Partner Article

Event scrapped as creative firm calls in liquidators

A NORTH East design and marketing firm is to go into voluntary liquidation later this month, prompting the cancellation of a major event aimed at unearthing young engineering talent in the region.

Fawthrop McLanders, which employs around a dozen people locally at its Jesmond headquarters and has been in business for 21 years, is to hold a creditors meeting in the middle of the month.

Its impending liquidation has indirectly led to the cancellation of the Boom! North East Engineering Show at the Metro Arena, Newcastle, scheduled to run from 13 July.

The event was to show young people from across the region how “studying engineering subjects can be a passport to amazing things,” and was to feature Honda’s famous Asimo robot among other attractions.

Fawthrop informed relevant parties involved in the event about its upcoming liquidation in advance, leaving regional development agency One North East with a decision over whether to fund the event or reluctantly cancel it.

The company declined to comment due to “legal reasons” but Tim Pain, One North East head of business, enterprise and skills, said: “We have reluctantly taken the decision not to stage this year’s Boom! youth engineering show after being told that the company delivering the event will be going into liquidation.

“After careful consideration, we decided it would not represent value for public money to invest any further finance into this event, which we would have to do to ensure it met the same professional high standards of previous years.

“We fully understand the disappointment this difficult decision will cause and apologise for any inconvenience. We will work with the liquidators to recoup as much of our investment as possible.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .