The Pool pushed into liquidation two months after administration note to staff

The Pool has been pushed into liquidation two months after the women’s lifestyle website told staff and freelances it would go into administration.

Winding-up orders were issued on 13 March in the High Court against owner The Pool (UK) Ltd after a petition by HM Revenue and Customs.

Companies House has today issued an update about the court order, which forces an insolvent company into compulsory liquidation, but the file has not yet been published.

The Pool (UK) Ltd’s status is now shown as in “liquidation”.

Companies can apply for winding-up orders to be cancelled within five working days of their issue.

The Pool’s company director Dominic Hill told staff on 31 January that the publisher would go into administration as it was “insolvent and we have exhausted all rescue ideas/plans”.

Press Gazette has contacted the Hill and his solicitor asking for further details, but has yet to receive a response.

Successful wind-up petitions result in company assets being sold, legal disputes being settled and funds being paid to creditors.

Staff and freelances at The Pool are still owed money for work. A crowdfund has been set up to help pay out-of-pocket journalists and is now paying out.

In a statement, NUJ freelance organiser Pamela Morton said: “We are helping NUJ members who have not been paid and as a consequence they face personal and financial ramifications due to the court order to wind up the company.

“It is unfortunate there has not been an alternative solution found that could have kept the online magazine going.”

The Pool website went offline earlier this week, leaving former staff and freelance writers only able to access articles through an archived copy of the site.

Its closure led The Pool editor Cate Sevilla to describe the situation as “upsetting” and “confusing” in a tweet.

Topics in this article : The Pool