Wedding dress designer's masks are perfect match for students
A kind-hearted wedding dress maker and the desire to help out students at her old college has proved a match made in heaven.
Hayley Jay, who ran her own bridal business in Shrewsbury for 32 years, has made 100 face coverings for students at Shrewsbury Colleges Group to help them feel safer on their return.
She studied foundation art at the college back in 1980, and after a studying for a fashion degree at the University of Central Lancashire she spent a year in London before opening her own shop.
Hayley, from Newport, wanted to give something back to the college that helped kick-start her career.
She said: "I believe in giving back and so have been giving my time to making as many face coverings as I can to help those who need them during the pandemic.
“I spent a while researching the best methods and my design uses 100 per cent cotton, they’re double lined, with a filter pocket for a tissue and a metal section to press down onto your nose so you wear glasses without them steaming up! I’m using round elastic for extra comfort.
“They are for sale to anyone but I have supplied them to the Lingen Davies charity and sent many to the United Arab Emirates. I’ve been going to bed at 11pm and getting up at 4am, I’ve never worked so hard!”
Catherine Armstrong, group vice principal, said: “The college is involved with Hayley in her current role as Business Specialist at Furrows and via the Chamber of Commerce. It’s heartwarming that as a former student, Hayley still holds the college and what her time here helped her to achieve in such high regard.
“We were delighted that Hayley was able to supply us with the face coverings which are available for our students if they would like on their return to college.”
