Biggleswade businesswoman calls for more support for hair and beauty industry

Emma Sykes, owner of ‘Emma Sykes Massage and Skincare Specialist’, has launched a social media campaign called ‘Support for Hair & Beauty - Bedfordshire’.

The group is arguing that many small hair and beauty businesses have had no financial support from the government since the start of the pandemic, over 300 days ago.

Emma claimed: “The majority of the group are coming to the end of their mortgage holidays, or have maxed out their credit cards, etc. These are people’s lives. According to The Telegraph, 4,578 hair and beauty salons have closed for good since the start of the pandemic.

“Salons and clinics increase the footfall on our high streets; we need to help these small businesses to survive.”

Emma argues that the government is allowing too many businesses to fall through the cracks. As a new business established in 2019, she was unable to receive SEISS (Self-Employment Income Support Scheme), while she claims that salons who receive furlough support aren’t given enough help to cover other bills, and that many other renting, home-run, or mobile businesses (who don’t pay business rates) need urgent financial aid to help with loss of income, too.

In December 2020, Central Bedfordshire Council was given £5.77 million, which it offered to businesses under the ‘Central Bedfordshire Council Additional Restrictions Grant Fund’ (designed to help those who don’t pay business rates).

However, Emma claims that nothing was given to the hair and beauty industry, and that the criteria was “far too restrictive”, and “hardly anyone was accepted”.

The group has received support from Richard Fuller, the MP for North East Bedfordshire. He said: “This year, in partnership with Emma, I have organised online meetings with the new leader of Central Bedfordshire Council, to urge him to address issues with local support grants, and with Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, to help lobby at a national level for clarity and consistency on the timetable for re-opening.

“I was pleased by the positive response by Cllr Richard Wenham, the new CBC leader and will continue, for my part, to lobby the chancellor to ensure these vital businesses get through this terrible period.”

Central Beds Council and the government say help is available for businesses such as Emma’s.

Commenting on the Additional Restrictions Grant, council leader Cllr Richard Wenham said: “To suggest that Central Bedfordshire Council is not supporting local businesses is just untrue.

“Supporting our local businesses through the pandemic has been, and continues to be, a priority focus for us.

“As of this week we have successfully administered at least £87m in financial support for local businesses in the form of grants and 100% business rates relief since the pandemic began.

“We have, or are in the process of, paying out around £1m in grants to businesses in the first round of the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG).

“The total funding pot for this scheme of around £8m was always intended to be paid out through a number of such rounds, with differing eligibility criteria until it closes in March 2022.

“We have been working with local businesses and organisations that represent businesses to develop the options for the next round of the ARG in order to design a scheme that provides the most support.

“We fully intend to have applications open to the new version in February.”

A HM Treasury spokesperson added: “We’ve invested more than £280bn throughout the pandemic to protect millions of jobs and businesses – including those in the hair and beauty industry.

“This support now includes one-off top-up business grants worth up to £9,000 per property, on top of monthly grants worth up to £3,000, which together cover the assumed rent of all small and medium sized business properties and an extended furlough scheme.

“We have also provided £1.6 billion to local authorities to enable them to set up discretionary grant funding schemes.”