Herald - Issue 400

7th January 2021 • The HERALD • Page 47 v INDEPENDENT, LOCAL & PROUD v Sanders Design S E R V I C E S L T D BUILDING PLANS AND DETAILED DRAWING SERVICE Complete professional service for extensions, conversions, new houses and commercial projects • Computer Aided Design Drawings • Free Initial Visit and Quotation 95 Cedar Road, Hythe, Southampton SO45 3PX Tel: 023 8020 7195 Email: info@sandersdesignservices.co.uk Web: www.sandersdesignservices.co.uk ASK A PROFESSIONAL DISTRICT COUNCILLORS CELEBRATE LOCAL BUSINESSES IN NEW FOREST New Forest District Council leader, Cllr Barry Rickman and portfolio holder for economic development, Cllr Michael Harris OBE visited Lymington High Street to show their support for local retailers on Small Business Saturday, 5th December. e annual campaign to support small businesses coincided with many local retail businesses welcoming back customers for the rst Saturday in over a month, having been required to close during national restrictions. Council Leader Barry Rickman said: “Our local retail and hospitality businesses have had a really challenging year. It’s therefore vitally important that we come out and safely support these enterprises which support so many local jobs and supply chains. We have always actively supported Small Business Saturday, but the 2020 event was more important than ever”. As restrictions are li ed, the District Council has been working alongside local stakeholders including town and parish councils to implement the ‘Reopening of High Streets Safely’ programme. is supports safer shopping locally with a range of measures including introducing additional signage to promote social distancing, barriers to help safe queues, public realm measures such as planters to help create wider pavements and hand sanitiser stations. Additional resources are also provided on the council’s website to support businesses in reopening safely, including social distancing posters which can be printed out and displayed in premises. Businesses can nd support and advice on opening safely at www.newforest.gov . uk/1436 New Forest District Council leader Cllr Barry Rickman (pictured right) and portfolio holder for economic development, Cllr Michael Harris OBE (left) visited Lymington High Street to show their support for local retailers on Small Business on Saturday 5th December News of disasters in developing countries catches the eye and tugs at our wallets and purses. Hythe & Waterside Rotary Club wanted to go further by nding a way in which they could help people in need to use their own resources to improve their lives - a hand-up rather than a hand-out. ey decided to invest in Lend with Care, the micro-credit arm of Care International, a well-established charity. Using information about the entrepreneurs who are seeking loans they choose who they want to fund and how much they wish to give. So far they have decided to spread loans across a dozen countries and several di erent types of business - partly to minimise risk while they see how the scheme operates. It’s very encouraging to report that they haven’t yet had a single bad debt in spite of the very di cult situations in which many of the entrepreneurs live. Of course, they could decide at this stage to take their money back as loans are paid o . It would be the safe thing to do but as a club they want to take the risk of helping people to li themselves out of poverty with dignity. And so far it’s working! If you would like to know more about Lend with Care, or about Hythe & Waterside Rotary Club please contact secretary@hytherotary.org.uk Giving a Hand-Up not a Hand-Out