Eastbourne and Willingdon MP Caroline Ansell invited the director of prominent local company Brewers to Westminster as part of Family Business Week.
Alison Brewer joined the MP for the recent event and met up with the Small Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake and event sponsors Family Business UK.
The painting and decorating supplier started in Eastbourne and has grown across the country.
The minister spoke about Help to Grow – a scheme for future business leaders, that offers £9000 of training and it is a partnership between business and government with the government paying 90% of the costs.
He also spoke of the critical importance to business of start up and scale up and access to finance, alongside Autumn Statement measures of full expensing, and a cash flow review to ensure businesses are paid on time, every time.
“I’m proud we have Brewers based in Eastbourne and able to celebrate the contribution our family businesses make right across the town,” said Caroline.
“It’s these businesses that help create the wealth to build schools and hospitals and provide for the most vulnerable. We need to get behind them.
“Of course, Brewers is well known and highly valued in Eastbourne for the products, services, and expertise it provides to the trades as well as the beautiful home furnishings and delicious cake they sell in Birch Road.
“And they are an important local employer and big contributor to local events and causes like the Soapbox Race, Youth Radio and coming up very soon now, the annual Tree of Light at the Congress.
“What also marks them out is that they are a family business and one with links to my own family. My father-in-law worked for Brewers all his life; my niece now does. Thirty years ago, it was at Brewers that I bought my first pot of paint for my first home in Gore Park Road.
“Thank you to Alison for coming to the event.”
Alison said: “As a long-established family business close to 120 years old with now over 200 stores nationwide, we remain proud of our heritage in Eastbourne and are fully committed as a major employer to supporting the local community as and when we can.”
“I was delighted to attend the Family Business UK event in Parliament and have the opportunity to hear first-hand, recognition of the contribution that family businesses make to the economy and the various schemes in place to support the growth of family businesses for the future.”
There are an estimated 4.8 million family businesses. They constitute 85.9% of all private sector businesses, employ 13.9 million workers and contribute £575 billion to the UK economy.
