Provide funding to save businesses run by young people, Hull campaigner tells Chancellor Rishi Sunak

Charles Cracknell, who is a holder of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion, has written to Mr Sunak to tell the Chancellor he has had “very depressing” conversations with enterprising young people during the pandemic, who are not eligible for Government support.

Mr Cracknell, who is secretary of the Hull-based John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank (JCYEB), which offers grants of up to £1,000 for individuals or groups of young people who need finance to support their business plans, is calling on the Chancellor to match funding raised by the JCYEB to help companies survive.

In his letter to Mr Sunak, Mr Cracknell said: “I am really concerned about the livelihoods of the young entrepreneurs who we have previously supported in Hull, East Riding and Ryedale as so many do not meet the criteria of the funding you have made available.

“I appreciate that you cannot save every job and every business, but I believe by our local action in supporting enterprising young (people) we have made a significant difference and saved public funds by ensuring more young people do not go on to, or back to, universal credit and continue to try and make a contribution to the local economy.

“In our 16 years working with Hull City Council we have supported 612 enterprising young people.”

Since March last year, the JCYEB has recruited more than 80 mentors and raised £90,000 to act as grants to support young business people during the pandemic.

The letter added: “Last week we were granted a further £20,000 from Hull City Council to enable us to support young entrepreneurs, especially those who have been excluded and we have already issued 11 grants in two days, as we believe in self-responsibility as well as social responsibility.”

“We are hoping that the Treasury will match the £110,000 we have raised or at least give a grant to the JCYEB. By supporting us, you will be helping more enterprising young people in the city and enabling those who currently do not match your current programmes to survive as a business and contribute to the local economy and, in turn, not burden the state, with benefit claims.

“If we are fortunate in receiving a grant all of it will go straight to the young people.”

Responding to Mr Cracknell’s letter, a Treasury spokesperson said: “The Government recognises the invaluable work of the charity sector for communities across the UK, and has provided a £750m package of support to date, supporting crucial work.

“We also know that young people have been hit especially hard by the crisis, which is why we are providing targeted support to give them the best chance of staying in, or getting into, the workplace.

The spokesman added: “This includes the £2bn Kickstart scheme, increasing the number of apprenticeships, traineeships and work coaches, and continuing to help unemployed people of all ages back to work through the multi-million pound Job Entry Targeted Support programme.”

Altogether, the Government has invested £280bn throughout the pandemic to protect millions of jobs and businesses.

A spokesman stressed that the Government has extended the self-employed and furlough schemes through to April “to give businesses the certainty they need to plan over the winter months”.

The spokesman said: “We’re expanding apprenticeships in England and providing employers with a hiring incentive for each new apprentice they hire.”

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