A helping hand from blue chip business

Business and Enterprise Secretary John Hutton - who visited Sheffield last month to meet entrepreneurs whose businesses on the Wicker were flooded - announced that Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Asda, BT, BP and Shell are among a band of businesses that have pledged to help.

Scottish Power, National Grid, Centrica, Eon, Scottish and Southern, the UK Petroleum Industry Association and the Association of Insurance and Risk Managers have also agreed to get on board.

Small firms in South Yorkshire who need help picking up the pieces of their businesses are being asked to contact regional development agency Yorkshire Forward or their local chamber of commerce.

They will then be "buddied up" with a large company which will offer expert advice and support.

Many large companies have "recovery experts" or "business continuity managers" specially trained in how to respond to unforeseen disasters.

Sheffield Attercliffe MP Clive Betts has warned that thousands of jobs are at risk in the city.

He also said many flood-hit small firms have found they are not insured to replaced damaged equipment with new, and are also finding they are not covered for the huge loss of business they have suffered.

The 11 companies and two organisations that have pledged to help out smaller firms will also run seminars in affected areas, or send some of their experts to work in local Business Link, Citizens Advice Bureaux or Chamber of Commerce offices.

Mr Hutton said: "It is clear people in flood-hit communities want their lives to return to normal as quickly as possible. This has to mean using all the resources and expertise available.

"I want to offer a huge thank you to all the companies that have pledged to support small businesses and also all the companies who have already provided essential services and supplies ."

Yorkshire Forward has made 5 million available so far in flood recovery funding, paying small businesses 2,500 in compensation each.