Summary

  • Panorama is in Redcar to find out how the town is coping after the closure of the SSI steel plant

  • The documentary will start on 5.11.15 and last for 50 days ending on Christmas Day.

  • Around 2,000 people have lost their jobs. The government has promised £80 million in an aid package

  • You can follow the day-by-day documentary on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and this live page

  1. Understanding the safety net fundpublished at 14:10 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2015

    Understanding the safety net fund (part of the governments £80m relief package)  

    Redcar, BBC Panorama
    Image caption,

    Understanding the safety net fund

  2. Counting the cost: When a steelworks closespublished at 14:04 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2015

     The SSI site in Redcar might be closed, but it still costs thousands every week. So how much will the bill come to and who will pay? Panorama has been trying to find out.  Watch, external

    BBC Panorama, RedcarImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Counting the cost: When a steelworks closes

  3. Postpublished at 12:55 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2015

    Check out this recap of the last 25 days of BBC Panorama, external in Redcar  

  4. "It’s a very dangerous place. I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a furnace..."published at 11:09 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2015

    #HandsOfRedcar, externalTom, 28 "It’s a very dangerous place. I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a furnace or anything like that? It can be very dangerous. I was a plater welder by trade anyway so I’m used to getting burned and welded and stuff like that so I enjoyed it, I loved it, it was right up my street. I started on the steel plant after the first mothballing bringing the plant back up to scratch in 2011. The atmosphere was great, apart from when things were looking shaky, then everyones heads were down. You’re not going to be up all the time when you’re hearing rumours coming from Facebook and newspapers. It was a lot of pressure. I’m so glad I’ve got into renewable energy. It’s the perfect job, I’m over the moon. Basically I’m building the transition pieces, the yellow bit of the windmills sticking out of the sea. It’s definitely the future, to be honest, which is why I was over the moon that I got the chance to go show them that I’m a good lad, start with them and hopefully have a good future with them. I’m on a 12 week probation period. Anyone who says they’re not nervous about a probation period is lying! It’s great but like everything new you’re nervous to start with. It’s going to challenge me and that’s what I like. You just want to be in there, I’ve done 4 weeks and I’m showing willing, I’m keen and asking questions and I want to be there for a long time. That’s the main thing. I dreaded it, I didn’t want to come out of work. I’ve worked hard to get what I’ve got here - I’ve got my mortgage, my house, the kids, my nice car - everything. My car’s my pride and joy, I’ve worked hard to get that. It’s the green one out there, it’s tuned up to the max and it’s about 400 brake. It’s a proper beast! It’s wounding because I know that there are other lads who aren’t in work, lads that are still there and still waiting for the day to come when the axe drops and that’s it they’re all gone. You don’t want to rub it in when you’ve got something good, but then again they’re pleased for me. That’s how it is - there’s no guilt and we’ll all get sorted because we’re all good lads and it’s just a case of time and how long."  

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  5. "I have got £50 left now until 24th December"published at 14:02 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2015

    Life in numbers: One mum tells us how a family copes after losing half their income.  Watch , external

    BBC Panorama, Redcar
    Image caption,

    Meet Sarah Hay

  6. Official Receiver will not pay out to unsecured creditorspublished at 14:49 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2015

    Panorama understands the Official Receiver will not pay out to unsecured creditors owed money following the liquidation of SSI’s Redcar Steelworks. Hundreds of small business who supplied SSI will be left out of pocket. We met one of the suppliers recently http://on.fb.me/1TFtAFz, external

    BBC Panorama Redcar
    Image caption,

    Supply chains have been affected

  7. Have you heard the one about the 'vertical pier' in Redcar?published at 11:26 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2015

    The Beacon in Redcar cost £1.6m and opened in 2013.

    As part of 50 days of special features on the town, BBC Panorama asks if buildings like this can help regenerate an area.  

    Watch

    Redcar Beacon, BBC Panorama
    Image caption,

    Redcar Beacon

  8. "My mum was giving birth & my dad got an email saying he'd been made redundant"published at 17:26 Greenwich Mean Time 1 December 2015

    We meet schoolchildren affected by the closure of the Redcar steelworks.

    Watch Part 1 here , external

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  9. "I had to have 2 Christmas lists - one for if my dad had a job, and one for if he didn't"published at 11:50 Greenwich Mean Time 1 December 2015

     As part of their residency in Redcar, BBC Panorama talk to schoolchildren who, like their entire community, have been affected by the closure of the steelworks in the region  

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  10. Domino Effectpublished at 13:28 Greenwich Mean Time 30 November 2015

    Meet Terry and Tom. They work for one of the many companies that have felt the knock-on effects of the closure of the Redcar steelworks

    Redcar, Steelworks
    Image caption,

    What has been the domino effect of the closure of the SSI steelworks?

  11. What should the Redcar steelworks turn into?published at 13:28 Greenwich Mean Time 30 November 2015

    A paintball arena? A nature reserve?

    Maybe steelworks?

