A CUMBRIAN business has been able to take on new staff members despite coming out of administration right before the Covid lockdown.

Coniston Stonecraft is a manufacturing company, which makes slate signs, has employed its first office apprentice, and plans to acquire a new stonemason apprentice.

Company owner Brendan Donnelly said: "We've been extremely busy.

"The phone started ringing straight after the announcement that lockdown was being lifted - and it hasn't stopped since.

"In the last three weeks we've sent out cheese boards across Cumbria, wine racks to London and even one set of bookends to New York.

"It seems that everyone wants something made from Lake District slate."

The company hired Joe Hennah, 17, as their first new apprentice.

Joe is also deputy head boy at Ulverston's Victoria High School.

Joe said: “I can’t wait to get started. Lots of my friends are going off to university but I wanted to get my qualifications while progressing my career and earning a working wage.

“It will be good to work in a professional environment, at an established local company, with people from my local community. I love it here.”

Mr Donnelly took over the company in February and saved the jobs of Stonecraft’s three existing staff members.

Mr Donnelly added: "All three of our existing staff are born and bred in the Lakes, so we were very happy to take on another local person to help us carry on in what is a very traditional Cumbrian business.

"We're involved in high-quality; niche manufacturing and our order book is healthy. So, the future is looking bright for us."

Coniston Stonecraft was founded in the 1970s, in a 19th century copper ore sorting shed at the bottom of Old Man.

It has grown over the past 50 years and its popularity has increased among locals and visitors, for its high standard handcrafted signs, clocks, and various other products.

During lockdown, dozens of online orders came in via the company's website.

The boom in sales the company experienced has helped it through the lockdown and sets the business up for further successes in the future.

The next apprentice is expected to be taken on later on this month.