MASK A FRIEND
Community groups join efforts to make vital protective equipment
AN ARMY of face mask makers is being assembled through an initiative set up by an enterprising Highlands businesswoman.
Founded by Clare Campbell, who runs a textiles manufacturing business in Evanton, Easter Ross, communities are organising themselves through a website to make non-medical grade face masks in the pandemic.
The UK effort is being co-ordinated via www.ukfreemasks.com, which aims to match up those who are making masks from spare material with users who need some form of additional protection in the community. The website is free to use and operated on a voluntary basis.
Clare said: “In Scotland, we had a call from local authority councillor Kirsteen Currie to ask members of her local community to make masks for use by community volunteers, who are in contact with many people on a daily basis.
“I had already been researching this for more than a week while trying to co-ordinate my findings and proposals with the officials I was connected to.
“It was a request for support to create a well-organised hub.
“I could see across many countries this was already being done and, for some, they were even making these calls for healthcare professionals to use.
“So, we set up UK Free Masks to help match those making masks with those who need them.”
Volunteers on the Rosneath peninsula in Argyll and Bute are also sewing the masks for the NHS from home after a call went out on The Peninsula Coronavirus Support and Assistance Facebook group.
The group was set up by Julia Barr in a bid to offer assistance and support to people in self-isolation.
One of the hundreds of members of the group, Carol Anne Calder, said: “I’ve had some requests from local NHS doctors, nurses and community carers, who are asking for home sewn masks.
“The ones I’ve been making aren’t medical grade but they’re better than nothing.”
They are now working on a supply for Kilcreggan Medical Centre and healthcare workers elsewhere. Carol Anne added: “We now have seven people sewing masks plus several others who are making some independently. We have people washing and cutting fabric and elastic for the sewers and making up packs with all materials needed.
“In two days, we distributed 17 completed masks to frontline NHS staff, and are hoping to deliver more which have been requested.
“Now we have our supply chain set up, our intention is to make as many as we can over the next week or so and reach out to other essential workers to offer these, as well as to place some in community stores to be offered for free to anyone who wants one.
“Huge thanks to everyone who’s already joined – sewers, cutters, testers and runnerabooters.”
●To help Carol Anne, contact her via the Facebook group or by emailing cacalder@sbcglobal.net