April 24 coronavirus update for businesses

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Pendle Council reaches out to businesses

Pendle businesses are being urged not to miss out on business grants during lockdown. The council has £26.4m in government funding to pay businesses grants to enable them to survive. Cash grants of £10,000 and £25,000 are available and Pendle Council wants all businesses which are eligible to apply.

So far Pendle Council has received 1,923 grant applications out of an expected total number of around 2,300. Council chief executive Dean Langton said: "It’s vital that Pendle businesses get the financial support they are entitled to."

Pendle Council coronavirus support

Lancashire firm seeks PPE

A Lancashire manufacturer is seeking a supply of approved PPE in order to adapt its working environments to meet government safety protocols. The goal is to acquire large quantities (volume to be confirmed, but likely to be in excess of 100,000 per year) without impacting essential supplies to NHS and other care providers. Potential suppliers should email [email protected] for more details.

Connect Childcare launches homeschooling tracker

Nelson-based software firm Connect Childcare has launched a new feature within its existing ParentZone app – ParentHub – to help parents home-school their children and track their learning experiences during COVID-19.

Capable of tracking a youngsters’ educational development, ParentHub features content surrounding meals, recipes and home activities, plus useful links and apps. Connect has collaborated with early years nutrition expert, Louise Mercieca, and BBC Bitesize to generate and share the information.

CEO Chris Reid (pictured) said: “It’s always been important for children to continue their development outside of the nursery or childminder setting, but it’s never been more pivotal than it is now. The main objective of ParentHub is to improve outcomes for children – enabling parents to keep practitioners in the loop with their child’s learning, by sending observations made at home. For example, parents can upload photos of them completing activities, and nursery staff can then interact and respond. It’s also about making sure parents, nursery staff and childminders feel supported and not alone in these difficult times."