This weekend venues in England will be reopening - and BusinessLive and its parent company Reach plc are there with them.
On July 4, restaurants, pubs and bars can throw open their doors again for the first time since March. Culture and leisure attractions such as museums, galleries and cinemas can also reopen.
And we’ll be right behind them.
After three months of lockdown, businesses have taken a heavy hit - and with social distancing measures still in place until the pandemic is in retreat, we know the battle is far from over on either front.
That’s why today our I Am Open Too campaign champions the hospitality, culture and leisure companies on our doorstep.
It’s also being backed by NatWest, whose head of retail and leisure, David Scott, said: “The UK’s restaurant and pub sectors contribute billions of pounds to the country’s economy and support a significant number of supply chains both regionally and nationally.
“Likewise, retail businesses such as hair and beauty salons that have seen exceptional growth in recent years, together with restaurants, pubs and bars play an important role in the stability of the UK high street.
“The relaxing of lockdown rules in England is an opportunity for many of these businesses to begin looking to the future again and serving the customers they work so hard for. Championing these businesses and being there for them when it matters most is what drives us every day as a bank and is why we are proud to be part of the #IAmOpenToo campaign.”
Our What’s On teams will be working hard to bring you all the latest news, updates and safety guidance as restrictions are gradually relaxed and venues begin to reopen.
We’ve also created a FREE listings platform for businesses to advertise that they’re open, in partnership with InYourArea.co.uk who are backing our campaign.
It couldn’t be easier to add your business - just fill out the form here.
Listings will be displayed in an interactive widget in all our What’s On content, where readers will be able to search for places open near them by entering their postcode.
You can see which businesses have already declared themselves open below.
And that’s not all! Not only have we launched the I Am Open community to help give your businesses a boost, we’re hosting a Twitter power hour between 2pm and 3pm on July 1, 2 and 3 where we’ll tell our followers you’re back in business - at no cost to you.
All you have to do to be in with a chance of a free retweet is include #IAmOpen when you drop us a line on Twitter.
Don't forget to include a photo if you have one and pop in a short description of what your business offers.
We really can’t wait to see you all again from Saturday 4 July (at a socially safe distance of course!).
