Stirling’s Business Improvement District has funded protective aids to keep traders and shoppers safe during the Covid-19 crisis.
The team at Go Forth Stirling is providing sneeze shields and floor stickers, which highlight the two-metre social distancing rule, to support the city’s businesses.
The aids have been delivered to various shops and restaurants, including Archie’s Pet Shop, The Blue Lagoon, Europa Music and Stirling Health Food Store, as part of the BID’s #Keeping Stirling Safe campaign.
The initiative is part of Go Forth’s comprehensive programme to assist companies during the crisis and is funded in association with the Covid-19 BIDs Resilience Fund.
The £1 million funding package aims to help Scotland’s 37 active BIDs play a vital role in supporting local businesses and town centres during the crisis.
Go Forth Stirling Project Director Danielle McRorie-Smith said: “We decided to launch this initiative after realising some of our businesses, who are allowed to open under the current rules, were struggling to fund and source the necessary protective equipment.
“We’ve now stepped in to provide that in the form of sneeze shields, which can be attached to existing till points, and floor stickers branded with the #Keeping Stirling Safe message.
“We’ve contacted BID members to find out who would benefit from the equipment and have had a huge response.
“Our initial priority is to support businesses which are already open and we’ll then move on to help those who will be getting ready to open in the coming weeks and months.
“We are delivering the shields and stickers to as many Stirling shops, banks, cafes and restaurants as possible over the next few weeks.”
Texy Vera runs Vera Artisan Bakery in Barton Street and has been offering her customers home delivery and pick up services.
She was delighted to receive sneeze guards and stickers after finding it difficult to source this type of equipment for her bakery.
She said: “Now that we’re phasing down from lockdown and some customers want to come in and pick their orders up from the shop, the shields and stickers provided by Go Forth Stirling are proving very handy.
“They are visual with nice colours and I think they will provide physical and mental security to my customers.
“I also think it’s good that most local shops will have the same system and equipment in place so people won’t get confused following different directions.”
Any Stirling city centre business owner who needs the protective equipment, which has been created by design firm Nettl of Stirling, should contact Go Forth Stirling via admin@goforthstirling.co.uk
Meanwhile, the BID is offering traders a downloadable series of coronavirus control guidelines to help them prepare to return to business.
The guidelines are supplied by Go Forth’s training partner Navitas Group and look at the sector-specific steps a company needs to take to ensure a safe re-opening.
Ms McRorie-Smith said: “The guidance allows traders to start planning for recovery and can be easily downloaded from our website.
“There will be different sets of guidelines available for the various sectors which will help businesses ensure they are ready to reopen safely and give their customers confidence in the measures they are taking.”
She added: “We are working hard to help businesses prepare for recovery and think about procedures they can be putting in place now so they are ready to safely reopen their premises once lockdown measures are lifted.”
The sector-specific Covid-19 Control guidelines and further information can be accessed via the Go Forth website – www.goforthstirling.co.uk/best-practice-guidance
Go Forth Stirling Business Improvement District (BID) represents close to 400 local businesses with a key objective of delivering projects and services which improve the area’s trading environment to benefit businesses, shoppers and visitors.
The BID was set up in September 2017 following a vote among the city’s traders and runs for an initial five-year term.
For more details visit www.goforthstirling.co.uk
Photo: Vera Artisan Bakery Shields, Go Forth Stirling.
