Wakefield Council offers businesses a range of Covid posters, stickers and banners to support reopening

Materials include social distancing stickers for outdoor seating, social distancing posters for window fronts, face mask posters, maximum capacity posters, drinks coasters/beer mats, disability posters, bunting, standing feather banners and vinyl banners.

By displaying the materials, business owners can help their customers remember to follow hands, face, space guidance to protect themselves and their local community.

From April 26, business owners will be able to collect the smaller items from their local library. Wakefield Council reminds businesses to check their library’s opening times before visiting. For a list of libraries in the district, please visit: www.wakefield.gov.uk/about-the-council/staying-safe/supporting-business.

If businesses would like to display the large vinyl banners, feather banners or bunting, please contact Wakefield First by emailing [email protected] to enquire and arrange delivery. When emailing, businesses are asked to name the subject of their email ‘COVID-19 signage request’.

The Council also has a range of posters for businesses that can be downloaded and printed: www.wakefield.gov.uk/Pages/about-the-council/wakefield-council-covid-19-resource-centre.aspx.

Mark Lynam, Wakefield Council’s Corporate Director for Regeneration and Economic Growth, said: “We want to do everything we can to support our local businesses to reopen safely and effectively after a very challenging year. Over the last week, it has been great to see our city centre and towns bustling once again. We know that many businesses have been working incredibly hard in the preparation for reopening, and we wish them every success.

“We must work with businesses to help deliver clear and consistent public health messages to ensure that our residents follow Government guidance. We also must make sure that businesses take all necessary steps to be COVID- secure. Let us continue to work together and do all we can to ensure that we continue to reduce infection rates in our district.”

The initiative is part of the Council’s over-arching plan to support the district’s economic recovery from the global pandemic.

A range of initiatives are underway to support residents and businesses, many of which are led by the work of the Wakefield Recovery Board, established last year by the Leader of Wakefield Council. These include a series of webinars aimed to help businesses, virtual events to encourage learning and networking and a new portal that will showcase the business support available from partners.

The Recovery Board includes representatives from Wakefield Council, West Yorkshire Police, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group, Department for Work and Pensions, Wakefield College, Wakefield and District Housing, Mid Yorkshire Chambers of Commerce, NOVA, Citizens Advice Bureau, Federation of Small Businesses and the Wakefield Business Improvement District and other business sector representatives.