Designs on a sewn-up future

Apprentice Cheryl Sarsfield with Sewing Academy tutor Beverley Whittaker

A PIONEERING sewing academy has moved from Middleton to Oldham following the closure of its founding partner-business.

The academy was opened by Oldham College in 2013 with Headen & Quarmby — the company featured in reality TV show “The Bottom Line” — to meet the demand for machinists in the region.

The family firm was chosen by retail guru Mary Portas to make underwear for her “Kinky Knickers brand, which aimed to revive the UK textile industry.

The academy was opposite the Headen & Quarmby factory in Sadler Street, Middleton.

Oldham College says there is no reason to stay there now Headen and Quarmby has gone into liquidation., and has moved to the main college campus in Rochdale Road so students can benefit from the college’s other facilities.

Academy manager Amanda Walker said: “The courses we offer mean we can take people with no previous experience of sewing and give them enough skills to be able to go into the industry at a basic level.”