A CITY businesses which lost all of its bookings for 2020 in just a few weeks because of Covid has been handed a £15,000 lifeline by Worcestershire County Council.
Autograph Events received the five-figure sum from County Hall’s Here2Help business programme set up to help businesses recover, adapt and develop during the pandemic.
Autograph Events is an events company with extensive experience in planning and delivering a range of business events for clients both nationally and internationally.
To save the business, the team had to diversify and pivot their business model completely by moving all services online, which required essential funding.
After reaching out to Worcestershire County Council, the business was awarded two grants totalling £15,000 which allowed it to support the development of the business and safeguard jobs. It has also been able to hire a local graduate, who is now managing the online events full-time.
Managing director Victoria Jenkins-Leigh said: “The Here2Help Business Programme has been essential in helping us safeguard the business. In the past two months, we’ve won three new clients and we wouldn’t have achieved this without the support.
“We’ve also been able to employ additional staff to manage the growth of the business and focus on the new digital world that we find ourselves in.”
Coun Ken Pollock, cabinet member for the Economy and Infrastructure, said: “Our Here2Help Programme continues to support businesses across Worcestershire who are incredibly valued and important to our economy.
“Autograph Events is a great example of how we can work with local businesses to ensure they receive the support they need to adapt and grow despite such challenging circumstances.”
Worcestershire County Council’s Graduate Development grant was set up in response to the pandemic to improve business productivity and increase local employment opportunities.
The grant covers 50 per cent of the graduate’s salary costs for a one-year period, up to a maximum of £10,000 with the remaining 50 per cent to be provided by the business. As result of this, the County Council has approved and contracted 38 new graduate positions.
Visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/here2helpbusiness for more.
