A BUSINESS leader who has signed up to support the Lancashire Telegraph’s We’re Backing Business campaign says people have already approached him for help.

John Getty, chief executive of PDS Engineering in Nelson, signed up to act as a “dragon” for other business people who are feeling the effects of the credit crunch.

Figures have shown that almost 4,000 East Lancashire businesses are staring into the financial abyss because of unprecendented economic hardship.

The Lancashire Telegraph’s camaign aims to provide information, help and practical support to firms over the coming months.

The newspaper has teamed up with Business Link Northwest to help local firms through the recession.

The campaign includes a series of new drop-in clinics with Business Link experts on hand to help businesses with their issues, a number of help workshops to run across the year, and the creation of a team of East Lancashire ‘dragons’ – top business people who will offer their expertise at the workshops.

Mr Getty said: “From the people I have spoken to everyone seems delighted that there is help out there and something is being done.

“The most important thing is to stick together and help each other out and this will help us achieve that.

“I have already started helping businesses out and offering support in my role in the campaign.

“I was contacted by a small business yesterday who had cash-flow prob-lems.

“We talked through the issues and I gave them some advice as to how I thought they could go forward.

“Hopefully that will be a great help to them.

“At the moment everybody is trying to hold the fort until things pick up, but that could be another 12 or 18 months away,” he added.