The Press launches campaign aimed at revitalising economy of York, North and East Yorkshire (From York Press)

The Press launches campaign aimed at revitalising economy of York, North and East Yorkshire

11:00am Thursday 12th March 2009 in News By Mike Laycock, Chief reporter

Building for the future: Work moves ahead on the University of York’s new site at Heslington

A major campaign aimed at revitalising the economy of York and North and East Yorkshire is launched by The Press today.

With the backing of business and political leaders, The Press has decided it is time to fight back in the wake of the global recession.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has backed our York Means Business campaign, which will turn the spotlight on all that is good about York and the surrounding area, especially in the world of business and commerce.

For, despite the loss of hundreds of jobs in the region in the last few months and the gloomy economic forecasts, there are still many success stories including:

* The creation of a new co-packing factory on the Nestlé site which is creating 100 new jobs

* HSBC’s £300 million proposal to build a new data centre at Monks Cross, which will create up to 2,000 construction jobs

* The huge expansion at the University of York

* News from a report by the Centre For Cities that York is well-placed for recovery in the future.

The campaign, which will run in The Press and on this website, will do everything it can to promote the York area as a centre of business excellence and join forces with other organisations and businesses to attract investment.

The campaign will provide help and advice to companies and individuals on how to manage their way through the downturn and encourage people to join together in initiatives aimed at stimulating the local economy.

We will launch a drive for customers to support their local shops and markets, and a competition for customers to nominate their favourite shop or trader.

Another aim of the campaign will be to help people who have lost their jobs as they seek to find fresh employment, highlighting the training that may be available to them.

We will also ask high-profile people to tell us why York Means Business to them. We will encourage local authorities across the region to use local businesses for work when possible, and to encourage such businesses to lodge tenders for contracts.

The campaign already has the backing of City of York Council leader Andrew Waller, the York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Yorkshire Forward, the York Retail Forum, the York Economic Partnership and the inward investment agency, yorkengland.com, while York MP Hugh Bayley has promised to seek support from colleagues of all parties at Westminster.

The months ahead will be difficult, but if the business world and wider community unites behind our campaign, we can help businesses not only to survive but also to thrive.

* See The Press tomorrow for latest news of HSBC’s £300 million scheme for a new data centre in York.