01 Sep 2011
An Oxfam warehouse has nearly reached the sorting levels it achieved before a devastating fire earlier this year.
Charity workers at the site said they are now sorting through as many as 80 tonnes of donations each week – not far from the 100 tonnes before April’s fire.
The fire ripped through the depot in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, destroying £1 million worth of equipment and leaving workers to sort clothes by hand.
However later this month new sorting equipment will be brought in to replace that destroyed in the fire, which left workers sorting clothes in temporary units.
Lorraine Needham-Brinley, production manager at the Wastesaver warehouse, highlighted the commitment of staff in the wake of the fire.
She added: “There has been a lot of work but the staff have been amazing, absolutely stunning.
“They are now hand-sorting between 70-80 tonnes every week. It’s absolutely crazy, really.”
Clothes, textiles and shoes are sent to the Oxfam Wastesaver if they’re not sold in the charity’s shops. The Huddersfield branch has been in operation for more than two decades.
Copyright Press Association 2011