Forest of Dean District Council has announced a new partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

The partnership aims to help smaller businesses - particularly those based in the district's town centres and larger villages - access the resources and support they need to get firmly back on their feet post-covid.

The council is encouraging businesses to take advantage of discounted FSB membership, and encouraging them to boost their digital presence, as shopping habits continue to evolve as a result of the crisis.

A recent survey of local town centre businesses showed that although over two thirds (69 per cent) had a website, only 23 per cent of these were transactional and able to take bookings or payments online.

Cllr Bernie O'Neill said: "As a Council, we are committed to supporting local businesses, and this is no more important than in these uncertain times. By partnering with the FSB, we are able to direct our district's small business owners directly to the FSB's key resources which can help them to adapt quickly to a changing marketplace.

"From social media training, virtual networking and even support in finding sustainable finance there's support on offer that can really help businesses not only to survive, but to thrive in the post-Covid economy."

This is something the council wants to support businesses to change by highlighting what others are doing to expand their customer base.

Sam Holliday, Gloucestershire Development Manager for the FSB, said "The FSB team are delighted to be working with Forest of Dean District Council to help the small business community.

"The Forest of Dean is a fantastic, vibrant area for small businesses and we are proud to already have hundreds of FSB members across the Forest. This scheme will allow even more great SMEs to join our ranks and get our unrivalled benefits such as 24-7 legal support, vital tax investigation support and many more important resources.

"We are also very pleased to be working alongside the Forest of Dean District Council on this scheme as we have always found them to be a supportive organisation who are determined to work with and support their small business community."