Harlequin Office Furniture is the latest local business to benefit from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) – receiving a share of the £2.5m Government cash pot.

The business, based within Queensway Industrial Estate in Scunthorpe received £2,520 towards a marketing project to win new customers.

Gemma Teesdale, Director, said: “The whole process was straightforward and user friendly and as a result of the project we’ve grown our workforce. We received fantastic support which was always helpful and personal. We could not have asked for better.”

The cash also enabled a strategic review of the company’s financial systems to ensure they were able to meet new demand, that a new finance team was properly skilled and that detailed management information for budgeting and cash flow forecasting was available.

Cllr Rob Waltham, leader, North Lincolnshire Council, said: “It’s great to hear such positive outcomes from local businesses and organisations that have received a share of this Government cash.

“As well as community projects and local sports groups being supported by the funding, businesses have also been able to work on projects and put systems in place to enable them to scale up and create new job roles – which is fantastic news for North Lincolnshire.”

It comes after Cllr Waltham visited the company with Scunthorpe MP Holly Mumby-Croft. Cllr Waltham added: “It was great to visit the company with Holly, to meet the staff and see the impact this Government cash is having locally.

“We found out that the company is the largest supplier of lockers in the whole of Europe – another great example of the quality of business leaders here in North Lincolnshire quietly getting on with things.”