3D 360 save gran's despair and remodel son's memorial cast for free

Before Neil Case's tragically passed away from lung cancer, aged just 48, his daughters had a memorial cast of his hands created as a lasting memory of the dad-of-two.

This served as a touching reminder of Neil until his mum, June Orchard, who is in a wheelchair and has suffered from numerous strokes, accidentally knocked it from the table and smashed it to pieces.

After the devastated June rang around to try and repair the cast, employees at 3D 360, a 3D printing and training business located just off Bradshawgate, said that they would fix it and remodel further memorials for the family free of charge.

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The 3D modelled memorial cast of Neil's hands (Image: Jeff Case)
After hearing June's story, Lee Fogg and Paul Bullock were adamant that they wouldn't charge her a penny, and thought it would be a good project for their apprentice Matthew to gain some experience.

Remodelling the broken cast using a 3D printer, and making two more for Neil's daughters, the team gifted the casts back to June and the family, along with a bottle of Baileys, a card, chocolates, and candles, on Saturday, December 9.

June, 72, from Hindley Green, said: "It was such a wonderful thing. They treated me like a queen and fell over themselves trying to help me.

“They got the cast fixed and made more that looked just like the old one, and all I was bothered about was how much it was going to cost, but they wouldn’t take anything.

“They are just wonderful people who did a genuinely lovely thing, and you don’t get enough of that at the moment.”

The 3D 360 team also gave June a handful of other gifts after hearing her story (Image: Jeff Case)
Blown away by the gesture, June’s other son Jeff posted the story on social media to highlight the business’ good deed, which seems to have captured people’s hearts as hundreds of people have responded to the photograph.

Speaking about the heartwarming story, Lee said: “We had a really lovely phone call with June about the cast and thought it was a really touching story.

“All she was worried about was how much it was going to cost but we thought it would be a great project for our apprentice Matthew.

“The casts can be a timeless memory for the family, and it was just the right thing to do.”

The 3D 360 team have trained hundreds of people in digital manufacturing (Image: 3D 360)
With a base on Brown Street and at Leigh Spinners Mill, the 3D 360 team has secured Department of Education funding which has allowed them to train hundreds of people in digital manufacturing.

The training courses, which are free for the unemployed, college leavers, or those wishing to change careers, give people industry-recognised skills and allow them to walk away with a 3D printer that they have built themselves.

For more info on 3D 360, you can visit their website here.