BUSINESS pressure group Professional Liverpool is lobbying for its own survival by launching an online petition.

Last week, the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) told the organisation that it would not be giving it a previously agreed £200,000 grant – which represented about 80% of its funding.

Professional Liverpool now hopes to get 5,000 signatures from the business community for its campaign, aimed at Downing Street, to have its funding reinstated.

Chief executive Mark Chadwick said: “Despite recent news coverage, we are confident about the future of the organisation. We have the financial and organisational flexibility required to maintain our prominent role in the Liverpool professional and business community and will continue to deliver value to our members in the long term.

“However, as a lobbying group, it would be remiss of us not to campaign against the funding cuts that have been announced – which is why we have added the e-petition to our portfolio of campaign activities.

“As part of the ongoing funding campaign at Professional Liverpool, we have set up an alternative online petition for members and supporters to show their backing for our campaign to have our funding reinstated and believe we can raise over 5,000 signatures.”

Professional Liverpool is a business support network for professional firms in the city, and incorporates what was the Merseyside Property Forum.

It also works to promote the city as a viable inward investment proposition for professional services firms in the UK and abroad.

Around 20% of its funding comes directly from members.

The Government has cut the NWDA’s funding by £52m and this is having a knock-on effect on NWDA projects.

THE petition is online at http://pl.epetitions.net