Latest news with #EarlyLearningCentre
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- General
- RNZ News
Pre-schoolers learning the power of worm farms
South Auckland pre-schoolers are learning the value of getting their hands dirty to grow fresh fruit and veggies, and the awesome power of the humble earthworm to get it to go absolutely gangbusters. Kids at the Barnardos Early Learning Centre in Otara are stuck in to school's veggie garden and worm farm, learning how to transform food waste into healthy vegetables. Felix Walton reports. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
STV News
18 hours ago
- Business
- STV News
British toy shop chain The Entertainer hands ownership to its 1,900 staff
One of the UK's biggest toy chains is set to become employee-owned after the founders said they were handing over control to the group's 1,900 staff. The Entertainer, whose parent firm also owns Early Learning Centre toys, will share profits among workers under the new structure. Gary Grant opened the first shop in Buckinghamshire with his wife Catherine 44 years ago. The group now runs some 160 shops and 1,000 concessions across the UK in retailers like Tesco and Marks & Spencer. Mr Grant said it was a 'momentous day' for the family, adding: 'Over the last 44 years, we have invested our working lives into this business. 'All our children are shareholders, and our two oldest sons joined to work alongside us, 20 years ago – so it's truly a family business. 'This is a significant decision for the family, and one we haven't taken lightly, but it feels like the right time to transfer our entire shareholding into an employee ownership trust.' As beneficiaries of the trust, employees will be handed bonuses based on the amount of profit the business makes in the future. It also means staff get to have a say in how the business is run. The Entertainer shops across the UK close on Sundays as part of the Grant family's Christian ethos which encourages staff to spend the day with their families. Teal Group, which owns the chain and toymaker Addo Play, made a pre-tax profit of £6.7 million in the year to the end of January 2024, according to its most recently filed accounts. The UK's biggest employee-owned company is the John Lewis Partnership, with around 70,000 of its staff sharing in the company's profits. Outdoor activities group Go Ape has some 1,000 staff that share in any surplus profits after handing over ownership in 2022, while TV and hi-fi retail chain Richer Sounds transferred shares into a trust six years ago. James de la Vingne, chief executive of the Employee Ownership Association, said it was 'always an exciting time when a major high street brand takes the bold move to become employee-owned'. 'We're seeing a growing trend for retailers making the move to employee ownership alongside calls to help save the high street,' he said. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Major British toy retailer announces huge shakeup which is set to affect all 1,900 of its staff
One of Britain's biggest toy chains is set to become employee-owned after the founders said they were handing over control to the group's 1,900 staff. The Entertainer, which is behind Early Learning Centre toys, will share profits amongst workers under the new structure. Gary Grant opened the first shop in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, with his wife Catherine 44 years ago. The group now runs some 160 shops and 1,000 concessions across the UK in retailers such as Tesco, Matalan and Marks & Spencer. Mr Grant said it was a 'momentous day' for the family, adding: 'Over the last 44 years, we have invested our working lives into this business. 'All our children are shareholders, and our two oldest sons joined to work alongside us, 20 years ago - so it's truly a family business. Gary Grant opened the first shop in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, with his wife 44 years ago 'This is a significant decision for the family, and one we haven't taken lightly, but it feels like the right time to transfer our entire shareholding into an employee ownership trust.' As beneficiaries of the trust, employees will be handed bonuses based on the amount of profit the business makes in the future. It also means staff get to have a say in how the business is run. The Entertainer shops across the UK close on Sundays as part of the Grant family's Christian ethos which encourages staff to spend the day with their families. The group made a pre-tax profit of £7.9million in the year to the end of January 2024, according to its most recently filed accounts. The UK's biggest employee-owned company is the John Lewis Partnership, with around 70,000 of its staff sharing in the company's profits. Outdoor activities group Go Ape has some 1,000 staff that share in any surplus profits after handing over ownership in 2022, while TV and hi-fi retail chain Richer Sounds transferred shares into a trust six years ago. James de la Vingne, chief executive of the Employee Ownership Association, said it was 'always an exciting time when a major high street brand takes the bold move to become employee-owned'. 'We're seeing a growing trend for retailers making the move to employee ownership alongside calls to help save the high street,' he said.
Leader Live
19 hours ago
- Business
- Leader Live
British toy shop chain The Entertainer hands ownership to its 1,900 staff
The Entertainer, whose parent firm also owns Early Learning Centre toys, will share profits among workers under the new structure. Gary Grant opened the first shop in Buckinghamshire with his wife Catherine 44 years ago. The group now runs some 160 shops and 1,000 concessions across the UK in retailers like Tesco and Marks & Spencer. Mr Grant said it was a 'momentous day' for the family, adding: 'Over the last 44 years, we have invested our working lives into this business. 'All our children are shareholders, and our two oldest sons joined to work alongside us, 20 years ago – so it's truly a family business. 'This is a significant decision for the family, and one we haven't taken lightly, but it feels like the right time to transfer our entire shareholding into an employee ownership trust.' As beneficiaries of the trust, employees will be handed bonuses based on the amount of profit the business makes in the future. It also means staff get to have a say in how the business is run. The Entertainer shops across the UK close on Sundays as part of the Grant family's Christian ethos which encourages staff to spend the day with their families. Teal Group, which owns the chain and toymaker Addo Play, made a pre-tax profit of £6.7 million in the year to the end of January 2024, according to its most recently filed accounts. The UK's biggest employee-owned company is the John Lewis Partnership, with around 70,000 of its staff sharing in the company's profits. Outdoor activities group Go Ape has some 1,000 staff that share in any surplus profits after handing over ownership in 2022, while TV and hi-fi retail chain Richer Sounds transferred shares into a trust six years ago. James de la Vingne, chief executive of the Employee Ownership Association, said it was 'always an exciting time when a major high street brand takes the bold move to become employee-owned'. 'We're seeing a growing trend for retailers making the move to employee ownership alongside calls to help save the high street,' he said.
North Wales Chronicle
19 hours ago
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
British toy shop chain The Entertainer hands ownership to its 1,900 staff
The Entertainer, whose parent firm also owns Early Learning Centre toys, will share profits among workers under the new structure. Gary Grant opened the first shop in Buckinghamshire with his wife Catherine 44 years ago. The group now runs some 160 shops and 1,000 concessions across the UK in retailers like Tesco and Marks & Spencer. Mr Grant said it was a 'momentous day' for the family, adding: 'Over the last 44 years, we have invested our working lives into this business. 'All our children are shareholders, and our two oldest sons joined to work alongside us, 20 years ago – so it's truly a family business. 'This is a significant decision for the family, and one we haven't taken lightly, but it feels like the right time to transfer our entire shareholding into an employee ownership trust.' As beneficiaries of the trust, employees will be handed bonuses based on the amount of profit the business makes in the future. It also means staff get to have a say in how the business is run. The Entertainer shops across the UK close on Sundays as part of the Grant family's Christian ethos which encourages staff to spend the day with their families. Teal Group, which owns the chain and toymaker Addo Play, made a pre-tax profit of £6.7 million in the year to the end of January 2024, according to its most recently filed accounts. The UK's biggest employee-owned company is the John Lewis Partnership, with around 70,000 of its staff sharing in the company's profits. Outdoor activities group Go Ape has some 1,000 staff that share in any surplus profits after handing over ownership in 2022, while TV and hi-fi retail chain Richer Sounds transferred shares into a trust six years ago. James de la Vingne, chief executive of the Employee Ownership Association, said it was 'always an exciting time when a major high street brand takes the bold move to become employee-owned'. 'We're seeing a growing trend for retailers making the move to employee ownership alongside calls to help save the high street,' he said.
