Thursday, December 18, 2008

Woolworths to close all stores by January 5 [UPDATED]

Woolworths to close all stores by January 5 [UPDATED]
Staff informed of retailer’s decision to close doors for the final time in New Year after administrators fail to find a buyer.



Administrator Deloitte has confirmed that all 807 Woolworths stores will close by January 5.

The financial specialist has abandoned its attempts to find a buyer for the retail chain Woolworths or entertainment distribution arm EUK as a going concern.

Closures will commence on December 27 with 200 stores shutting their doors, followed by another 200 on December 30. This will continue on January 2 and 5.

A total of 27,000 full-time and temporary staff will lose their jobs across the stores.

Branch managers received the news by email. They were informed not to speak to the press and the branch diyweek.net contacted had been given very little information about its future.

The distribution centres supporting the stores, which employ around 500 staff are likely to close before the end of December.

It has been confirmed that 300 of the stores are still 'under offer', with bids from a number of food, clothing and discount retailers. Deloitte revealed that there is also 'considerable interest' in the other 500 stores.

All employees will be paid until the end of December and the administrators have said that 'staff will be retained for a period following the store closures'.

Deloitte added: "The administrators are working closely with the Redundancy Payments Office and Job Centre Plus to provide support for all staff, which will include a fast track process for paying redundancy entitlements."

Neville Kahn, joint administrator at Deloitte said: “Whilst negotiations for the sale of Woolworths’ retail arm remain ongoing, and we continue to speak to new interested parties, regrettably we have had to begin a store closure programme. We are extremely grateful to the staff and management for their support throughout this difficult time.

“We are confident that we will sell the leases of the 300 stores currently under offer and are hopeful that our ongoing discussions with other parties will also prove successful.”

Meanwhile the closing down sale continues across the stores, with discounts of 20%-60%. 50 million new stock items will be received into stores this week where further discounts will be applied in due course.

Woolworths to close all stores by January 5 [UPDATED]

Woolworths to close all stores by January 5 [UPDATED]

Staff informed of retailer’s decision to close doors for the final time in New Year after administrators fail to find a buyer.

 

 

 

Administrator Deloitte has confirmed that all 807 Woolworths stores will close by January 5.

 

The financial specialist has abandoned its attempts to find a buyer for the retail chain Woolworths or entertainment distribution arm EUK as a going concern.

 

Closures will commence on December 27 with 200 stores shutting their doors, followed by another 200 on December 30. This will continue on January 2 and 5.

 

A total of 27,000 full-time and temporary staff will lose their jobs across the stores.

 

Branch managers received the news by email. They were informed not to speak to the press and the branch diyweek.net contacted had been given very little information about its future.

 

The distribution centres supporting the stores, which employ around 500 staff are likely to close before the end of December.

 

It has been confirmed that 300 of the stores are still 'under offer', with bids from a number of food, clothing and discount retailers. Deloitte revealed that there is also 'considerable interest' in the other 500 stores.

 

All employees will be paid until the end of December and the administrators have said that 'staff will be retained for a period following the store closures'.

 

Deloitte added: "The administrators are working closely with the Redundancy Payments Office and Job Centre Plus to provide support for all staff, which will include a fast track process for paying redundancy entitlements."

 

Neville Kahn, joint administrator at Deloitte said: “Whilst negotiations for the sale of Woolworths’ retail arm remain ongoing, and we continue to speak to new interested parties, regrettably we have had to begin a store closure programme. We are extremely grateful to the staff and management for their support throughout this difficult time.

 

“We are confident that we will sell the leases of the 300 stores currently under offer and are hopeful that our ongoing discussions with other parties will also prove successful.”

 

Meanwhile the closing down sale continues across the stores, with discounts of 20%-60%. 50 million new stock items will be received into stores this week where further discounts will be applied in due course.    

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

FW: Vote for Redbridge's Parks

 

 

                                    

London,Borough,Redbridge,Logo


Vote for Redbridge's Parks

Help win £400,000 each for Fairlop Waters and Goodmayes Park.

Grants will be awarded to the London parks that recieve the most public votes.

Go to www.london.gov.uk/parksvote and vote for our parks.

The Mayor of London has short-listed these as Priority Parks. Grants will be awarded to parks that recieve the most public votes.

Redbridge has fantastic parks and open spaces for relaxation, sport, nature, children's play and organised activities.

