This is a map pinpointing all the various venues around the local Preston area that are taking bookings for Christmas parties.


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Credit Crunch Christmas Party

Is the credit crunch hitting you hard? Can’t afford to go to work’s Christmas party and pay £40 for the privilege? Then why not throw a do-it-yourself staff bash at just a fraction of the price?

Following reports that Blackpool’s NHS bosses spent £30,000 on a lavish party and it was taxpayers that footed the bill, we’re looking to ways you can cut the cost this Christmas and still have a fantastic time.

Whilst most staff parties will be in the region of £25-£40 per head, you can instead recreate all those horribly embarrassing office moments without your wallet feeling the strain too.

For example, if you enquire at Roper Hall on Friargate, Preston they will give you the function room for free if you can guarantee that at least 40 people will attend. So if you’re in a large office, this is absolutely perfect.

Roper Hall is a trendy local bar with a great image due it’s connotations with student folk.

Jamie Fanning, a student, 22 said:

“Roper Hall is a great place to hang out; it’s comfortable, got a really nice atmosphere, friendly staff and is great value for money. It would be a great venue for a party as there’s loads of room.”

The music will be provided by the superb PA system and then it’s just a case of food…

After scouring many catering services in Preston we have found the three best options to suit your needs:

• Derek Smith Catering- With a wide selection of three course meals or hot buffet options from only £5.90 each. We chose to go with the impressive knife and fork buffet for £10.50 per head which has salmon rolls, fried goujons of plaice and chocolate delice.
  
• Heathcotes Catering- Two courses for £6.45 choose from a wide variety of gastronomic delights. Or go with the extensive fork buffet at £12.95 per person and enjoy roast beef, lemon and thyme chicken or one of the vegetarian options; mushroom and tarragon arancini.
  
• Country Fresh Catering- With nine different menu options, there’s something to please even the fussiest of eaters in the office. The best value for money option is menu eight though.

The winning option is contains:

Prawns Marie Rose

Salmon Mousse Tartlets

Tuna Fish and Sweetcorn

Chicken Supreme with Minted Glaze

Prime Roast BeefHoney

Roast GammonTomato

Onion and Black Olive Salad

Mixed Leaf Salad

Basmati and Fennel Rice

Crusty Bread and Butter

Continental Cheese Platterwith Grapes and Biscuits
All for just £9.70 per head

So with food and venue hire sorted for just £9.70, it leaves much more money to spend on merrymaking, and with Roper Hall being a ‘Scream’ bar, drink prices are notoriously cheap anyway.

If that’s not for you though, we have compiled a list of Preston venues that are taking various priced bookings for Christmas parties. From Frankie and Bennie’s and Park Hall Hotel to Revolution Bar there’s a veritable feast of choices for your work’s annual night out.

Outrage at Blackpool's £30,000 spend

Health officials at Blackpool Victoria Hospital have been criticised for throwing a staff party at the expense of £30,000 pf taxpayers’ money. However many other staff members for the Lancashire Health Trust will struggle to afford to pay for their own Christmas parties.

Staff members at Chorley Hospital were shocked to learn of the lavish affair that was thrown for 420 people at Blackpool’s Hilton Hotel. After paying the obligatory contribution of £5 per person, bosses celebrated the 60th anniversary of the NHS all at the trust’s expense.

Patricia Barnes, Staff Nurse at Chorley Hospital, said of the black tie event:

“I think it’s outrageous that the hospital bosses get to attend such a glamorous event, while the workers in the wards have to pay £40 to attend our own Christmas party especially in hard financial times like these.

“We were all surprised to hear how much ours was going to cost, no-one expected it to be £40 but then to hear that hundreds of workers from Blackpool enjoyed a black-tie event worth twice that at our expense is outrageous.”

Those that attended the glamorous event were treated to a three course meal with top entertainment at the cost of £70 per person.

There has been a huge backlash with arguments that people are struggling to find appointment times due to lack of funding, but there is enough money to spend on frivolous nights.

In times of an economic recession whereby people around the country are tightening their spending habits and cutting costs where possible, it seems odd that such a large amount of taxpayers’ cash would be used so flippantly.

In addition they failed to contact UNISON North West, who usually deals in this type of corporate event to prove that they are managing the costs well, but NHS Blackpool never got in touch. Furthermore the hospital doesn’t have to publish their expenditure for staff parties, however it can be found through the freedom of information act.

Another employee of Chorley Hospital, Annemarie Winstanley said:

“It’s difficult to not be annoyed by it. I’m not going to ours because I can’t afford it and I would rather put the money to good use and buy presents for my children.”

Joe Pointer, a sales assistant from Preston said:

“It seems that there’s a massive case of double standards if you ask me. We’re paying more and more tax just to keep them flowing with Champagne. It’s extremely out of order. ”

The glitzy event comes after Blackpool Victoria Hospital was placed in the bottom third in Lancashire for quality of services with a rating of ‘fair’. Conversely the Chorley and South Ribble Trust managed a rating of ‘good’.

The Annual Health Check 2007/08 assesses whether the trust is getting the basics of healthcare right and meeting the Government’s core standards. The check also looks if the trust is making and sustaining ongoing improvements in its services.

Even David Cameron is 'Keeping Trade Local'.

We all know about the dreaded 'credit crunch' and if certain newspapers are to be believed, we're all going to drown in a sea of poverty. This is a national problem and unfortunately it's hitting the locals hardest.

Especially here in the North-West, with common market towns all around. Stallholders and finding their customers being forced to shop in corporate supermarkets as they simply have the best deals. Also the English high street is losing over 2,000 shops per year. This can't continue to happen.

Luckily then, the Lancashire Evening Post are throwing their support behind the Keep Trade Local Campaign (Federation OF Small Businesses). A worthwhile campaign which aims to put small businesses and independent shopowners at the heart of a bustling high street.

There are six aims for the Keep Trade Local Campaign:

* Planning - holding local councils to account when their policies fail to support businesses on their doorstep;
* Parking charges - fighting spiralling parking prices which are driving customers towards supermarket's and out-of-town retail park's free car parks;
* Business Rates Relief - tackling government rates which are five times more expensive for small businesses as a proportion of turnover than they are for large companies;
* Crime prevention - halting the 20% of crimes which are committed against business costing UK firms £12 billion a year;
* Post Office closures - stemming the tide of shutdowns of Post Offices which generate much needed footfall to local businesses;
* Public procurement - ensuring that small firms get an equal opportunity to land contracts off local and central government.

Whatever you're political stance is, if those in high profile places are supporting such a cause, this is only a positive thing. I say this because it transpires that everyone's favourite Tory, David Cameron has put his considerable mouth to good use and is also backing this extremely valuable campaign.

Read more at http://www.lep.co.uk/businessnews/Cameron-backs-LEP-campaign.4563131.jp

This is something we all need to support. The old Tesco adage of 'Every Little Helps' comes to mind. Do what you can, when you can.

Welcome To My Blog

Hello to all. I am thrilled to be creating a blog about business for my 'Digital Newsroom' module at University of Central Lancashire. Enjoy.