Coronavirus: Llandudno community making PPE for key workers

Volunteer Tracey Snelus has delivered protective visors to a care home in BangorJonathen Harty

Volunteer Tracey Snelus has delivered protective visors to a care home in Bangor

A group of residents in a north Wales seaside town have been working together to supply personal protective equipment for key workers.

"The Scrub Team" project is being run by Rianne Gallagher and her partner Conner Davies in Penrhyn Bay, Llandudno.

They have been turning old bedding and curtains into work clothes [scrubs] for staff in the NHS and care homes.

Others have been 3D printing protective visors.

The Welsh and UK governments have been criticised over the lack of PPE during the pandemic.

Ms Gallagher and Mr Davies have taken over his parents' garage where they are spending 12-hour days sorting donations of material, delivering them to volunteers with sewing machines, and collecting the finished PPE.

Then they are being delivered to where they are needed.

Ms Gallagher said: "We'd heard that care homes, NHS staff and other key workers are using PPE at such a rate that they were starting to run short, so we made a leaflet and circulated it in our community asking if anyone would be willing to help us do something.

"Almost instantly, we heard back from a woman a few doors up the road who runs a soft furnishings business and who was starting to sew things at home, but needed more material.

Nicky Turner

One of the colourful scrubs made by volunteers from The Scrub Team

"In 10 days, it's grown to the point where we are now co-ordinating volunteers with sewing machines as far away as Anglesey, Bangor, Kinmel Bay and Holywell.

"Many of these people are professional sewing machinists but have been furloughed from their job and are really keen to help."

She said nearly 400 completed items have been delivered and about 700 others including medical scrubs, scrub bags, surgical hats and masks are being made.

"A lot of our time is spent sorting material and washing it," she added.

On the other side of Penrhyn Bay, Jonathen Harty and partner Tracey Snelus have been using their 3D printer to produce visors for key workers in their area.

Mr Harty said: "I work as an undertaker, so I'm seeing first hand just how desperate people in the NHS, care homes and elsewhere are for PPE.

Jonathen Harty

Actor Julian Lewis Jones (r) has been helping Jonathen Harty supplying visors

"Not everyone has a 3D printer at home, so I thought I'd put mine to good use. I've managed to link up with people doing the same thing in west Wales, and we've been able to exchange spare stock as well so it can go to where it's needed."

He said 2,500 visors have been supplied to care homes, local shops and community groups.

"We've had people in tears at being able to get hold of PPE to protect them," he added. "It's been quite a humbling experience.

"It's a strange co-incidence that we should have people in such a small area doing similar things, but it shows a great community spirit."

More on this story