Mayor Ben Houchen has visited a Tees Valley business which is offering to print free NHS Track and Trace posters for hospitality firms in the region.
Shutter Media, based at Teesside International Airport, designs and produces advertising graphics alongside signage, shutter graphics and interior graphics for a host of clients, including professional football teams for Armed Forces’ sports facilities.
Now it is offering its expertise to pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes, all of which must now display NHS Track and Trace posters with QR codes on at their premises to legally continue to operate during the coronavirus pandemic.
These posters allow visitors to scan the codes via the new Track and Trace app to anonymously check-in at a venue, so customers can be contacted with public health advice should there be an outbreak.
Any business in the hospitality sector which wants its poster professionally printed on to an A4 vinyl sticker for free just needs to get in touch with Shutter Media. Simply email your details, along with your unique QR code link to [email protected]
Steve Hale, owner of Shutter Media, said: “We know that hospitality businesses have been some of the hardest hit by coronavirus, having to close in lockdown, reopening with fewer people being allowed in, and the public being worried about their health.
“We also know many of these venues might not have printers, or not have printers that are up to the job of producing large, high-quality posters that are big enough to be seen and used. We want to see the Track and Trace app a success, and that starts by making sure these posters are obviously displayed wherever they need to be.
“That’s why we’re happy to get stuck in and give all of those pubs and restaurants that need it a helping hand and print their posters for free.”
Mayor Houchen said: “Throughout this pandemic, many of our brilliant businesses have been pulling together for the common good, playing to their strengths or thinking outside of the box to help the fight against coronavirus.
“We’ve heard of firms collaborating to produce face masks, offering hand sanitiser or even working on vaccines. Shutter Media is the latest company to pitch in and do its bit to support our pubs, bars and restaurants, many of which may be struggling at this difficult and unprecedented time.
“This goes to show that it’s not just those in the medical field that help out, and I applaud Shutter Media’s generosity. It is another valued company operating out of our airport and I hope its offer gets other businesses thinking how they can help out.
“We need to give people the confidence that they can still go out and enjoy themselves safely and responsibly, to protect the health of local people while safeguarding our economy. The NHS Track and Trace app is key to this, so getting these posters across the region is a massive priority.”
For more information on the NHS Track and Trace QR code system, visit faq.covid19.nhs.uk and to create your poster, visit www.gov.uk/create-coronavirus-qr-poster
