Independent local businesses can benefit from Archant’s Rebound advertising fund to help them kickstart their advertising.

Local media company Archant, publishers of the Weston Mercury and North Somerset Times, has launched a £500,000 matched advertising fund for independent local businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Grants are available for a minimum of £200 and maximum of £2,000 matched advertising credits.

These credits can be used towards print or digital advertising within Archant newspapers and associated websites in Somerset and across the areas it operates.

The fund is open to locally owned and operated independent businesses that have been affected by the coronavirus.

Its aim is to help them kickstart their advertising in the critical time of May and June as we start to move out of lockdown so traders can let customers old and new know that they are open for business.

All applications must be made in May to be used by June 30.

To find out more about the fund and how to apply visit: www.archanthub.co.uk/grant which includes the full terms and conditions.

For more than 170 years, Archant has worked with small businesses and has helped them to achieve their aims and reach their desired audiences.

This fund is just one of the ways Archant is helping local small businesses with other initiatives including launching a range of free guides on how best to market themselves during the coronavirus situation and is available at www.archanthub.co.uk and where details can be found of its ongoing free digital marketing insight webinar series.

Lorna Willis, chief client officer at Archant, said: “Archant’s role in the communities we serve is not just to our readers but also those local businesses that advertise with us and are such a major part of any community.

“The coronavirus pandemic affected our business as well as many of our clients, but we have reacted strongly supporting local business with help, advice and marketing services.

“We have created free guides for businesses and ran some very popular free webinars.

“We hope that this matched advertising grant, available for May and June, will help local independent businesses let their customers know that they are open for business as we start to come out of lockdown.”