We Need your help

Harrow Council has announced it is planning to cut its funding to Harrow in Business (HiB) from April 2011.

The budget was approved by the Council at its cabinet meeting 10^th March 2011.

As the only locally operating business support organisation providing help to new young and micro businesses, we feel the impact of these cuts would be a travesty and may well threaten HiB’s future existence.

We cannot understand the logic of this move at a time of

• Rising unemployment,
• Unemployment in young people running at 20%,
• Insufficient local jobs available
• Public sector jobs cuts adding to the number unemployed
• Rising demand for business support
• Government expectations that businesses will create growth and new jobs to lead the country out of recession
• An already beleaguered local business community
• Rising number of vacant shops
• The National Business Link service ceasing to exist in November 2011

The Government reduced the Council’s budget by less than 10% yet the cuts being imposed on Harrow in Business equate to 100% over 2 years.  All this comes at a time when the Councils own expectation is that 3,000 new local jobs will be created in the near future.

It doesn’t add up.

If you are a small business, an individual who has utilised our subsidised services in the past, or even an individual considering becoming self employed in the future these cuts will affect you and further reduce the poor levels of support available.

Please sign this petition and forward this link to all your business contacts to let Harrow Council know that local businesses, have a voice are important and need this kind of local support in the future.

In addition, you can copy and paste the attached below and send your own personal objections direct to the following.

Councillor Bill Stephenson, Leader of the Council, bill.stephenson@harrow.gov.uk.

Councillor Keith Ferry, Planning, Development and Enterprise Portfolio Holder keith.ferry@harrow.gov.uk

Councillor Susan Hall Leader of the Conservative Group susan.hall@harrow.gov.uk

Gareth Thomas MP - gareth.thomas@harrowlabour.org

Bob Blackman MP bob.blackman.mp@parliament.uk

Dear (Name - see above)

As a local / resident / business, I strongly object to the planned funding cuts to Harrow in Business

I have signed a petition on www.petitions24.com/save_your_local_business_support - to that effect and as a responsible representitive of Harrow I would demand that you do everything within your remit to prevent these cuts from gowing ahead.

I would welcome your earliest response

Signed