NEWS Shopper’s Listen to Business campaign concludes this week, having created a lasting platform to allow south London's business community to directly influence London's policy-makers.

In an exclusive interview with Boris Johnson last week, the Mayor of London praised the campaign, run jointly by Newsquest South London and South London Business, which represents businesses south of the Thames The Listen to Business campaign identified three aims.

The first was to create a lasting forum for south London business to influence the Mayor's policy and the Mayor has promised to facilitate this.

Mr Johnson says he had created the Outer London Commission with a remit to ensure “neglected” outer London reaches its economic potential.

William McKee, chairman of the commission, spoke at our Listen to Business event earlier this month, where he met business leaders and identified plans for transport “superhubs” for outer London.

Secondly, we demanded greater access to London Development Agency funding, workshops and advice.

Later the agency announced its new Keeping London Working initiative, which will allow firms access to professional business advice, skills workshops and cash flow management.

Mr Johnson also announced £1.8m had been spent on Compete For, a website giving firms the ability to tender for some 75,000 contracts with greater ease.

Finally we asked the Mayor to put pressure on the Government to improve cash-flow for small businesses, and wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer demanding further intervention.

The Mayor insists he has been doing everything he can to get money flowing.

And last Thursday, Kate Barker, who sits on the Bank of England's influential Monetary Policy Committee, came to south London to meet business leaders, explain what the bank has been doing and take questions.

Speaking about the campaign Mr Johnson said: “I think its a fantastic campaign, I support it and I congratulate you on getting the message across.

“Certainly we will have a constant system of to-ing and frowing and system of communication between south London businesses and City Hall.”

It is now up to the Mayor, the chambers of commerce, councils and organisations like South London Business to build on these successes over the coming months to ensure businesses get the support they need to help them through the recession.