to further enhance the public realm.

Melanie Beck MBE, explains: “We are really pleased to have created this recovery fund, which will support our leisure and retail BID Members who have been impacted the most during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I am immensely proud of how so many businesses in Central Milton Keynes have adapted to the challenges of the past year and have been acutely aware of the many that have not been able to be as flexible as others. It is those businesses that we now really need to support.”

Kevin Duffy, Centre Director at centre:mk says: “The creation of MyMiltonKeynes’ BID Recovery Fund is inspired and it’s great to see the BID going above and beyond to find new ways to offer support to those retailers and leisure businesses most affected by COVID. We urge any of our occupiers, based within centre:mk, who are eligible for this new grant to apply.

“We remain open for essential retail, click and collect and takeaway services and look forward to reopening fully and welcoming visitors back to centre:mk very soon.”

Visit www.mymiltonkeynes.co.uk/recoveryfund for further information and to apply for a grant from the BID Recovery Fund.

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