    We asked what the recently closed ‪#‎Redcar‬, external steelworks should be turned into. Here's your response , external

    Redcar, SSIImage source, John Dyson
    Image caption,

    We asked you what the steelworks should turn into

  12. Christmas lightspublished at 18:21 Greenwich Mean Time 27 November 2015

    On Thursday night ‪#‎Redcar‬, external turned on its Christmas lights in the town centre. We asked people what they thought of Christmas arriving on their High Street.  Watch , external

    Panorama, Redcar
    Image caption,

    Christmas lights turn out in Redcar

  13. ‪#‎StayOrGo‬published at 18:16 Greenwich Mean Time 27 November 2015

    "I don't really have nowhere to go..."

    We've been asking people in the area if they want to stay or go. Stephen lives on his own in Loftus and hasn't been employed since 2010.

    Watch, external

    BBC Panorama Redcar
    Image caption,

    Stephen has been unemployed since 2010

  14. Life after steel: Schoolchildren discuss Christmas in Redcarpublished at 15:20 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2015

    "I had to have two Christmas lists - one for if my dad had a job, and one for if he didn't."

    As part of their residency in Redcar, BBC Panorama talk to schoolchildren who, like their entire community, have been affected by the closure of the steelworks in the region. Watch 

    Schoolkids
    Image caption,

    Schoolchildren discuss Christmas in Redcar

  15. "Gives you pride again to be back in work"published at 13:40 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2015

    How does Kay see her future? Watch our full film here, external.

    Kay also featured in our #HandsOfRedcar series. Read more here 

    Redcar, BBC Panorama
    Image caption,

    Kay at her allotment

  16. What happened to Mike?published at 13:45 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November 2015

    Mike Gilbert worked at the South Bank coke ovens at Redcar steel plant, which were the first part of the facility to close.

    It was the only job he'd ever had, and he was there for 31 years.

    We caught up with Mike after he found out he didn't get the job. Watch , external

    Missed Mike's film? Watch http://bbc.in/20Zn3dD

    Redcar, Panorama
    Image caption,

    Panorama

  17. What should be done with the Redcar site?published at 11:47 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November 2015

    Contaminated ground - steelworks idle - hundreds of million of pounds to sort out - what should be done with the old Redcar site?  

    Watch 

    Redcar
    Image caption,

    Redcar steelworks

  18. Losing your job after 31 yearspublished at 13:06 Greenwich Mean Time 18 November 2015

    WATCH

    Mike Gilbert worked at the South Bank coke ovens at Redcar steel plant, which were the first part of the facility to close.

    It was the only job he'd ever had, and he was there for 31 years.

    Mr Gilbert lives with his wife Bridget and their 12 year old daughter just outside Darlington - half an hour's drive from Redcar. We meet them to find out what their future holds.

    Mike Gilbert, Redcar
    Image caption,

    It was the only job he'd ever had, and he was there for 31 years

  19. 'Important to offer hope to jobless' - Lord Heseltinepublished at 17:27 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2015

    Lord Heseltine says it's important to offer some hope for people who have lost jobs on Teesside.

    He was appointed to head up an initiative in the North East to try to find work for people affected by recent job losses in the steel industry.

    While on Teesside today, he told BBC Tees: "Job creation has been a quarterly occurrence in most parts of Teesside, so if they're going to lose their job - to be doing it at a time when jobs are being created in other industries and nearby localities is better than what I remember in Liverpool in 1981 when there were no jobs. It was utterly despairing."

    via BBC Tees

  20. "It’s a worrying time"published at 13:07 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2015

    #HandsOfRedcar

    #HandsOfRedcar, external More on our series can be found here http://bbc.in/1HIH5mc

    Andy, 54 (Andy owns the Worx Cafe in Dormanstown right next to the steel works) “There’s lots of free parking here and all I could see were lots of guys sitting in their vans eating sandwiches. I used to be in the catering industry and I just had a brainwave and thought it would make a good cafe downstairs. It would give my wife a job, I could work at it part time, my daughter was coming up to an age where she was wanting employment, she could work in it - and it got that busy that it became my full time job.

     We were open for about three months before the steelworks was reopened and we got a massive boost in trade when that happened. Now obviously it’s closed we’re starting to feel the decline in the morning trade for breakfast, which is basically your contractors who are going into work and coming home from work. We’ve got a very good trade with other local businesses in the area and everyone’s just pulling together to be honest with you.

    On the last day I got a very large telephone order to be collected, from all the girls who worked in Steel House, and that was actually their farewell meal. That was their last shift. She said on the phone ‘this is the last time we’ll be ordering from you’ and it was quite sad really. They ordered cold sandwiches, paninis, jacket potatoes, dumplings and steak pies. People like that you can’t replace. Since British Steel closed it’s been gradually getting worse rather than gradually getting better. It’s a worrying time.

    We have seven members of staff here and three in the sandwich shop next door which we opened up a year ago. I have had the option to back out of the purchase but I’m not a defeatist. It’s got a good trade but if it doesn’t work I’ll close it down and open something else, a barbers shop maybe. You take a chance don’t you?”

    Andy, Redcar, Hands of Redcar
    Image caption,

    Andy owns a cafe in Dormanstown right next to the steel works