Business stories from this week highlight the troubling times facing our local economy and individual businesses.

Some also reflect the resilience within our communities as people working across a range of sectors find new ways to operate, support their peers and rally together in a show of solidarity and strength to pull through this situation.

This week's round-up of business news from York and North Yorkshire hopefully shows both sides to the story as the Covid-19 crisis and lockdown continues.

Our top business stories this week are...

Word continues to spread about The Press Supporting Local Businesses campaign and how it is helping small, family-run and independent businesses to promote how they have adapted their services to weather the storm.

It wouldn't be possible without the backing of our commercial partners, with York St John University and York-based Saville Group joining us to lend even more support.

The campaign has helped wide-ranging businesses promote their new services, including specialist York cleaning firm 2Venture Floorcare which hopes to expand post lockdown, and DS Cleaning Services which is taking bookings into 2021.

A video of a deserted York city centre highlighted how residents seem to be following the government's advice to stay at home .

Meanwhile, construction companies such as Lindum Group and Barratt Developments Yorkshire East announced plans to re-start work on selected sites across York, North and East Yorkshire, with new safety measures introduced.

Meanwhile, Mulgrave Properties announced they were open to 'early bird' reservations on their Mount Vale Gardens development to instill confidence in potential buyers.

The business community has seen a number of changes, with Lord Haskins retiring as chairman of Humber LEP and Stephen Parmaby taking over as interim chair, while York and North Yorkshire LEP announced it was seeking new board members to support its work.

Energy giant Drax Group continued its efforts to support local communities through the crisis, by delivering hundreds of laptops to students to help with studies during lockdown.

My personal highlight of this week's interviews was the passion shown by Y&NYLEP chairman David Kerfoot for York for the city - its tourism offer, world-class universities, York Central development and bio-economy - and his belief that it will play a crucial role in the region's recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.

It can't hurt to end this by repeating his fabulous quote, when asked how the region would fare in the future: “We are Yorkshire. We have got grit, we have got passion, we have determination and enthusiasm, and we have people who really want to work at it."

In conclusion, I hope you find this bitesize bulletin useful.

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