Widnes sewer and drain maintenance business Grisedale 2000 owed Barclays Bank £8.9m when it entered administration, according to a report to creditors from Leonard Curtis. The company collapsed in February after losing a supply contract with United Utilities last year, while it was hit when a £900,000 claim against a customer was settled for £200,000. Its working capital also suffered following problems with an office opening in Dubai and a Bulgarian property venture. Leonard Curtis said that Barclays has since been discharged from full debtor recoveries, although HM Revenue & Customs is owed approximately £1.2m. The report added that prior to the appointment of administrators, items of plant, equipment and vehicles had been "novated to a connected company". The administrators said they will seek “recovery from the connected business in due course”.

Liverpool PR agency Active Profile has announced a 54 per cent rise in first quarter sales after a series of new contract wins. The company, which is run by Insider 42 under 42 alumnus Anna Heyes, has secured new work from the likes of Liverpool Science Park, Mason Owen and EA Technology Ventures during the period. It also opened a new office in Manchester earlier this year. Heyes said: “It’s been a tough couple of years for the economy which makes me even more delighted that we’ve continued to grow despite the difficult environment.”

Liverpool is the second most popular destination for events outside of London, according to a poll published by trade magazine Event. The top three cities were Birmingham, which came first with 21 per cent of the vote, followed by Liverpool with 16 per cent and Manchester in third place with 15 per cent. Carol O’Reilly from the Liverpool Convention Bureau said: “Events, meetings and conferences contribute around £163m to the local economy, which is why it is imperative that the city continues to be seen as an attractive destination for this type of business.”

St Helens safety shower manufacturer Showers & Eyebaths Services has secured a string of new contracts worth almost £230,000. The company, which supplies emergency shower units destined for major overseas oil, gas and power supply industries, has won contracts from the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations, as well as businesses in Malaysia and Taiwan. Craig Yates, managing director of Showers & Eyebaths Services said: “With contracts of this value it is evident that our investment is paying dividends.”

The regional chairman of insolvency trade body R3 has called on the new government to continue to press ahead with the creation of a rescue culture. Matt Dunham, who is a partner at Grant Thornton, said the UK has made great strides since the Enterprise Act 2002 made it easier to place companies into administration, but warned that more needs to be done. He said: “The rescue culture remains something of an American concept and the UK still has some way to go to embrace it. We must continue to move to towards this goal to enable more corporate rescues and fewer liquidations.”

Insider’s North West Top 500 Companies 2010 database is our reliable and comprehensive business marketing list. Ideal if you wish to promote your company to the most profitable companies in the North West it contains 1983 top level contact details (inc. 1446 email addresses) and an abundance of essential company information. Click here for full content details and to request free sample data. Alternatively, you can order online or contact Richard Graham for further information.

Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan’s plan for the £6.5m Wigan Boys and Girls Club has been approved by Wigan Council. Designed by the Liverpool studio of architects’ firm Austin Smith Lord, the centre at Mesnes Field will include sports facilities including all-weather pitches, art and music studios and a climbing wall. It will be run by a new local charity, which is being advised by OnSide North West – a regional charity with its roots in the acclaimed Bolton Lads and Girls Club. The club has been driven by Whelan, the JJB founder, and fellow wealthy Wiganers Martin and Bill Ainscough. Together they have donated more than half of the development costs.

Andrew Thomas, the chief executive of the Centre for Construction Innovation (CCI), is stepping into the Ask the Expert hotseat. CCI runs the North West Construction Knowledge Hub, which offers advice and training workshops for small businesses to help respond to the opportunities and threats posed by climate change. Andrew can answer questions on how companies in the industry can improve processes, increase sustainability and, in turn, become more competitive in the difficult marketplace. If you have a question you’d like to ask Andrew, click here to use our anonymous online form.

A peloton of 50 riders from Grosvenor and investment partners will this month cycle from London to Liverpool One to raise cash for the Grosvenor Liverpool Fund. Administered by the Community Foundation for Merseyside, the fund has awarded grants of £300,000 to over 50 local causes so far. Day one is Mayfair-Banbury, day two up to Whitchurch then there’s a 45-mile dash to Liverpool, with a brief pause at the Chester Grosvenor and a police escort through the Mersey Tunnel. Rather nicely, one of the team has a suitably heroic name – project manager Catherine Pankhurst.

Insider has been over on the Isle of Man ahead of June’s regional review. One interviewee mentioned that the huge house built by F1 star Nigel Mansell is currently being renovated by a certain shopping centres, property, ports and airports magnate. Apparently, back in the day moustachioed motorist Mansell failed to take local advice not to build anything exposed to the prevailing south westerlies, necessitating the controversial construction of a large hill as a windbreak. A planning row eh? Home from home!

Chester PR company de Winter PR and Marketing knows how to party and sure enough it was in the thick of things at a bash at Warrington’s Mojo Bar, held to celebrate the Golden Square shopping centre’s fashion website. De Winter was instrumental in both the website’s development and the launch night. Guests were treated to champagne, canapés and a DJ set by Scott Mills. Presumably carrot-topped local hero Chris Evans was unavailable? Better than Kerry Katona though…