Shropshire craft group creates hundreds of wash bags and face masks for local care workers
One village craft group has spent lockdown making more than 350 PPE items for local care homes and hospitals.
Albrighton Craft Group's 23 members have hard at work sewing 207 wash bags and 153 ear savers for face masks, as well as knitted rainbows and hearts to donate to hospitals.
Jan Gold from the group said they wanted to help out during the coronavirus outbreak and the mammoth task has kept them all busy during lockdown.
"We have a Whatsapp group that we say good morning on and everything – a few of the ladies are on their own so it's nice to keep in touch and look after each other that way," she said.
"It seems to have exploded really since Boris' announcement on Sunday about face masks, I've had about 24 people message me asking for them.
"We have been making wash bags - of which we have so far made 207 - and face mask savers - of which we have made around 153. The bags and savers have been given out to local care homes and New Cross Hospital.
"Some members have not got sewing machines so have been making knitted or crocheted hearts and rainbows."
Kindness hearts is a new initiative for many hospitals who cannot accept visitors for patients in end of life care, or suffering from coronavirus. So instead, hospital staff have been giving out matching hearts to patients and their families as a token when they cannot visit.
Jan explained: "They are made in pairs and sent off in sealed plastic bags with dates on. There are people dying of coronavirus in hospitals but also of natural causes or other things and their loved ones can't be there to visit.
"So the hospital gives matching hearts to to the next of kin and one to the patient. So the family know they had something of their loved one in the end. Those have gone off to Princess Royal Hospital and Russells Hall Hospital.
"Then we made rainbows for shops and local businesses in the village that were staying open. Many of them said it made them smile and cheered them up having the rainbows on display or in their windows."
She said they wanted to be able to help out care homes, businesses and workers from Albrighton and the surrounding area mainly and the village really has come together to help them too.
She added: "We have put out lots of appeals for materials and the village has really come together to help – it has been a real community effort."
