Nottingham entrepreneur pleads with MP for help after cutting 30 jobs
The owner of a Nottinghamshire outdoor activity centre says his business is at a “critical point” in its 82-year history after being forced to lay 30 people off.
Chairman of Walesby Forest Alistair Bow says the centre has been forced to close because of Covid-19 restrictions and that he has received no response from his local MP, the Conservative Mark Spencer, despite several pleas for help.
Bow says the company has seen a 90% drop in revenue and has lost £350,000 in the last nine months. Reserves of cash, he says, are running out.
Established in 1938, Walesby is one of the biggest employers in the local area. The centre contributes more than £3m to the local economy, paying £500,000 in wages and hosting up to 50,000 visitors per year.
Bow said: “Any incarnation of the Job Retention Scheme is no good when there is no income for the foreseeable future. As a result, we’ve had to make the tough decision to let 30 members of staff go and some have also lost their homes as they lived in accommodation on site.
“We’re at a loss. We’re incredibly disappointed that our local MP Mark Spencer has ignored our cries for help.”
As well as being chairman at Walesby Forest and managing director at Thomas Bow – a leading civil engineering and highways contractor, Bow is also chairman of Nottingham Rugby. He says the Tory MP for Rushcliffe, Ruth Edwards, has been “very supportive” of the club, which is based in the Lady Bay area.
He added: “Looking at the next financial year, we’re predicting that we’ll be shut down until Spring 2021 at the earliest and then the following six months, or even the entire next year, we are forecasting a 60% decrease in revenue.
We therefore need help, or we could be wiped out in a matter of months – which would be a devastating blow not only for us but for the 50,000 visitors we host each year.”
