A COUNCIL has set aside thousands of pounds to provide a year’s rent holiday for its four tenants.

Harwich Town Council has put aside £5,200 to provide the financial relief for The Dovercourt Theatre Group, We Are Music, Harwich and District Martial Arts and the Harwich Amateur Boxing Club.

Chairman of Harwich Town Council’s finance committee Pam Morrison said: “It was a unanimous decision taken to give four important community groups breathing space during both the pandemic and the recovery period.

“It has been well received and was something we could afford to do.”

The six Tendring councillors representing the Harwich peninsula have pooled resources to use available Tendring Council funding to provide £3,000 of financial assistance to the Harwich Helps umbrella group that is achieving so much locally.

Harwich Helps is a volunteer group and hotline offering support to vulnerable residents in the area during the coronavirus outbreak.

Harwich county councillor Ivan Henderson said: “We have an incredible team of volunteers working under the Harwich Helps umbrella and financing their work is an important part of the jigsaw.

“We have arranged for £3,000 of Tendring Council funding to be provided in order to help and will continue to do what we can.”

“The six local Tendring Council councillors are keeping in constant touch and are very grateful to the officers at both Tendring Council and Harwich Town Council for their efforts to support the community.”

The six Tendring councillors serving the Harwich peninsula are Mr Henderson, Garry Calver, Maria Fowler, Jo Henderson, Mrs Morrison and Bill Davidson.