Published: Friday, 29th January, 2010 1:00pm

PM joins our campaign

PRIME Minister Gordon Brown has backed our campaign to highlight positive business stories as it celebrates one year of good news.

The first anniversary of We Can Work It Out is tomorrow (Friday) - three days after the UK officially came out of recession and a week after the Centre For Cities report identified the town as being well placed to recover quickly thanks to its high proportion of private businesses.

Mr Brown congratulated The Chronicle for our steadfast support for local businesses, and added: "The Government is doing all it can to stimulate the economy and to help those most in need but it's great to see local businesses and the local newspaper playing its part too."

Reading West MP Martin Salter said: "The Centre For Cities report showed Reading to be one of the towns and cities less badly hit by this vicious global recession. However there has been contraction and hardship and in the face of this it has been great to see The Chronicle's We Can Work It Out campaign taking a lead in encouraging the business community to learn from each other and keep on top of the challenges we all face."

Lib Dem deputy leader Vince Cable said: "Congratulations to The Reading Chronicle on the first anniversary of an important campaign. Small and medium sized businesses have a vital role to play in our recovery."

Mark Hoban, Conservative shadow financial secretary said: "The Reading Chronicle's We Can Work it Out campaign is about supporting local businesses finding their way through the recession. Conservatives firmly believe that small and medium sized companies are the key to growth and recovery.

"Although more needs to be done to get credit moving to companies again, this campaign is a great way to get some much-needed confidence back."

Reading East MP Rob Wilson said: "Well done to The Chronicle for undertaking this important campaign that is really helping keep people going through this very difficult recession."

He urged us to keep the campaign going because he said when figures were revised the recession may still be on. He said a 'double dip' recession also remained a possibility.

Phil Wood, marketing manager for Interead, which we featured soon after the company launched from nothing in May, said his fast growing business relied purely on local resources - and part of that was our campaign.

He said: "I think what you guys are doing is absolutely lovely and positive. We are completely linked to Reading resources."

South East regional minister Jonathan Shaw said: "The Reading Chronicle's We Can Work It Out campaign has been a positive move during challenging economic times which will have been of valuable support to local businesses. It also reflects well on the fighting spirit of the area."

Tim Smith, executive director of Reading UK CIC, the town's economic development company, said the council's quarterly economic summits were one way people were helping one another - and our campaign was another. He said: "We Can Work It Out is another example of everybody pulling together to support those who have been hit the hardest."

Gary Cranford, business manager for Reading Chamber of Commerce said national media inquiries had focused on doom and gloom.

He added: "The Reading Chronicle is to be congratlated for highlighting positive commercial news and long may this continue as the Thames Valley continues to buck the national trend in its recovery from the recession."