to pay my local pub, restaurant and cinema

[BoringUserName00]

even though I'm not using them, just so I can support them and help keep them afloat during these difficult times?

Only if everyone else does, I dont think you'll keep them afloat single handedly

Very thoughtful and would be appreciated I have no doubt.

My local leisure centre hasn't closed yet but I will continue paying for our swimming lessons. But they cost around £80 for two of us a month so it's affordable to pay for nothing for a bit.

I wouldn't pay over £1000 a month for a service I wasn't receiving (eg nursery fees) which I think is the point being made here.

I keep saying it, small businesses need to create online vouchers and merch people can buy to support them remotely. It's very easy to do even a tech numpty like me did it with a bit of googling. people will buy and likely not even use them just to support. They need to adapt right now to survive.

That sounds like a great idea Lubey

We were talking about this last night. There are some small local restaurants that we regularly go to for lunch on Saturday - probably not a good idea anymore. But if they started to do a takeaway or delivery service we would definitely use it in the hope they could survive this

I messaged the manager of our local soft play to offer to send what we usually would pay there. We go regulalry. I really don't want them to close down.

I know I couldn't keep them afloat singlehandedly, but just think if everyone, who could afford to , decided to make a contribution to local businesses they normally use and pay for, it might help them get through this. Otherwise many of them will go under soon

That's brilliant ThisMustBe. We want them to be around still once we get through all this

very thoughtful, op

I think though a lot of us will be equally screwed over the coming period my income is seasonal and tourist based so I'm going to f'd financially speaking. Then again I'm too skint to afford pub/ restaurant and cinema is an occasional treat so I'm sure they won't miss me.

I love the idea (I'm a small online shop and seeing ZERO sales right now!) but I think most people are worried about their own income. Plenty of people are self-employed, on contract etc and will receive little to no income or sick pay for the next few weeks.

If this carries on for more than about 8 weeks we could lose our house. I think plenty of others fall into the same category.

Id agree with that quizzlybear I wish all that we had to worry about was health. If I'm lucky we'll get through this with the house but I'm now spending on a credit card 0% thankfully to make up the lost income if this carries on through summer it'll be devastating.

@5foot5 here in Guernsey, a few non-takeaway restaurants have started providing their menu as a takeaway.
Collections only at the moment but I imagine if it does well, they will start delivering. Obviously we’ve got normal takeaways too, but it’s the “nicer” restaurants that are branching out so that’s nice.

@5foot5 ask them! Maybe you can take a plate or a casserole dish and they will fill it for you if they don't have containers?

How much would you pay them?

I am continuing to use my dog walker even though I am working at home for the foreseeable future. I am lucky that i have a secure salary so I can afford to do so - but she doesn't and could lose her entire livelihood. The way I see it is she provides a great service all year and is very flexible to my circumstances so it works both ways. If she went out of business it would cause disruption for me too. I think it is a good idea for those who can afford to, to try and maintain support for local businesses and services as much as possible. I am also going to make a point of ordering some dog toys and treats from a local shop which I like. I don't need the items but they are advertising online ordering to avoid social contact so I think if I can support them even in this small way I will. No one can fix it single handedly but if everyone does their little bit hopefully it helps

I told my cleaner that, as long as I’m still being paid, I’ll continue to pay her. Irrespective of whether or not she can actually come and do any cleaning.

Some theatre (many of which don't have much in the way of reserves and are charities) and which had close yesterday, are asking people who had booked tickets for cancelled performances, if they wouldn't mind not asking for a refund, and looking upon it as a donation to the theatre. I think that's quite a nice way of doing it in the circumstances.

I'm wondering about this. I'm booked to go away for two nights in April. The cats are booked into the cattery. I'm tempted to still put them in anyway.

We have agreed to pay our dog walker as normal even if she needs to isolate: as
Long as we are still being paid

I would be lovely if the local communities pulled together as you suggest. My fil owns a pub, he's in his 70s and has done the maths, if he has to shut, he can last 2 weeks as he is determined to pay his staff full wages for as long as he can.

He is also talking to his insurance company on what he does if he has to go into self isolation as him and sil live in a flat above the pub. He's not sure if that's going to force closure too.

As pp has said, we'll still pay our dog walker even if we are at home, we need to support him too.

My drawing classes at a local theatre and Arts Centre have just been cancelled as they're closing until April and the money will be refunded for tickets and courses.
They've asked that if people wish to (or can) could they donate their refunds to keep them going until they reopen. In return they offer a years membership of the centre.
I'm going to do this because I can and I also want the centre to survive so that they can continue with the classes when they re -open!
So not completely altruistic

If you've got money to burn how about donating to the local food bank or charities to help the homeless, the starving single mums etc instead of corporations who pay their staff minimum wage and will make them redundant at the drop of a hat?

How do you know we don't do that too? I do and my 'money to burn' as you call it was hard earned over nearly 50 years.
A local arts centre isn't a corporation btw.
Virtue signal off why don't you!