Last week, a handful of AO employees helped raise thousands of pounds for Kidney Research UK by embarking on a charity walk from the company’s main office in Bolton all the way to the AO Arena.
Setting out on the nearly 30-kilometre walk — 17.6 miles to be exact — nine AO staff members embarked on their journey from the online electrical suppliers’ headquarters over in Bolton to the city centre’s internationally renowned music, entertainment and sporting venue.
Taking them a total of five hours to complete the charity walk, including a short break to stop for ice cream in the hot weather (has to be done, doesn’t it?), they eventually reached their destination and smashed their initial fundraising target of £1,500 in the process.
All told the team of trekkers ended up raising more than £2,600 for Kidney Research, the UK’s leading kidney disease charity, and were treated to a congratulatory glass of champagne upon arriving at the AO Arena’s Electric Lounge. Well deserved.
One of those people is AO affiliate manager, Graham Murray, who spent a number of years on dialysis before his mother donated one of her kidneys to him two years ago and he thankfully underwent a successful transplant.
Having received plenty of support from the organisation in recent years, it was a no-brainer to choose them for the sponsored walk, and both he and his team were delighted to be able to give something back on one of their biannual ‘Make a Difference’ days, where they swap time at their desk for charity and/or community work
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Still relying on immunosuppression to keep his transplanted kidney healthy, Graham explained how “Kidney Research UK have been very involved in all of [his] treatments so being able to raise so much money for them made the walk more than worth it.”
A big congratulations to our acquisition team 👏
They walked from AO HQ in Bolton to the AO Arena in Manchester to raise money for Kidney Research UK 🥾🗺️
The walk was a mega 28 kilometres, and they celebrated with a glass of champagne at the AO Arena 🥂 pic.twitter.com/ySQYpEvuLb
As for the charity itself, community and events manager Ronan-Peate said: “It is always fantastic to see co-workers come together to take on a great challenge and raise money for charity particularly when it’s one that’s so close to their colleague’s heart.
“The AO employees have completed an amazing achievement and subsequently raised far more than their initial target and we are incredibly grateful for their determination and generosity.
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“The money that they have raised will go to supporting research to help more people like Graham by transforming treatments and helping us to one day live in a world without kidney disease.” Hear, hear.
It’s brilliant to see AO continuing its incredible charity work in and around Greater Manchester. The AO Smile Foundation is making a huge impact in the community and it doesn’t go unnoticed.
Michelin-recommended rooftop restaurant Climat has closed its doors with immediate effect
Daisy Jackson
One of Manchester’s top-rated restaurants has announced its shock and immediate closure.
Climat, which is set way up high in Blackfriars House with staggering views of Manchester city centre, has said that the Michelin-recommended restaurant is now permanently closed.
In a heartbreaking statement, founder Christopher Laidler said that Climat is ‘yet another casualty of the times we’re living in’.
Laying out the brutal reality of running a hospitality business, Chris wrote about ‘rampant food inflation’, an ‘ever-increasing tax burden’, and ‘the persistent cost of living crisis’, describing it as a perfect storm against hospitality.
Then delving deeper into the numbers, he shared that Climat has faced an eye-watering £112,000 electricity bill for its first 13 months in business – that’s 400% more than they’d budgeted.
That was chased by a 33% increase in staff wages, then a jump in business rates from £12,000 a year to £38,000 a year.
Couple that with reduced footfall and it’s ‘spelling disaster for so many’.
Climat has closed its doors with immediate effectClimat has laid their finances bare in their closing statement
He wrote: “Whilst I wanted to highlight these reasons for closure, in the naive hope the Government will start to listen before it’s too late for others, I want to acknowledge the fantastic work of our team over the last 3.5 years.
“The closure does not do justice to their efforts and dedication. I’d also like extend a huge debt of gratitude to our guests for their support, enabling us to build a nationally recognised wine list – our raison d’être.”
Signing off, he said: “I wish everyone the very best of luck in these challenging times. Bye for now, Christopher.”
Climat opened in late 2022, with an impressive wine list and a beautiful restaurant space overlooking Manchester.
It didn’t take long before it was added to the Michelin Guide, which wrote: “An open kitchen is the focus of the room, with its aromas filling the air, and the concise fixed-price menu includes well-executed dishes such as halibut with spinach and sorrel velouté, where the ingredient quality shines through.
“Wine is a feature with one side of the room acting as a bar and the carefully curated list deftly mixing traditional and modern styles.”
Claire’s is closing down stores in the UK and Ireland with more than 1,300 jobs set to be lost
Danny Jones
In another hit to domestic shoppers, Claire’s Accessories is closing down en masse across the UK and Ireland after entering into administration once again.
Falling into an unfortunate financial status for the second time in less than a year, Claire’s will be shutting down all of their standalone stores across Britain, along with their IE branches.
A total of 154 stores will soon disappear, with more than a thousand people set to be put out of work.
Once a mainstay of British high streets up and down the country, the accessory shop known for all things jewellery, piercings and more has ceased trading effective immediately.
Announced at the start of the week and the end of the first full month of Q2, it was confirmed that Claire’s closed their final locations on Monday, 27 April.
With administrators, Kroll, appointed to wrap up business proceedings, an estimated 1,300 English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh workers have now lost their jobs.
Founded way back in 1961 over in the United States, Claire’s has operated across the Atlantic for more than three decades.
However, with various other contemporaries and cheaper online options having appeared over the years, they’ve struggled not just to remain profitable but to compete full stop.
They most recently filed for bankruptcy in the US this past August (2025), with their Belgian, Spanish, and Dutch divisions having already called it quits.
Manchester location(s) have changed a lot over time, but now they’re on the way out (Credit: Arndale)
For many, the outcome isn’t all that surprising, but it will nevertheless be a sad loss for many who have seen multiple generations visit these venues over the years.
Danny Jones -
1st August 2023 
