The support offered by Croydon Council to get hundreds of residents into jobs and enable small businesses to grow has been awarded as the best in the capital.
Croydon Council won the Best All-Round Small Business Friendly Borough category at yesterday’s Small Business Friendly Borough Awards, supported by the London region of the Federation of Small Businesses and London Councils.
Croydon Council has focussed its efforts in introducing a number of initiatives in order to support the borough’s small businesses, including:
• Last year’s Croydon Means Business programme, which delivered support to more than 4,500 business delegates
• Free job brokerage service Croydon Works, which has got 700 of the borough’s residents into work
• Croydon Enterprise Loan Fund, which supports businesses to start, develop and grow, offering investment finance to companies that may not be able to get it elsewhere.
These initiatives were built on following the introduction of the business-led small business commission, which led to improvements in offers to employers.
The council was nominated in two other categories at the awards held at the Bloomsbury Hotel in London:
• Best Small Business Friendly Procurement to Support Local Trade
• Best Programme to Reduce Impact of Crime on Small Businesses (in partnership with Croydon Business Improvement District (BID))
As part of the day, councillor Manju Shahul-Hameed, cabinet member for economy and jobs, was invited to speak on a panel about reducing crime and the impact it can have on small businesses. She discussed the strong collaborative approach the council had with key partners, including Croydon BID and the Metropolitan Police, as it continued to work to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
“Congratulations to our staff and partners for their work in helping us win this award. I’m delighted for everyone involved.
“We’ve said many times before Croydon is open for business – and this award success shows that statement is true.
“We can’t deliver our offer without the collaborative effort of our partners, including Croydon Business Network. Together we can ensure the right support is there for our borough’s businesses and residents.
“Let’s use this award to make sure we keep providing an offer that continues to make our borough an attractive place to live and work.”
Councillor Manju Shahul-Hameed, cabinet member for economy and jobs
