Sean Bullick, Managing Director of Make It York, said:
“The current COVID crisis has decimated Make It York’s income, just like many businesses in the city. As a result of this, our Board has taken the necessary step of asking City of York Council, Make It York’s owner, for an investment package which will enable the business to weather the current storm.
“Before Covid-19 struck, MIY had been on track to deliver a surplus to be reinvested in the city and paid as a dividend to our Shareholder, as we have done in the past few years. Should our request for financial support be granted, we are confident that this will be the case again post-crisis, facilitated by our reduced cost base, professionalisation of process across the business, and the key skills of our commercial team.
“With the steps we have already taken to reduce costs and streamline services, we believe this support would enable MIY to build back better. As we know, York is a fantastic city and I remain confident that the future is very bright for the city once we overcome the current crisis.
“The number one priority for MIY remains supporting York’s businesses and the local economy. We have a strong track record in this, with over 200 businesses supported in this quarter alone, through access to finance, start-up assistance, and marketing support, as well as providing significant grant funding support. We’re continuing to promote York for business and are focused on supporting recovery and driving the economy forward.
“Beyond this, we continue to adapt our services and offering throughout the rest of the year, ensuring we help create a strong, positive and exciting future for York beyond this crisis. Over the last few months we’ve launched a virtual Christmas Market and rolled out plans for a safe and welcoming city centre Christmas offer, as well as working on the development and delivery of York’s Culture Strategy, alongside City of York Council and York’s Cultural Leaders Group. Delivering York’s Tourism Recovery Marketing Strategy in partnership with City of York Council also continues to be a key focus – working with businesses across the city to ensure we help them recover and grow as we move into 2021.
“On a personal note, I’d like to thank our staff, City of York Council, and our partners across the city, for their continued support during this challenging time. This crisis has really shown York’s true spirit, and through collaborating and working in partnership, I believe that we can build back better and come out of this more strongly together.”
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