COUNCIL SUPPORTS SMALL BUSINESS DURING COVID-19
Thursday 28 May 2020 More than 230 eligible businesses have received a support grant via the City of Ryde’s Eastwood Small Business Hardship Fund. The $500,000 Eastwood Small Business Hardship Fund was established by Council to assist businesses that are experiencing significant financial hardship since the first case of coronavirus (COVID-19) was identified in Australia in January. Eastwood was hit earlier and harder than most small businesses, with disinformation and rumours leading to the usually vibrant shopping precinct resembling a ghost town well before social distancing and lockdown measures were implemented. Each eligible business that successfully applied for a grant received $1,906, which represented an equal share of the total funding made available ($450,000) under the Hardship Fund. City of Ryde Mayor, Clr Jerome Laxale, said Council was committed to helping businesses get through this extremely challenging period. “These support grants will help more than 2