THE demise of Ena Shaw is a significant blow for St Helens and devastating news for the employees who have lost their jobs.
Although many readers will immediately focus on the closure of the Duke Street furnishing store, which leaves another gaping hole in St Helens town centre’s retail sector, the loss of the Lea Green factory is arguably the biggest blow.
This was the base for the majority of the workers and a successful operation for many years, producing curtains for the Olympic village at London 2012 and carrying out contracts for household brands such as Next.
It’s not all grim economic news. Companies are locating and investing in the borough – we will focus on some of these in next week’s Star – but the end of an era at Ena Shaw shows the pressures faced by independent firms having to navigate the volatile world of retail and online sales.
Dawn Jones, of the Daniel Fox Foundation
- It's great news that the Daniel Fox Foundation has secured funding to increase the amount of educational programmes delivered to young people.
After the Star reported this news it was sad to see some online comments by people suggesting their actions won’t change people who want to carry knives.
The story of Danny’s family is profound and emotional. It is making an impression on many people, who will carry this through their lives.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here