St Helens Chamber of Commerce axes dozens St Helens Chamber of Commerce falls into administration and closes “with immediate effect”, leaving most of its 71 staff unemployed Tony McDonough says the St. Helens Chamber of Commerce goes into administration “immediately” and reports that it was closing and most of its 71 staff have been laid off. Grant Thornton administrators Jason Bell and Philip Stephenson took over the company on Thursday and will manage its affairs on behalf of creditors. The Chamber of Commerce, primarily a membership and educational organization, speaks of a ‘perfect storm’ contributed by cuts in government funding, problems creating redundancies in external services and lower housing costs across the country.
In its latest annual budget, which includes the year to March 31, 2023, revenue rose slightly to £5.
7 million, but pre-tax profits more than doubled to £268,000. In the accounts, the chamber was accused of “correcting the request too much” due to the impact of the time error on one of its contracts. This led to an internal review.
In August 2023, CEO Tracy Mawson announced: The Chamber was seeking a contractor to renovate the second floor of its headquarters on Salisbury Street. In June 2023, he put an additional house up for sale in the city centre, priced at £350,000.
4-6 Hardshaw Street is a four-storey building bought by the Chamber of Commerce 22 years ago.
Negotiations are continuing with the Department of Education and Skills to find a new doctor for 260 personnel.
The chamber said it was exploring options with other providers to support 30 young people with their own learning projects.
All students were notified of the transition and the options open to them.
Consumers and suppliers were also informed.
British Chambers of Commerce are currently assessing the situation to determine the best options to continue to benefit businesses in St Helens.
A Chamber spokesperson said: – The Chamber is facing a perfect storm of financial problems and economic difficulties which has led to reduced demand for our services.
The incredible and significant shocks experienced in the recovery of our office tower due to the decline in housing demand after COVID have led to very difficult problems.
In addition, the transition from EU financial flows to the Federal Development Fund creates challenges that we cannot face.
This continues to impact us and has a significant impact on cash flow and results
Despite these issues, our talented and committed staff works hard to help our members and interns, and this is heartbreaking
Once again, many of our participants showed great dedication and we are grateful for their support
Administrator Currently, the Recruiting Team is providing assistance to employees seeking new employment.
Tenants at the Chamber of Commerce office building on Salisbury Street will continue to use it, and building management staff will be retained to provide a wide range of services to these employees and their guests.