Charity bosses said government changes to minimum wage and National Insurance combined with rising costs had made the organisation unsustainable
The Hideaway, a hub for The Hidden Trust charity(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
A charity which tried to tackle poverty and support those in need has gone bust – with staff told on Christmas Eve they have lost their jobs.
The Hidden Treasure Trust is a ‘Christian-led’ charity predominently operating in the Partington area of Trafford. It has two community hubs – The Hideaway based at Partington Shopping Centre and the Hope Centre on Wood Lane, Partington.
The Hideaway offered an educational family play centre and featured a support team. Residents in need could also access practical support at the Hope Centre, including getting access to food and clothing.
The organisation worked to ‘reverse poverty for families and vulnerable people using education, relationships and practical support to bring life-transforming help, hope and joy’, according to its website.
It gained charitable status in 2022 and lists children’s TV presenter Gemma Hunt as an ‘ambassador’.
Ruth Lancey is CEO and launched the charity with her husband. In a statement, Ms Lancey confirmed the trust ‘has entered a pre-liquidation stage’ and would be closing in January after seven years. Some 48 jobs have been lost.
She said increases in minimum wage and employer’s National Insurance ‘with no exemptions for charities’ has ‘had a profound impact on ourselves and small businesses like ours’. Ms Lancey also cited a drop in donations, competition for funding and the ongoing cost of living crisis, saying it has ‘led to continually rising costs’.
(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
A statement from the charity to the M.E.N. read: “Despite our very best efforts, we, like many other charities and small businesses simply cannot keep up. As a result Christmas 2025 has brought heartache for our incredible, dedicated and passionate team who face an uncertain future.
“We are acutely aware of the impact this closure will have on individuals and the wider community. We are working as quickly as possible with partners and stakeholders to explore what the future of funded projects may look like and to support continuity of essential services, including food provision at the Hope Centre in Partington, where possible.”
“Over the past seven years Hidden Treasure Trust has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors to its numerous groups, courses and classes and open play sessions. We are so proud to have been Britain’s first ‘pay what you can’ play centre, welcoming families no matter their budget to spend quality time together.
“During the Covid crisis, we responded immediately by creating what became the Trafford’s Community Hubs Network. The Hope Centre has served the people of Partington since March 2020, providing an average of £150,000 worth of food, energy top ups and support to the local community year on year. The charity was fulfilling its mission to reverse poverty for families and vulnerable people until it was simply impossible to continue any more.”
The timing of the annoucement, however, has sparked fury from some staff, but one said the charity was “caring, fanststic employers” and had legally had no choice but to close.
One member of staff told the M.E.N: “They’ve made the entirety of their staff redundant on Christmas Eve and told them they won’t be getting paid for the whole of December.
“Around Tuesday last week, staff were told pay day would be delayed. They should’ve been paid on December 23, but were then notified it would be the 29th instead. They were put on consultation of redundancy two days ago and then just told by email they were all losing their jobs, after a day of working. There were no meetings or anything.
“Staff should be paid for the days they have worked. The majority of the staff live in Partington, which is quite an underprivileged area, and there is no other employment. There will be people all looking for jobs straight after Christmas. It will devastate them.”
A redundancy note sent to staff on December 24 said the charity had been deemed insolvent. It added: “The charity does not have sufficient funds to pay salaries due on December 29. It is therefore likely that no further salary, expenses or other payments will be made prior to the commencement of liquidation.”
The charity said an insolvency firm was ‘formally engaged to assist in the pre-liquidation stage’ late on December 23 ‘once the full financial position had been clarified, Charities Commission notified and all other options exhausted’.
“Staff were informed as soon as practicable on 24 December,” added the statement. “While notifying staff on Christmas Eve was deeply regrettable, it was felt that providing as much notice as possible before the end of the year was the fairest course of action.”
Employee, Claire Aikenhead, said: “I was at Hideaway from the very beginning. I was one of Ruth’s helpers when she first got the keys and helped paint the walls, and cleaned the place up. For me they have been nothing but nice and supportive.
“I lost my husband four and a half years ago and they helped me through that. They were fantastic employers. I was a person not just a number to her and Andy. I worked on reception. I was employed originally employed to be a play worker but due to health conditions I was no longer able to do that so they worked with me and made job roles available .
“Even through this I can see the heartbreak in Ruth and Andy. I am really sad for them too because everything the Hideaway stood for was them too – which was providing care for the community.
“One hundred per cent I know they have done their best to save the charity. The only reason this has happened now at Christmas is because that it what their legal teams have told them they had to do. Ruth and Andy would have wanted to have waited until after Christmas but they have had to do it. It has been taken out of their hands.
“I have and 18-year-old and a 17-year-old that also worked part-time at the Hideaway and they are going in to work tomorrow, possibly working for free, so we can give the customers a last play, a last goodbye. I am devastated for them and the customers. They were the best employers I have worked for and I am 41. It wasn’t just a workplace, it was like a family.”
CEO Ms Lancey said the charity was seeking potential investors.
In a statement, she said: “We are all devastated that this incredible charity has come to an end in this way. Our team are exceptional, and none of us deserve to be facing this situation at all, let alone at Christmas. The impact of the closure will be felt across the community and borough, and we are deeply grateful to our staff, volunteers, supporters and visitors who have been part of our journey.
“We will do all we can to support our staff, our clients and our customers as we look to finish in the most positive way possible despite the awful circumstances. It is my personal hope that decision-makers with the power and authority to alleviate pressure on charities like ours take note and that this horrible situation becomes a catalyst for change of policy and that we will see positive action for others in similar positions.”
“The Trustees are committed to ensuring that staff are paid their full wages, albeit later than originally planned, subject to the liquidation process,” added the statement.