Help swing the vote for Redbridge's Parks


The bid money would be used at Fairlop Waters to:

  • develop the venue into a state of the art attraction offering a mix of sports and leisure activities, including sailing and climbing
  •  improve footpaths and cycle ways
  • create artist-designed gateways
  • protect its amazing wildlife.

 

A popular vote for Goodmayes Park could:

  • make a cleaner, more welcoming natural space
  • develop new flower beds
  • improve entrances and information for all
  • provide an outdoor gym

 Goodmayes,park,redbridge,vote


Go to www.london.gov.uk/parksvote and vote!

In addition to voting online you can also vote by text message:
Text
PARKS followed by your full POSTCODE to 62967*

*Texts cost 10p plus your standard network rate


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Monday, December 15, 2008

Some of you may be aware that Fullwell SNT has been doing a lot of work relating to bogus callers.

 

One particular area of concern was raised by Tracey at the last Ward Panel meeting and relates to a male calling door-to-door claiming to be a Fireman and selling raffle tickets in aid of a daughter suffering from leukaemia. Both these claims are false. This has also been featured in the Ilford Recorder.

 

As the direct result of our work the same suspect has been arrested twice for these offences, and he has now been charged with several matters. He was taken to court in custody but subsequently granted bail. As this matter is subject to current court proceedings I am limited to what I can say at this stage, but I am certain you will be hearing a great deal more about this in the New Year.

 

We have since received similar reports of a male calling at doors in the Fullwell area selling raffle tickets for a daughter with leukaemia. Whilst the most recent reports do not feature the Fireman aspect they are strikingly similar in method to the previous offences. At this stage we are unable to identify the caller as being one in the same with the person on bail, otherwise he would already be arrested. If it is however, and we are able to apprehend him committing further offences, we would not only have the further offences, but also a possible breach of conditional bail to take back before the court.

 

The male from the most recent incidents is described as a white male, aged 35-40, 5 ft 6 inches tall, with short dark brown hair, scruffy appearance. The tickets offered for sale are standard cloakroom tickets. The common theme is the claim to be collecting on behalf of a daughter suffering with leukaemia.

 

Please circulate this information as widely as possible and inform your members that if the suspect is still there or nearby a 999 call is justified. Officers responding should be aware of the situation, but it would also be helpful if the caller could mention the SN interest and the Recorder article to assist the call centre staff. If anyone has further information, or reports of a more historical nature, please call the team on 020 8721 2570 as normal.

 

NWW members responding to the work of the SN Team and others have already secured significant success in this area, and we are grateful for your continued help.

 

Chris Chandler PS 18JI

Fullwell SNT

FW: Bogus Caller and Raffle Tickets

 

Dear Panel Members/NHW Coordinators,

Some of you may be aware that Fullwell SNT has been doing a lot of work relating to bogus callers.

One particular area of concern was raised by Tracey at the last Ward Panel meeting and relates to a male calling door-to-door claiming to be a Fireman and selling raffle tickets in aid of a daughter suffering from leukaemia. Both these claims are false. This has also been featured in the Ilford Recorder.

As the direct result of our work the same suspect has been arrested twice for these offences, and he has now been charged with several matters. He was taken to court in custody but subsequently granted bail. As this matter is subject to current court proceedings I am limited to what I can say at this stage, but I am certain you will be hearing a great deal more about this in the New Year.

We have since received similar reports of a male calling at doors in the Fullwell area selling raffle tickets for a daughter with leukaemia. Whilst the most recent reports do not feature the Fireman aspect they are strikingly similar in method to the previous offences. At this stage we are unable to identify the caller as being one in the same with the person on bail, otherwise he would already be arrested. If it is however, and we are able to apprehend him committing further offences, we would not only have the further offences, but also a possible breach of conditional bail to take back before the court.

The male from the most recent incidents is described as a white male, aged 35-40, 5 ft 6 inches tall, with short dark brown hair, scruffy appearance. The tickets offered for sale are standard cloakroom tickets. The common theme is the claim to be collecting on behalf of a daughter suffering with leukaemia.

Please circulate this information as widely as possible and inform your members that if the suspect is still there or nearby a 999 call is justified. Officers responding should be aware of the situation, but it would also be helpful if the caller could mention the SN interest and the Recorder article to assist the call centre staff. If anyone has further information, or reports of a more historical nature, please call the team on 020 8721 2570 as normal.

NWW members responding to the work of the SN Team and others have already secured significant success in this area, and we are grateful for your continued help.

Chris Chandler PS 18JI
Fullwell SNT

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