Holywood-based physiotherapy practice, North Down Physio, is one of the first Northern Ireland businesses to have applied for – and received – funding under the government’s Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS).
Adrian Doran, Head of Barclays in Northern Ireland said, “Since the scheme launched on Monday morning, Barclays across the UK has approved tens of thousands of Bounce Back Loans, to get much needed money directly into the bank accounts of small businesses. North Down Physio is just one of our Northern Ireland business customers which applied for the scheme and had the funds transferred into their account in less than two working days.
“We recognise that getting funds quickly to SMEs is a priority right now, as they struggle with the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Our Barclays Online Banking platform offers a fully automated application form, which has made the process very quick and easy. Our customers have been pleasantly surprised to see the money landing in their accounts within 48 hours of applying.”
The Bounce Back Loan scheme will help UK businesses who have been adversely impacted by coronavirus apply for loans between £2K-£50K.
Julia Webster, owner of North Down Physio said, “As a business which, by its nature, relies on close contact, we have been closed for more than six weeks now, to protect both our staff and our clients.
“My practice supports 14 jobs, so as a business owner, this has been a very worrying time as we try to protect jobs, while we’re also very aware of the importance of our work to our clients. Some of them were just beginning post-operative rehab after surgery when the lockdown commenced and need a lot of ongoing coaching. Others have been with us as whole families and extended families for many years. There are also lots of our clients who are vulnerable and have little other outside contact. The team have been checking in with our clients regularly and offering online consultations free of charge – these are important relationships for us and it’s the least we can do.
“With the cushion and reassurance that this finance gives us, we are now looking at how we can adapt to come out of this safely. It was fantastic to have the money in my account so fast; one of the biggest unforeseen investments I’ve made is in PPE equipment which will give both our clients and staff a level of protection and confidence to access their treatment. Current market forces make this a very expensive – but wholly necessary – overhead for a business like ours.
“I have received lots of support and advice from my Barclays business relationship manager throughout this time. She has been with me every step of the way in the development of my business and Barclays has been a great support right from day one of the coronavirus crisis.”
