WORKERS at a fledgling footwear manufacturing plant based at a Burnley training centre have taken a big step by celebrating their biggest order so far.

"Best Foot Forward'', launched by new Direction Training Centre in Stoneyholme and now operating as a completely independent company has won an order for 3,000 pairs of shoes from a Nottingham firm.

And negotiations are underway to fill further big orders from other footwear companies who have shown an interest in the skills of the Burnley workers who turn out 3,500 pairs each week.

New Direction launched the shoe manufacturing training centre in 1993 with a £20,000 grant from Burnley Council's Urban Programme Funding supported by £56,000 over seven years by the town's Urban Regeneration Challenge Fund and a contribution from ELTEC.

Other orders have been obtained from another Nottingham show company and a London firm who supply to customers as far apart as Blackpool and Africa. Burnley council leader, Coun Kath Reade, said the decision to fund the project was imaginative and an act of faith which had paid off beyond their expectations.

"This has been a success story which we should celebrate,'' she said.

The Centre provided training for 25 men and women to equip them for a job in industry.

A number of trainees have been taken on as employees of the new company, in all cases their first ever jobs.

Six are permanent staff with three trainees and 10 outworkers making slippers and uppers at home.

Rubie Khan, director and chief executive of New Direction Training, said: "We always had a vision to begin manufacturing and now that this has happened we are confident it can be a great success.''

Board member, Rafique Malik, said he had always believed they could defeat unemployment with courage and conviction of the type shown by New Direction.

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