Exhibition to show factory's social life before closure

An exhibition showcasing decades of the social life of staff working at a tumble dryer will be installed before it closes down.

Appliances firm Beko Europe told staff last month that its Hotpoint UK factory in Yate, near Bristol, will close on 31 December, resulting in 142 redundancies.

The factory has been on Station Road for 107 years under different guises and names - and also served as a social club for many years.

Leah Collier, community projects manager for Yate Town Council, wants people to submit stories "so we can collect them for future generations to look back and enjoy just as much as we have".

The site began as the Royal Flying Corps base in 1917, before it became Parnall's during World War Two. It then became known as Jackson's, Creda, Whirlpool and now Beko.

The exhibition, put on by Yate Town Council, will look back on decades of high social activity involving the factory's workers and the local community.

Ms Collier said the social club was "really key" for community events, sports clubs and birthday parties.

Ms Collier said: "When we heard the factory would be closing we understood that would be quite impactful on our community, and it would mean a lot to a lot of people to see that that site closed."

"Whenever a large employer in a small town closes it's really sad for everybody," Ms Collier added.

"Everybody that's worked there, that currently works there and everyone who has gone through those doors in a social way since 1917.

"It has a social club there which was really key."

She added she wants the exhibition to offer people "a place where they can have comfort, reminisce, meet other people and share generational stories".

The exhibition opens on 3 December and at least until 1 February, 2025.

A spokesperson for Hotpoint UK said: "We understand the impact the news has for our employees, our on-site contractors, and for the whole community.

"We are continuing to provide support to all of our employees including career workshops, navigating change, financial planning and access to career resource and coaching networks to support them through this process.

"We're committed to working with the local community to celebrate the site's rich history and heritage and will be promoting the exhibition extensively."

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