Harborough District Council has shared out all of its allocated £19m Government funding to help 1,500 hard-hit businesses

Almost 1,500 hard-hit businesses across Harborough have been handed crucial Government coronavirus cash by the district council.

The money is now helping them to stay afloat as they battle to survive in the UK’s biggest economic crisis in living memory.

Harborough District Council has shared out all of its allocated Government funding - over £19 million.

But the high-performing authority is continuing to provide further grants which are needed.

It’s acting after Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved to support embattled firms nationwide as the Covid-19 crisis struck home in March.

Harborough council has been “working tirelessly” to issue grants to businesses as quickly as possible.

It has now shelled out all of the Government money received to nearly 1,470 businesses.

The council is also getting behind more local businesses which need support from its own funds.

The Government has vowed to reimburse the authority as required.

Harborough council has been rated the fifth best-performing council, out of 314 councils in England, in handing out Government cash to businesses.

The council’s leader, Cllr Phil King, said: “This is a fantastic achievement.

“To be named in the top five councils nationally, in allocating grants, is testament to the outstanding efforts of council staff.

“They have been working so hard to get these payments to local businesses which urgently need them at this critical time.”

You can find more information for businesses at www.harborough.gov.uk/coronavirus

And you can sign up to the council’s business e-newsletter at www.harborough.gov.uk/business-newsletter for all the latest updates.