THE commercial director of one of Warrington's major business parks has said businesses should come together to look after each other during these unprecedented times.

Birchwood Park is home to 165 companies and more than 6,000 people, ranging from large organisations to new start-ups.

Businesses are being hit hard by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with many being forced to close as non-essential sellers, or reduce operations to support social distancing guidance.

Martin O’Rourke, commercial director of Birchwood Park, said: "Some Warrington businesses will now be struggling financially, and there is no doubt this will impact each and every one of us.

"For now, we should all follow the Government advice to stay safe, stay healthy and isolate to stop the spread of the virus.

"Businesses shouldn’t stop looking after their staff as they are a company’s most valuable asset."

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As well as making use of business support on offer from Warrington Borough Council and the Government, Martin has suggested that companies should be putting their differences aside and helping each other.

He explained: "Companies could create a platform to share views, tips and experiences on accessing the funding, as information seems sparse and can be somewhat confusing.

"This is not surprising as the situation is ever changing and decisions are being made ‘on the hoof’.

"I have recently found out about the ‘Back Our Businesses’ campaign, which is incentivising people in Warrington to buy a voucher from a local business - hairdressing, a meal, afternoon tea or a couple of pints, gardening tools or clothing.

"This is something people can look forward to, and will also help a small business in the town, just when they really need it."

Martin is helping Birchwood Park to lead by example during the health crisis, with many key workers still needing to use the site to carry out essential work.

Martin added: "There are still key companies working at Birchwood Park due to the nature of their business, such as NHS, infrastructure support and IT, so we need to ensure services continue to be supplied to support them.

"At the same time, we need to ensure our own staff who provide security, cleaning, maintenance, and management, are kept safe.

"This is why we’ve taken steps to minimise the number of our staff on site at any one time, wherever possible, and are following Government guidance on hygiene and safety stringently."