SHRE.L Regulatory News (SHRE)

AIM: SHRE

SHARE PLC

ANNOUNCEMENT OF AN OFFER OF SHARES BY GAVIN OLDHAM

Share plc (the "Company") notes that Gavin Oldham, Executive Chairman of the Company, is today making an offer for sale of up to €5,000,000 worth of existing ordinary shares in the capital of the Company ("Shares") at a price of 33p per Share (the "Offer Price") (the "Offer") pursuant to the terms and conditions of an offering document (the "Offer Document") dated today. The Offer Document can be found at www.share.com/shareplcoffer. The Shares being offered for sale are held by Gavin Oldham and Oldham family interests and this Offer does not result in any change in the issued share capital of Share plc or any additional capital for Share plc. Based on the €/£ exchange rate as at the close of business on 1 June 2015, the Offer will comprise 10,884,848 Shares. 

Miton Asset Management Limited ("Miton") as the delegated investment manager for Miton UK MicroCap Trust plc (the "Trust") has irrevocably undertaken to purchase on behalf of the Trust 2,272,727 Shares at the Offer Price (or approximately 21 per cent. of the Shares available to be purchased under the Offer). Miton Asset Management Limited as the delegated investment manager of CF Miton UK Smaller Companies Fund also indirectly holds 1,600,000 ordinary shares in the Company. As a result, following the Offer, Miton's aggregate holding in the Company will increase to approximately 2.7% of the Company's issued share capital.

Sharesecure Limited, a trustee for The Share Centre Limited's employee benefit trust (both subsidiaries of the Company) and for both the Share plc group and third party corporate share incentive plans, has irrevocably undertaken to purchase 3,700,000 Shares at the Offer Price (or approximately 34 per cent. of the Shares available to be purchased under the Offer). The Company has a stated policy of purchasing Shares in the secondary market to meet the requirements of employee share awards such as those arising under the Share Incentive Plan or Option schemes. Following the Offer, Sharesecure Limited will continue to purchase Shares in the market as it does at present. As a result of these irrevocable undertakings, 4,912,121 Shares (or approximately 45 per cent. of the Shares available to be purchased under the Offer) remain available for acceptance pursuant to the Offer.

The principal purpose of the Offer, as set out in the Offer Document, is to raise funds for Gavin Oldham to invest in Share Radio (www.shareradio.co.uk) - the money and business focused radio station Gavin Oldham launched in November 2014 and from which it is intended The Share Centre will gain a brand awareness benefit. The Offer is intended to provide Gavin Oldham with sufficient funds to support Share Radio through to profitability.

Information on the Shares and instructions regarding the application process can be found at www.share.com/shareplcoffer or alternatively by telephone on 0800-800008. The Share Centre Limited is facilitating the sale process on behalf of Gavin Oldham and will be the sole broker for the Offer.

If fully taken up the Offer would result in a reduction in the holding of the Oldham family concert party from 76% to 68% of the issued share capital of the Company. Gavin Oldham has confirmed in the Offer Document that neither he nor (so far as he is aware) the other members of the Oldham Family concert party currently have any intention of reducing their aggregate holding of ordinary shares in the Company within the 12 months following completion of the Offer.

Richard Stone, Chief Executive, Share plc commented:

"This Offer by Gavin Oldham represents a very logical step in the history of the Company building its retail investor shareholder base. Having welcomed Miton as a shareholder last year, we welcome their further investment and continued support. We also welcome the increase in liquidity in the Company's Shares which should result from a reduction in the Oldham family concert party holding. We wish Gavin Oldham every success in building Share Radio and, although that business remains entirely separate from Share plc, we look forward to the benefits which should flow from a greater awareness of the 'Share' brand. A secondary Offer of Shares by a founder to the retail market with some cornerstone investors is uncommon, but we believe, particularly for businesses with retail customer bases, it may be an example others might wish to follow and which The Share Centre could help to facilitate further broadening personal investor participation in shares in general."

EXPECTED TIMETABLE OF PRINCIPAL EVENTS

All references to time in this announcement are to London time and the dates and times given are based on Gavin Oldham's current expectations and may be subject to change. Any changes to the expected timetable will be announced via a Regulatory Information Service. All dates are dates in 2015.

For further information please contact:

Gavin Oldham 01296 439 100, 07767 337 696

Share plc

Richard Stone, Chief Executive, 01296 439 270

Barbara Pierssene, Company Secretary

Cenkos Securities plc (Nominated Adviser)

Ivonne Cantu / Mark Connelly 020 7397 8900

This announcement constitutes a financial promotion under FSMA and has been approved for the purposes of section 21 of FSMA by The Share Centre Limited, a subsidiary of Share plc, acting as sole broker for the Offer. The Share Centre Limited is a member of the London Stock Exchange and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under reference number 146768.