Community fundraiser supports Fordingbridge furniture makers after workshop fire

A major fire on the Green Lane industrial estate in Fordingbridge destroyed the workshop of Dalbergia, a family-run furniture business that has operated in the town for three decades. The blaze left owners Piers and Morag without their premises, tools, equipment and stock, forcing them to continue work from their dining room table while they attempt to rebuild.

Dalbergia specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of high-quality furniture, kitchens and upholstery. The company grew from New Forest Antique Restoration and combines traditional hand skills with modern CNC technology. Its team of designers, cabinet makers, upholsterers and finishers has served private clients, architects and contractors across the region for many years.

The fire, which broke out in the industrial unit late one evening, was tackled by nine fire engines and an aerial ladder platform drawn from Fordingbridge, Lyndhurst, Ringwood, Romsey and neighbouring services. No injuries were reported, yet the workshop and its contents were lost. Staff have already been made redundant, a difficult step after years of building a close working group that the owners hope to re-employ once operations resume.

A GoFundMe appeal organised by Abigail Simmons and Caroline Saunders seeks practical help for the family during the long wait for any insurance settlement. The campaign notes that a substantial loan has already been taken and that the pressure on household finances is severe.

Home life for Piers, Morag and their two children has changed markedly as they try to keep the business alive from temporary surroundings.

Those familiar with the couple highlight Morag’s long record of voluntary work with local groups, schools and sports clubs. The appeal asks the same community that has already supported other businesses affected by the Green Lane fire to extend similar backing to Dalbergia.

The fundraiser remains open for donations and shares. Any contribution helps cover immediate costs while the owners negotiate the slow process of insurance claims and the practical task of finding new premises and replacing specialised equipment. The business website continues to present the range of work Dalbergia undertakes, underlining the determination to return to full production.

Fordingbridge has a long tradition of small manufacturing and craft enterprises. The loss of an established workshop of this kind removes both skilled employment and a local source of bespoke furniture and restoration. Community support through the appeal offers one route by which the owners can begin to recover the tools and space needed to continue that work.