Quick Updates – New Business Rates Discretionary Fund and some case studies from CMLs during the Lockdown

May 5, 2020

Morning colleagues. I trust you are all well. A few quick updates, and hope you find them useful.

New Business Rates Discretionary Fund

A discretionary fund has been set up to accommodate certain small businesses previously outside the scope of the business grant funds scheme.  To find out more please select link to the announcement made over the weekend. The allocation of funding will be at the discretion of local authorities and the fund is aimed at small businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs and small charity properties that would meet the criteria for Small Business Rates Relief are to be prioritised.

Whats happening in some CMLs during the Lockdown? Book Ordering/Collection, Home Deliveries and Online activities

Five (5) case studies from Garden Suburb Community Library, Corbett Library, Harbury Village Library,  Upper Norwood Library Hub and Jesmond Library

  • Garden Suburb Community Library in London are now offering a book ordering / collection scheme to their readers. Click HERE to learn about the scheme.
  • Harbury Village Library also started a Home Delivery Service. People select books from the online catalogue of their own collection of books (c. 4000 items). Volunteers then prepare and deliver the books. Extensive precautions are taken (see website for details). They are only serving a small, compact, rural village with virtually no homes of multiple occupancy.  There is also the Takeaway Shelf:  Harbury receive many donations of books, some they have already and some they don’t want to add to their collection. In normal times these books are put out on Takeaway Shelves in the library foyer. Since last Monday a selection of these books has been put on a wheeled shelf which is placed outside the library from 10 am to 12 noon. Volunteers ensure social distancing recommendations are followed. For more information: Website: Blue Label Books – Harbury Village Library  Facebook: Harbury Village Library & Biblio’s Cafe

Thank you.