Bounce Back relaunches for 2010
The UK economy grew by a tiny 0.1 per cent in the last quarter of 2009.
Such a small margin of growth remains fragile and now is no time for complacency.
So the Mail is launching Bounce Back 2010 to help keep the region's businesses on the road to recovery.
A total of 14 local organisations have united behind the campaign, which follows a similar initiative last year which proved a success.
Richard Duxbury, deputy managing director of Mail News & Media, said: "It is really encouraging to have such a large number of partners committed to supporting this year's campaign."
A number of these groups were involved in last year's Bounce Back campaign and have chosen to give renewed backing.
They include NHS Hull, East Riding College, Hull City Council, East Riding Council, Visit Hull and East Yorkshire (VHEY), Yorkshire Forward, Citycare, Gateway and Kingston Communications.
Newcomers to Bounce Back include The Deep, BAE Systems, the Yorkshire Bed Company, Humberside Fire and Rescue Service and St Stephen's shopping centre.
All these organisations aim to promote the region's unique selling points to ensure local businesses emerge from the economic downturn stronger than ever.
Many companies believe they are at a tipping point and need to put all their weight behind keeping the momentum moving forwards.
Jim Harris, the manager of St Stephen's shopping centre, said: "St Stephen's has been very successful, we've seen a big rise in footfall but we have had to work very hard to make that happen, spending a lot of time and money on our marketing.
"We cannot take anything for granted in the current market."
Tony Arksey, the site manager for BAE Systems in Brough, echoed this message when he explained why the firm had joined the campaign.
He said: "As a site we recognise only too well the challenges that businesses face.
"We also recognise from time to time the need for change and our transitioning programme is an excellent example of this.
"Bounce Back is a very positive programme and BAE Systems, Brough are pleased to be actively involved in this worthy initiative."
It requires a team effort by companies to fight the impact of the recession and this is what Bounce Back 2010 is all about.
Steve Domney, who owns the Yorkshire Bed Company, said: "Being part of the local economy, our success depends on the local economy so we believe it is very important to do all we can to help."
The public sector is also working hard to implement measures which will support the local population, in terms of finance and health and wellbeing, with a number of bodies uniting under the Bounce Back banner.
Laura Holmes, corporate communications manager of Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Our communities have been through a very difficult time.
"As part of the Bounce Back campaign Humberside Fire and Rescue Service will be raising awareness of how important it is for communities to work together to ensure they protect themselves, their homes and their businesses and keep safe from fire."
As this year's campaign kicks off some positive signs of recovery are already apparent.
The Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce published quarterly figures in January which showed sales across the region were up, domestic orders were rising and companies were taking on more staff.
As reported in the Mail, the Chamber's Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) for October to the end of December questioned about 150 local companies and found:
30 per cent have increased UK sales, up 15 per cent the previous year
27 per cent had increased UK orders, up from just seven per cent for the same time in 2008
14 per cent have increased their workforce, up from seven per cent a year earlier
East Yorkshire's burgeoning caravan industry has demonstrated remarkable powers of recovery in the last six months.
At the start of 2009 it was struggling, with a number of companies including west Hull firm Atlas Holiday Homes in administration and searching for a buyer.
But the industry weathered the storm and re-emerged.
Cosalt Holiday Homes, based in east Hull, was bought by family-run company JR Rix and Sons Ltd and became Victory Leisure Homes, which unveiled two new production models last summer.
Beverley-based caravan company ABI (UK) Limited started recruiting once again in May, while Swift Caravans in Cottingham, which lost more than 200 jobs in 2008, also began rehiring.
And the region's tourism industry is going "from strength to strength" according to Janet Reuben, the chief executive of VHEY.
In the first six months of 2009 Hull and East Yorkshire Conferences generated more than £1.5m worth of business tourism for the region, a larger figure than for the whole of 2008.
The second half of 2009 saw thousands of visitors flock to Hull for the Clipper weekend and the Freedom Festival which generated about £9.3m for the region's economy, as reported in the Mail today.
The city's award-winning tourist attraction The Deep has just seen its biggest ever year for educational visits according to figures released this week.
Colin Brown, chief executive of The Deep, said: "Ideas and products from Hull have transformed the whole world in the past, if anywhere has the imagination, the businesses and the people to Bounce Back after the recession, it's Hull."
Meanwhile, the region's property prices look healthy with Yorkshire and the Humber seeing the country's biggest house price rise according to recent figures released by Halifax.
Properties showed an average increase of 130 per cent over the last 10 years.
Goole topped this house price rise table for the region with a massive jump of 157 per cent.
Another local success story is St Stephen's shopping centre which saw footfall rising rapidly throughout the second half of 2009.
Centre manager Jim Harris, said: "We saw footfall really motoring forward from the summer onwards, I think Clipper and the Freedom Festival really got things started.
"But there's still a lot to do."
The shopping centre has also announced that its ground floor will be fully let in April as exclusively revealed in the Mail.
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