WORCESTER Business Improvement District (BID) has secured substantial additional ‘Peer to Peer’ funding for High Street businesses to access during the Covid pandemic.

The funding comes in the form of free ‘Peer to Peer’ Covid adaptation training (High Street cohort) which businesses can sign up for today.

This Government-funded training runs for 12 weeks from January 25 via a weekly Zoom event.

Worcester businesses can sign up for free of charge to the 18 hours of facilitated learning plus free of charge 3.5 hours one-to-one support with the facilitator.

The specialist facilitators supporting Worcester businesses include Institute of Place Management and The High Streets Task Force (attracting customers back to the High Street; Covid adaptation and place management survival for the High Street), Heart of Worcestershire College (digital marketing and effective leadership skills), Bishop Fleming (cashflow forecasting and management finance services) and HR Champions (mental health in the workplace and good management and communications). Samantha McCarthy, from Worcester BID, said: “This is a phenomenal opportunity for Worcestershire businesses to access now, and to work together as a business community to plan for post-Covid change and growth.

“This training will be essential to survive current changes to the High Street and identify the green shoots.

“It is open to county-wide businesses meeting certain criteria, not just BID levy paying businesses. The varied areas of content of the course will support High Street and county businesses through the pandemic now, developing Covid adaptation and then out the other side, through interactive action learning.

“Business owners can discuss specific concerns with the expert facilitators to build and strengthen their business, helping improve its overall performance through Covid-19 and beyond.”

To find out more and to sign up for the Peer to Peer training, please visit https://worcesterbid.com/peer2peer/

To learn more about Worcester BID, go to worcesterbid.com