1. 12 Thursday, January 5, 2012 theboltonnews.co.uk/news
>> With Robbie MacDonald Tel: 01204 537352 BusinessDaily Email: robbie.macdonald@theboltonnews.co.uk
Bosses reject
support for a
‘city mayor’
Back pain relief leaves Sales fall
at fashion
staff sitting pretty! retailer
n BUSINESS leaders have
rejected government plans
for a Manchester 'city FASHION retailer Next,
mayor' ahead of which has branches at
discussions on a new Bolton Market Place and
governance system for the
whole of Greater Middlebrook Retail Park,
A FINANCIAL claims has announced
Manchester. company is on the ball “disappointing” sales in
The Greater Manchester in preventing back pain November and December.
Local Enterprise among its staff — which
Partnership, which Last-minute purchases
is a growing problem failed to prevent sales at its
includes business and
council leaders across
for office-based work- 520 stores from falling 2.7
Bolton, said the plans for ers. per cent on a year earlier
directly elected mayors Instead of sitting on between August and the end
would bring no advantages chairs at their desks, of December.
to the region. employees at CreditClaims Shoppers waited for the
A consultation on the plan, in Manchester Road are firm’s end-of-season sale,
which will be the subject of now sitting on large green when goods were at half
a referendum in May, has exercise balls. price or less, after Next was
recently ended. Using balls for seats was left with 10 per cent more
the idea of co-owner Ajaz stock in its clearance period
Mike Blackburn, chairman than a year earlier.
Khan, who helped estab-
of the partnership, said:
lish the firm in 2008 with As reported last week in
“The government’s
Michelle Barrett. The Bolton News, Bolton
proposals for a directly
The company investi- and Middlebrook bargain
elected mayor for the city
of Manchester alone do not gates cases of malpractice hunters queued from 4am
align with this dialogue, relating to loans, invest- on Boxing Day for the Next
which the partnership ments, credit cards and sales which started at 6am.
believes should be the mortgages. Next will still meet profit
focus of any discussion Mr Khan said: “Before we targets for the year to
about further devolution of started CreditClaims, I January but the company's
powers to Greater used to work from home. I recent performance and
Manchester.” started sitting on an exer- cautious outlook caused its
cise ball instead of a chair shares to fall by around
He added it would also be to improve my own pos-
at odds with the way the four per cent yesterday.
ture. Rival stocks for other
city region is run at “I found it really worked
Greater Manchester level, retailers, including Marks &
so I thought we would try
through the Combined out a few of them in our Spencer, also slipped.
Authority and Association office to try helping the Next chief executive Simon
of Greater Manchester Wolfson said: "I think
“
Authorities. people are just saving
This shows the money. We have not seen
This is made up of leaders
from the ten town halls. firm is thinking anything like the spending
about posture and after Christmas that would
make up for the lack of
looking after its staff
Housing group KAREN WILCOCK
COMFY Credit Claims advisor Sal Patel, left, and
operations director Michelle Barrett trying out the
spending before
Christmas.”
on shortlist new exercise balls. Inset, co-owner Ajaz Khan The company predicted the
squeeze on consumers will
staff. The ball is really ease this year, particularly
n HORWICH-based better — and it’s actually Salford universities and a
good for sitting on. It cer- in the second quarter, with
housing group Regenda quite comfortable.” regional officer for Phys-
tainly makes you sit up inflation closer to average
has been shortlisted for a straight and consider the Chartered physiothera- ioFirst, which represents
pist Karen Willcock from physiotherapists in private wage growth. Meanwhile,
national award, position of your back at “I now see far more strong sales of clothes and
recognising its work.” Bolton Therapy Centre, in practice, and involved in young women in their mid-
Chorley Old Road, post-graduate courses for electricals helped John
communication work with Mrs Bar- 30s with ‘dowager hump’ Lewis, which has a branch
residents. rett added: applauded Mr Khan’s other physiotherapists.
Ms Willcock said: “Cred- from poking their head for- at the Trafford Centre, took
The Northgate Close-based “Sitting move.
itClaims’ use of these balls ward and slumping at the half a billion pounds in the
group operates across the on an She has worked in the
NHS and abroad before set- shows the firm is thinking computer or laptop. In the Christmas season.
North West and is on the exercise past, I only saw this in
shortlist in the Excellence ball takes ting up the therapy centre about posture and looking
much older women.
in Annual Reports
category of the annual
a bit of
getting
in 1989.
Ms Willcock completed a
after its staff.”
She believes bad posture “Slumping, rather than
sitting up straight for long
Internet boost
Tenant Participation
Advisory Service (TPAS)
used to but
when you
master's degree in physio-
therapy in 2010, which
at work is a major problem
and added: “The down-side
of using a computer for
periods, can quicken the
ageing process of the back
for pizza firm
Connecting People Awards. do, it feels included conducting a clin-
ical trial into the treatment prolonged periods of time by affecting discs. It can n DOMINO’S Pizza, which
TPAS, a national housing much has branches at Derby
of back pain. is that it does affect pos- also lead to back pain
services body, is holding PRAISE She is also an accredited ture. People slump after which is why it’s good to Street and Blackburn Road
its northern awards Karen clinical teacher for Man- more than an hour of sit- see an employer actually in Bolton and Cricketers
ceremony in Manchester Willcock chester Metropolitan and ting at their desk. addressing this problem.” Way, Westhoughton, says
on February 10. customers’ internet orders
It has praised Regenda for regularly topped £1m a day
its annual report, which is last year. The company
in the form of a calendar
devised by
communications team
made up of tenants.
The Badger digs deep for fundraising received total orders worth
£145m in the 13 weeks to
Christmas Day, an annual
increase of 9.5 per cent.
RUTH Badger, star Good Friday aims to such as coming to encouraging Bolton
The report features of BBC1’s The get people to take work in slippers, businesses to get
cartoon characters devised
by Tony Hogan and
illustrator Jim Fleming.
Apprentice, is
asking businesses to
part in ‘feel-good’
themed fundraisers
wearing favourite
clothes or enjoying a
involved, raise funds
and have some fun TravelMoney
get behind and challenges at lunchtime movie for whilst supporting Australia 1.47 Mexico 20.18
Bernard Gallagher, charity. Ms Badger,
Regenda’s group chief Samaritans’ new their place of work, the amazing work of Canada 1.51 N.Zealand 1.92
workplace in return for a who runs a Salford Samaritans.” China 9.07 Pakistan 120.79
executive, said: “Residents Quays business
are at the heart of fundraising day, donation to Feel Good Friday is Denmark 8.55 Singapore 1.91
consultancy and
everything we do, and the Feel Good Friday. Samaritans. on Friday 3 Egypt 8.43 S.Africa 12.05
training academy,
annual report is no Sponsored by Employees are being February 3. Firms Eurozone 1.16 Sweden 10.25
said: “Fundraising
exception. They influenced healthcare provider encouraged to can help with staff can register at Hong Kong 11.49 Switzerland 1.39
the design to make sure Simplyhealth, Feel organise activities morale and I’m feelgoodfriday.org Ruth Badger Israel 5.49 Thailand 45.86
that it provides a true Japan 114.10 Turkey 2.84
reflection of our services
and performance.” More local business news online at theboltonnews.co.uk/business Kenya 121.51 USA 1.50