Update From HIE Regarding Covid-19

Angela Simpson, Head of Strengthening Communities has sent out the following email offering information to local communities and businesses, along with links and contact numbers. Please see below

Dear all,

We would like to reassure you that HIE is doing all it can to gather information and work with Scottish Government to ensure that the appropriate support is reaching our communities and local economy. 

We hope to soon have more detail about how to access the recently announced Scottish Government grants to help communities affected by Covid19  

https://www.gov.scot/news/helping-communities-affected-by-covid-19

You will have seen new headlines emerging daily at a national and UK level with proposed measures to help individuals, businesses and communities. As detail becomes available, we will endeavour to keep you informed, and continue to identify obvious gaps to feedback to partners and government. 

In the meantime we can sign-post you to the following key websites and suggest you visit these on a regular basis: 

https://findbusinesssupport.gov.scot/coronavirus-advice

https://findbusinesssupport.gov.scot/service/coronavirus/coronavirus-advice

Our own website will be updated on a regular basis coupled with information updates through social media platforms

Senscot have set up a helpful website for Covid19 resources https://senscot.net/covid-19-resources/ 

Here are some key sector links: 

Creative Industries and Heritage: XpoNorth and Creative Scotland
https://xponorth.co.uk/resources/covid-19-coronavirus-resources 
https://www.creativescotland.com/what-we-do/latest-news/archive/2020/02/coronavirus-advice 

Tourism – Visit Scotland and STA
https://www.visitscotland.org/supporting-your-business/advice/coronavirus 
https://scottishtourismalliance.co.uk/sta-update/ 

UK Hospitality: 
https://www.ukhospitality.org.uk/page/coronavirus 

Federation of Small Businesses: 
https://www.fsb.org.uk/campaign/covid19.html 

Our Strengthening Communities team are currently working from home without difficulty so please keep in touch and contact us on any of these landline numbers or email: 

Angela Simpson 01463 383026   

Martin Thomsen 01463 383176 

Karina Ross 01463 575264  (Tuesday to Thursday)

We will be in touch as soon as we have more detail about support available to communities and social enterprises.

Until then, do take care

Angela Simpson

Head of Strengthening Communities – Caithness & Sutherland