Chester’s online aid helps fight cost of lockdown
A FRIEND of former England international Tom May has come to the aid of the business community and sports clubs struggling to stay afloat in the Covid19 crisis.
Furniture magnate, Mike Chester has developed an online portal (https://covidhelp.org.uk/) that allows clubs to quickly see what they are entitled to in terms of financial assistance – all completely free of charge.
May’s junior club, Sevenoaks RFC, are one of the latest to benefit from the service, receiving £25,000 in rate relief from the district council within a fortnight of the application being submitted.
“It almost felt too good to be true but sometimes good things do happen, and this is one of them,” said Sevenoaks’ commercial director Roger McKerlie.
“It was a hell of a lot less painful than dealing with a commercial bank.”
Sevenoaks are financially stable as a club and generate around £150,000 a year in sponsorship, plus considerable income from their 800-strong membership.
However, McKerlie says the £25,000 has enabled the club to cover their basic running costs while the lockdown continues.
“For other clubs it will be the lifeline that keeps them going,” he said.
“Only yesterday I got a similar message from Westcombe Park and their treasurer was saying, ‘I’ve heard that you’ve got this, how did you do it?’”
May, 41, got to know Chester during his days as a Newcastle player and is trying to raise awareness of the portal.
“A lot of clubs will be on their knees right now,” said May, who also played for Toulon, Northampton and London Welsh in a 19-year professional career.
“I know there was a football club that was going to the wall, and Mike saved them. There was a boxing club that was about to shut their doors for the last time, and he got them a £10,000 grant.
“There will be thousands of people completely unaware of what help is out there. Upwards of £20m has been earmarked as potentially being available to businesses and sports clubs.
“What he has done is amazing, and he has not made a penny out of it.”