Masks for Scotland PPE ready to go out 20,000 isolation gowns to be issued this week

Thousands of protective gowns have landed in Scotland thanks to a charity launched by a Tayside professor.

The Masks for Scotland appeal, launched last month by Dundee University’s Professor Jill Belch, has raised more than £250,000 to provide PPE to frontline health workers, with the help of some celebrity friends.

Hollywood actors Brian Cox, Alan Cumming and Peter Mullan were among stars who backed the campaign, prompting an online get-together of well-known Scottish performers, famous faces and writers including Annie Lennox, Judy Murray, KT Tunstall, Sir Chris Hoy and Ian Rankin.

The livestream, For the Love of Scotland, sparked donations from all over the world, including £50,000 from X Men star James McAvoy.

Now, the money has been used for 20,000 isolation gowns which arrived from China this week.

The gowns will be distributed this week as part of a national effort. They were flown to Manchester free of charge by the UK Government, while the Scottish Government dealt with customs and transport from the factory. They were driven to Scotland by courier DHL and stored at Perth Airport.

Prof Belch, who teaches vascular medicine Dundee University, said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce that these gowns have arrived for immediate distribution.

“A big thanks as well as to all the people who are giving what they can in this fight against coronavirus.

“We have so far delivered nearly 9,000 pieces of PPE all over Scotland, and these additional gowns are especially useful in protecting staff and patients from the virus.”

Ivan McKee, the Scottish Government’s minister for trade, investment and innovation, said: “We appreciate the successful fundraising of Masks for Scotland and the work of its large number of volunteers and donors who have delivered welcome donations of additional PPE to protect health and care workers.

“We have received thousands of offers of support from organisations and it is fantastic to see so many businesses and charities step up to support the national response.

“We were pleased to help to organise today’s delivery of 20,000 gowns from China supporting Masks for Scotland resolve logistics and customs challenges to get this PPE to frontline services in Scotland.”

Donations can still be made at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/masks-for-scotland

Meanwhile, safety visors made by Grove Academy pupils have been donated to local charities Taught by Muhammad and Broughty Ferry Foodbank.

The visors were handed over by Broughty Ferry Rotary members, who used club funds to pay for the equipment to be made. The club also donated £1,000 to the two charities.

Taught by Muhammad operates an outreach centre at Whitfield Church, where husband and wife and Rotary members James and Esther Wilson help out twice a week. They have been provided with the visors for the work.

Broughty Ferry Rotary president Scott Leslie said: “Our members have been very pro-active in making funds for these good causes available and we expect to donate further in the future.

“Let’s hope the need becomes less, but while it is there, Broughty Rotary will be helping where we can.”