HOUSING UNITS PUTS KIDS WORLD ON THE MAP.

HOUSING UNITS

PRESS RELEASE

November 25, 2010.

HOUSING UNITS PUTS KIDS WORLD ON THE MAP.

Housing Units is to launch a new store in its north Manchester retail park on December 1, 2010.

Housing Units Kids World will stock clothes, footwear, toys and bedroom furniture for under-10s, slotting into the age bracket above its current Coo Chi Coo baby store on The Crescent.

“The time is right for investment, the niche is there, our customers want it, and we have the space to be able to develop something of this nature – and a likely demand to ensure solid footfall,” said Nick Fox of Housing Units.

“We’ve researched this market intensely, and have decided from the start that we’ll be stocking designer and premium brands and products - but a big influence is also the growing number of children who now have a say in the design and décor of their own rooms.

“The timing is obviously important; we’re gathering such a momentum and level of customer visits as Christmas approaches that we feel in a strong position to give Kids World a real kick start, and to be placed firmly on the map pretty quickly.”

Housing Units – known for its top-hatted doormen - was established in 1947. It is a family-owned furnishings retailer based in Wickentree Lane, Failsworth, Manchester M35 9BA, next to Junction 22 of the M60. It stocks 30,000 high-quality lines across a range of departments in two buildings and a crescent of specialist shops, and prides itself on its unique style of customer service, the value of its goods and the shopping experience it provides.

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Further information:

Iain Macauley

0161 929 0446/07788 978800

im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.housingunits.co.uk

ACTIVE AT 60 FUNDING – SMALL BUT POTENTIALLY EFFECTIVE LIFE-CHANGER.

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR GENERAL, SAGA

PRESS RELEASE

November 25, 2010.

ACTIVE AT 60 FUNDING – SMALL BUT POTENTIALLY EFFECTIVE LIFE-CHANGER.

Community groups in 30 areas across the country are being invited to bid for a share of £1 million to help older people keep active and make the most of their later lives.

The Government is providing the cash to fund Active at 60, a project that will help older people who are at-risk of loneliness and social isolation.

Dr Ros Altmann, Director General of Saga, said: “We’re sensing a growing momentum and recognition – at long last – of the important part the older generations can play in the community, but also how important it is to provide them with the opportunity to get up and go,” said Dr Ros Altmann, Director General of Saga.

“This is a relatively small fund, but could be massively effective and should be welcomed as a significant potential life-changer. Many people approaching 60 could be as little as two-thirds of the way through their lives, and have a great deal to give – but also need a great deal too.

“Recent research says that because of the increase in incidences of family breakdown, the older generations have fewer close relatives to support and inspire them.

“But a key consideration here is that while this budget is relatively small, it could have a much wider impact – the more active and healthy older people are, the less likely they are to have to rely upon the state for social and health care.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

www.saga.co.uk

WORLD PIE EATING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2010 – BEEF-YIELDING COWS SCRUTINISED FOR QUALITY.

WORLD PIE EATING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2010

PRESS RELEASE

November 25, 2010.

WORLD PIE EATING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2010 – BEEF-YIELDING COWS SCRUTINISED FOR QUALITY.

The 2010 World Pie Eating Championships will take place at pie noon on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at Harry’s Bar, Wallgate, Wigan.

“We’re expecting this to be one of the biggest events in recent years because a free lunch goes down very well in what has been a difficult financial year,” said Tony Callaghan, owner of Harry’s Bar.

“We’re going to be particularly scrutineerinous of the quality of pies for this year’s event during the Official Pie selection process, because we wouldn’t want to think there’d be any cost-cutting in quality by the obscure use of pie meat from anything but the finest herds of beef-yielding cows from the majestic plains of the North West of England.

“We will be operating in the usual format with a Pie Noon pie-off, full teams of officials with up-to-the-minute timekeeping technology. We are considering bringing in international-football-style fifth and sixth officials to police the pie mouths at either end, and will also be using video technology if there is any dispute.”

The world record for downing an Official Pie stands at 35.86 seconds, but drugs tests – on the gravy: cough linctus has been used to avoid swallow-stall in recent years – saw last year’s winning time corrected into re-alignment with previous years at 45 seconds dead. The reigning champion is Barry Rugby, 37, from Wigan.

Whichever of the 2010 contenders consumes a regulation pie in the fastest time will be declared World Champion and wins a trophy and a free lunch. The cooked dimensions of the official pie are a diameter of 12cm and a depth of 3.5cm, and a pie wall angle from base to top of between zero and 15 degrees. Minimum content cube dimensions of the meat and potato mix are 1cm, and they must have 66% meat content not including pastry.

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

im@pressrelations.co.uk

http://innthebar.blogspot.com/

PENSIONS CRISIS COULD ESCALATE INTO CARE CRISIS

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR GENERAL, SAGA

PRESS RELEASE

November 23, 2010.

PENSIONS CRISIS COULD ESCALATE INTO CARE CRISIS.

The UK’s pensions crisis could well escalate into a care funding crisis unless the government gets to grips with the issue, says pensions expert Dr Ros Altmann, Director General of Saga.

