Save Cefndy: Protect jobs and dignity for disabled people in Rhyl

Cefndy Healthcare must be saved

Denbighshire County Council is proposing to close Cefndy Healthcare, a social enterprise in Rhyl that has provided meaningful employment for disabled people for nearly 50 years.

Cefndy isn’t just a workplace; it’s a community. It employs 29 people, including 22 disabled workers, who manufacture high-quality living aids and mobility products for health and social care services.

Closing Cefndy would destroy stable jobs, remove vital support for disabled workers and take away one of Denbighshire’s most successful examples of inclusive employment.

“It’s sad because many people are suffering and the company has done a lot of good in the community. People feel safe coming here to work because they know they can get help here too. Some don’t see anyone from week to week. It’s more than a workplace, it’s a support network.”
Michelle Davies, Cefndy worker for over 30 years

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There are alternatives to closure

UNISON members at Cefndy have put forward several serious, costed options that would allow the enterprise to continue operating while modernising for the future. These include:

• Consolidation – working more closely with other supported employment services like CESI and Meifod to share facilities and save costs.

• Diversification – expanding production to include new products and services, such as powder-coating work for local businesses.

• Reduction – focusing on Cefndy’s most successful product lines while restructuring staffing in a fair and sustainable way.

• Replacement – if manufacturing were ever to end, planning a long-term model of support so that future generations of disabled residents still have access to meaningful employment.

These proposals come directly from the workers who know the business best, people who’ve dedicated decades of their lives to making Cefndy a success.

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A compassionate and responsible council would listen

UNISON is calling on Denbighshire County Council to:

• Halt any closure plans while these alternatives are properly explored.

• Work with Cefndy’s workforce and trade unions to find a sustainable path forward.

• Protect funding for supported employment and ring-fence money from Cefndy’s site sale to reinvest in its future.

“Our members are fighting for their jobs and their dignity here. Cefndy Healthcare provides both manufacturing expertise and community benefit. The council have ignored alternatives to closure and refused to listen to the people who know this business best.”
David Morgan, UNISON Branch Secretary

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Together we can save Cefndy

Cefndy has overcome challenges before, with the commitment of its staff and support from local councillors. It can do so again. Denbighshire County Council should stand with its workforce, not abandon them.

“Cefndy is more than a workplace, it’s a community where individuals feel valued and appreciated. Few companies can afford to prioritise people over profit. Cefndy’s approach has always been centred around treating each individual with dignity and respect, regardless of their abilities. Rhyl is an economically disadvantaged area with high unemployment rates, and the closure of Cefndy will disproportionately affect the most vulnerable members of the community.”
Bill Whittaker MBE, former General Manager

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