Derbyshire workers turn to foodbank after redundancies

Meer weeks after the collapse of a major Derbyshire employer and this newspaper can reveal desperate workers have been left 'high and dry' as they turn to charities to feed their children.

Some 400 employees of door manufacturer Leaderflush Shapland were made redundant at the end of last year as the company went into administration.

The workers, also from Ilkeston, Heanor and Belper – and working at a second smaller site in Mansfield, were told on January 3 they would definitely be out of the job.

Salcare in Heanor said so far six families have come into their foodbank to request help.

Leader Wendy O'Toole said: "We've had an influx of people from Leaderflush – we've had six families already from what's resulted of the company going under.

"They were devastated yesterday when they came to me - they said we spent all the money at Christmas. Leaderflush new from the December 11 because that was the date on their notice letters that meetings were taking place. That's when they knew. So they allowed the workers to use their wages over Christmas.

Some families are getting extra help as they struggle to feed their children after being left without work.

Wendy added: "Three of the families have got two children, another couple with one child – i'm devastated for the families.

"They've been left high and dry. They need support."

And even while local authorities and agencies band together to offer support packages, the leader of the charity and community hub said more needs to be done to get people the help they need.

"It's worrying that people don't know there is help - We don't think there's been enough awareness over this.

So we're happy to support anybody from Leaderflush, and they don't need a referral letter."

Meanwhile it has also emerged that a while bid to buy the company's Langley Mill site may have been been turned down, according to a source – Deloittes has announced the Mansfield site has been sold off with it's assets intact.

Deloirttes said: "The Joint Administrators of Laidlaw Interiors Group Ltd have sold the intellectual property of Leaderflush Shapland, as well as plant and equipment held at Leaderflush Shapland’s Mansfield site as a whole. These sales do not include any stock or assets from Leaderflush Shapland’s other site at Langley Mill.

"No employees were transferred as part of this latest sale. The two employees that were retained will still remain employees of Leaderflush Shapland Limited to assist the administrators with the removal of stock."

Contact Salcare in Heanor on 01773 764562.