Dr Altmann will be delivering a keynote speech for the launch of the Westminster Business School on Tuesday, 23 November, 2010, during which she will outline her vision of what must be done to combat the pensions’ crisis facing the UK.

Dr Altmann has often voiced her views on pensions, recently with reference to the impact of low interest rates on pensioners (video here) and how a pensions crisis could breed a care crisis (video here).

“I believe radical pension reform is needed and, because part of the solution must come from longer working lives, age discrimination must be tackled, with employees given more help to stay in work longer. Without dramatic intervention the time bomb will explode, leaving a generation at risk of poverty, without pension provision, and increasing pressure on services and benefits,” said Dr Altmann.

But Dr Altmann also warns that as the pensions crisis has not been tackled the UK could face an even greater financial catastrophe – in care funding.

Dr Altmann warns that the demographic dangers are upon us, with the first baby boomers reaching 65 in 2011. And they are a generation resistant to planning for the future but who live much longer than previous generations.

• Latest research reveals one third of over-50s have no pension provision
• Company schemes are being closed and people are finding they get little or no pension from many pension funds
• Measures coming from Brussels could increase the crisis with over-burdensome changes to investment backing for pension funds and annuities causing pension values to fall.

The coalition government is introducing the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) but Dr Altmann does not believe this is enough.

“We need radical state pension reform and social revolution to rethink our lives, with a re-evaluation of what 'retirement' should look like. Put simply, there needs to be more saving, and more working,” said Dr Altmann.

“So far the new government has expressed good intentions, now we need measures to back this up. As well as radical state pension reform there must be more help for the over-50s to stay in work - once they are out, they often stay out. In addition, HR departments need to be encouraged to manage their older labour force better after the ending of the Default Retirement Age. This means having sensible discussions with older workers about perhaps shifting to part-time work, assessing them on the basis of their ability to do the job, not their chronological age.”

Ends

Further information:

Paul V Green

Head of Communication
Saga Group Ltd
01303 776 023 (w)
07714 414 859 (m)
www.saga.co.uk.

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

im@pressrelations.co.uk

To attend the reception, or for more information, please contact:

Stephanie Winteringham at Stephanie@communicationsmanagement.co.uk or on 01727 738 550.

Editors’ Notes

Dr Altmann, who was recently appointed as the Director General of Saga, the organisation representing the over-50s, has twice been named Pensions Personality of the Year. She led the successful Campaign for Pensions’ Justice on behalf of 140,000 people and their families who lost company pensions.

Westminster Business School is one of the largest business schools in the UK with more than 4,000 students and 350 staff, providing a full suite of services to a wide range of audiences including undergraduate and postgraduate level students, businesses, local government and other non-profit organisations (www.westminster.ac.uk/schools/business).

The school’s Centre for Finance and Financial Services (CFFS) carries out research into pension reforms, saving for retirement, the age of retirement; occupational pensions, women’s retirement-income planning decisions and the retirement behaviour of ethnic minority groups. The Centre is home to the Pension Investment Academy - a joint venture between Specialist Pension Services Limited (SPS) and Westminster Business School - and the Pensions Research Network, which draws together academics and their research to widen the field of knowledge within retirement, savings, pensions and ageing.

HAINES WATTS DRIVES DEFENSIVE COMPANIES INTO BUSINESS ATTACK.

HAINES WATTS

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS

MANCHESTER AND PRESTON

PRESS RELEASE

November 25, 2010.

HAINES WATTS DRIVES DEFENSIVE COMPANIES INTO BUSINESS ATTACK.

North West owner managers have been so busy defending and protecting their businesses that many have taken their eye off the growth and development ball.

Manchester and Preston-based Haines Watts chartered accountants has responded by developing a series of seminars aimed at helping put businesses on the attack.

Called “Rise”, the seminars will cover key areas relating to the growth and development of owner-managed businesses. They’ll take place throughout January and February 2011.

David Fort of Haines Watts said: “Owner-managed businesses tell us the biggest challenge they face is achieving and sustaining business growth.

“Being an owner manager or managing director of your company can be a lonely place when trying to make that step change in your organisation.

“The people around you often don’t have the necessary knowledge, skills or experience to help you through this process. The seminar series is designed for people in just that position who are looking to grow their business.”

Consisting of six high-impact breakfast sessions that will provide focused information and cut through the woffle, elements include creating, retaining and extracting personal and family wealth in line with aspirations; sustaining growth against increasingly stiff competition in a changing market; leading the business in the right direction while reducing business and personal risks; recruiting, motivating and retaining the right people and exiting the wrong ones with low risk; establishing and maintaining effective and appropriate funding arrangements; providing the right operations and facilities to support the business without breaking the bank.

Key features of the events include access to experts in business growth acceleration, and are held in  a confidential environment in short sessions with practical not theoretical content in a discussion rather than lecturing environment.

Haines Watts is a UK top 20 chartered accountancy firm specialising in the owner-managed sector, providing a broad range of services out of its 50 offices. The firm has 80 years experience and 30,000 clients.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

www.hwca.com

http://www.hwca.com/offices/accountants-north-west.php

ROS ALTMANN: WELFARE REFORMS WILL BE DEVASTATING FOR OVER-50S.

ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR GENERAL, SAGA

PRESS RELEASE

November 11, 2010.

SAGA WARNS GOVERNMENT THAT WELFARE REFORMS WILL BE DEVASTATING FOR MANY OVER 50s.
 
THEY ARE HAPPY TO WORK BUT CANNOT FIND JOBS.
 
RAISING THE STATE PENSION AGE, WHILE REMOVING WELFARE SUPPORT, RISKS PLUNGING OVER-50s INTO POVERTY.
 
AGE DISCRIMINATION IS HUGE BARRIER TO OVER-50s JOBSEEKERS

 
Today's announcements on welfare reform are heading in the right direction for many, however they do not reflect the special needs of the over 50s, says Ros Altmann, Director General of Saga.  

“Saga surveys consistently show that older people are keen to keep working, far more respondents now express the desire to work part-time in later life, in order to supplement inadequate pensions,” said Ros Altmann.  

“However, the labour market is not enabling this to happen.  At the same time, the Government is planning to remove the Pension Credit from the over-60s, as the age for Pension Credit receipt is set to rise in line with increases in women's state pension age.  Many of those in their early 60s will thus be forced to survive on much lower benefits, desperate to work but unable to find employment.”
 
Saga is warning the Government that this group will need special consideration when tackling welfare reform.  Most of the over -0s who have lost their jobs are anxious to get back to work, but they face significant age discrimination in the labour market and those who need part-time work often cannot find it.  
 
Once unemployed in their latter years, people find it far harder to re-enter employment than younger people.  To force such people onto benefits, when they do actually want to work, will be devastating for them.
 
Saga supports the Government's initiatives to reform the welfare system and to 'make work pay'.  However, it is not as simple as that and, especially for older jobseekers, the labour market simply is not working.
 
As millions of baby-boomers are set to enter their 60s in the next few years and as Government is drastically reducing the welfare support available to them, there is a serious risk that those who are desperate to work will be unable to find employment and will be consigned to the scrapheap far too early.
 
Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

www.saga.co.uk

NOTES
 
A recent Saga Survey show that one-in-five (19%) over 50s said they planned to continue working in their current job once they reach retirement age and 9% plan to continue working past retirement age but in a different job to currently.  A further 9% plan to do voluntary work when they retire.

For those planning to continue working, the desire to continue making money is the prime motivation – 61% cited this as one of their reasons for working after retirement age. Nearly as many, however, 59% said they wanted to keep their mind active and half admitted to simply enjoying working.

Populus received 13,040 responses from people aged 50 and over to its on-line poll for SAGA between 11th and 17th June 2010.

MICHAEL GOES FROM DOLE TO LIFESAVER IN WEEKS.

SAVOY VENTURES LTD.

NHS PATIENT TRANSPORT

PRESS RELEASE

November 11, 2010.

MICHAEL GOES FROM DOLE TO LIFESAVER IN WEEKS.

Video: link to Michael Collins interview.

Recession casualty Michael Collins was plucked from the dole queue after nearly nine months out of work - and within weeks was becoming a life-saver. 

Michael, 45, from Greenhithe, was made redundant after six years working in retail at Bluewater shopping centre in January 2009, but nearly two years on has made a massive career step and is now a fully-fledged ambulance technician working with several south London hospitals.

Michael is employed by Savoy Ventures Limited, which provides NHS patient transport and transfer services between south London hospitals. Savoy operates specialist patient transport vehicles, as well as a large fleet of emergency-support-standard ambulances crewed by ambulance technicians. 

“Never in a million years did I believe I’d be on the dole one day and training to become a life-saver the next,” said Michael.

“My skills straight from school were on the mechanical and engineering front, but I moved into retail, and six years in the recession really bit – and I was out of a job. 

“That was January 2009, and I applied for 20 or so jobs without success before I stumbled across an ad in the local Job Centre for patient transport drivers. 

“From there it was a whirlwind of progress. I got the job driving patients between their homes and various hospitals in south London, but I felt I was cut out for far more responsibility. So within a few weeks I was accepted for the ambulance technician training course, then the blue light driving course, and then I’m suddenly in  charge of an ambulance, and, far more significantly, responsible for the wellbeing and safety of children and premature babies transferring between hospitals under blue light conditions. 

“Savoy may be a private company which provides patients transport services to a number of hospitals, but the training, equipment and support are easily on par and possibly exceed the standards provided by many UK ambulance services engaged in similar NHS support roles."

Savoy Ventures Limited is a private company providing patient transport and transfer services to NHS Trusts in the South East of England. Established in 2006, Savoy makes more than 200,000 patient transfer journeys a year. Savoy Ventures Limited is engaged by a number of NHS Trusts to carry out blue-light transfers, specialist wheelchair, incubator, bariatric chair or stretcher transport, notes/X-ray transfer, and movement of tissue between hospitals. Many staff are trained and qualified to Ambulance Technician level.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

www.savoyventures.com