Thenue helps florist to access vital funding to keep her business going

A shop owner has thanked Thenue Housing for helping her secure a lifeline for her struggling florist business.

The association's staff provided vital help to allow the owner to access state funding.

The owner – whose livelihood was plunged into chaos after the premises which she commercially rents from Thenue – was ordered by the government to close in late March. This resulted in her loosing her income and placed a questionmark over whether customers would come back once she reopened.

Now, in a heartfelt thank you to the association, she wrote: “I had to share this with you since Thenue have been so understanding of the situation with covid-19. I have finally received confirmation of my business grant payment. Hip hip hooray! Many thanks for all your help.”

Thenue’s team sprung into action and made the owner aware of grants available from both the Scottish Government and the UK Government to help self employed businesses stave off collapse.

It proved a lifeline for her, and the business grant removed the immediate worry over income.

Gary Naylor, Thenue’s Head of Community Housing Services, said: “This is a piece of welcome good news at a time of immense struggle for the self employed who run their own businesses.

"Our brilliant financial inclusion and income maximisation teams are more used to helping individual tenants access benefits and dealing with housing queries. But, on this occasion, our helping hand has reached out to someone who is self employed. The result is fantastic, and the money this business owner is receiving will, undoubtedly, replace some of the lost income from her business closure.”