Welcome to the MIE Monthly update.

As we face the new challenge of a second lockdown, we are updating our website daily to reflect the information needs of our businesses and potential visitors, via our Business Toolkit, Open for Business Directory and Living Local pages.  

We have a new Street Ranger on the team, Ryan Joseph, who some of you met just before lockdown started. Ryan's role is to be the MIE eyes and ears on the street. He will liaise with businesses and key organisations; logging rough sleeping and anti-social behaviour; log public realm issues and visit businesses on a rotational basis for feedback and intel.
This role is key to helping Make It Ealing monitor the mood on the street and will enable us to follow up reported issues and concerns.
Contact Ryan by phone or What's App 07943 720286

Visit the new Business Toolkit designed to help businesses through the tangle of regulations by signposting direct routes to helpful resources and legislation. Find live links to the latest information covering Furlough, Business Grants, SSP payments and details of the new restrictions and rules.

We are still waiting for the grant eligibility criteria, and details of when the grants will be allocated.

Enforcement officers were busy on the streets last week issuing warnings which will be converted to fines if their advice is ignored. During the lockdown, from 5 November - 2 December, food and drink businesses risk prosecution if they allow customers to eat their takeaway purchases at table and chairs outside their premises.

Your business, family, and personal circumstances will be affected, when the Brexit transition ends on 31 December 2020. Answer a few questions via the Check - Change-Go questionnaire to get a personalised list of actions. You can also sign up for emails to get updates for what you need to do.

Check out the John Lewis Christmas Shop advert; it is a good demonstration of what an Augmented Reality (AR) shopping experience has to offer. However, the Online Bookshop is proving that shopping local is still held very dear in many consumers hearts and delivers choice alongside convenience.

Everybody's favourite Coffee shops Artisan Coffee and Curious Roo Coffee Roasters were interviewed by TV show Good Morning Britain to celebrate International Coffee Day.

Well done to the University of West London and the students for three wins at the YCN New Now Awards, and six nominations at the Student Nursing Times Awards.

Congratulations to the Elev8 Fitness team, 22 Uxbridge Rd, who lunged for 24 hours and raised over £6000 for friend John Chart with their Lunge4MND challenge. You can read more here.

Congratulations to Questors Theatre who met their crowdfunding goal of £50,000 in just 28 days as part of the national #SaveOurTheatres initiative. The BBC also featured The Questors innovative staging of The Bard in the Yard outside, in response to COVID19 restrictions.

Pitzhanger Gallery exceeded their target of £65k with their first Artists for Pitzhanger fundraising campaign. The money raised will enable them to reopen again, once the restrictions are lifted and support future learning and outreach programmes.

It was heart-warming to see so many local restaurants, stepping up to join the #EndChildhoodPovertyNow initiative championed by Marcus Rashford. Despite these challenging times Pho Café, Sidi Bou, Franco Manca, Fireaway Pizza & Wagamama, prioritised the needs of children over half term.

Ealing Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq has suggested a local referendum on the vexed subject of Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes (LTN) to help alleviate the mistrust among constituents over the consultation process. Watch the commons debate here.

2020 has been tough on us all and working from home is not necessarily all it's cracked up to be.
If you would like a short sharp shot of how you navigate your work-life balance, join our *free one-hour Rener Wellbeing workshop online to build a practical plan using mental health, physical activity, nutrition, and sleep.         Register here.                                                    ^{*_{This workshop is free to Make It Ealing businesses.}}

Sponsored by Visa, the Loyal to Local High Street Rewards scheme gives customers an extra incentive to support their local high street.

Local businesses participate by funding a points offer, awarded to customers who pay with a registered Visa card. Customers earn points at participating companies and then spend them locally – at shops and pubs, hairdressers, restaurants and cafes.

Everything is automatic; it is quick and easy for businesses and customers alike. There is no administration charge or up-front payment, and all mobile marketing services are free. The only cost to businesses is the value of the points they offer, and the offer is only available to customers who have registered their Visa card with the Loyal to Local High Street rewards scheme. There are significant marketing and promotional benefits, and a launch offer for Christmas. Contact merchants.highstreetrewards.com to find out more.