Final flourish of cheques

BAe employees who have donated thousands of pounds to Oldham charities over the years have wrapped up their fund with £28,000 worth of gifts to local good causes.

The shrinking number of employees at the Greengate plant in Chadderton have decided to distribute their remaining funds to four charities — Dr Kershaw’s Hospice, Royton ATC Squadron, the Every Life Matters Campaign, and DebRA, the charity for children with a severe form of eczema.

There are now only 300 office staff on the Greengate site, working on military aircraft service and support projects, but once there were 3,000 BAe employees. Although the employee donations fund has closed, the company will still be making its own donations to charities.