On Tuesday just before Christmas, the government announced £1 billion of grant funding that will be made available to local councils in England - to help support businesses most affected by the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

The grant will be available to hospitality and leisure businesses who are experiencing difficulties because of the dual impact of staff absences and lower consumer demand.

Although no restrictions were introduced over Christmas, concern about the transmissibility of Omicron, combined with advice to reduce social mixing, has led to cancellations and reduced footfall.

Businesses will be able to apply for the grant in January.

In the meantime you can click or tap here for more information about financial aid that may be available to your business.

There is also a new government business 'support finder' tool which aims to help businesses and self-employed people discover what financial support is on offer during the pandemic.

The tool asks business owners to fill out a simple online questionnaire, who are then directed to listings of all the financial aid for which they might be eligible.

Just click or tap here to reach the service.