The dynamic duo making a difference
Retired couple Joe and Irene Anderson are lending their skills and expertise to combat coronavirus.
The elderly may be among those most vulnerable to deadly COVID-19 but this pair of pensioners are helping to fight it.
Joe, 73, is a model aeroplane enthusiast who bought a 3D printer to build parts for his hobby.
Irene, 69, spends much of her spare time making bags using her sewing machine.
Joe sold an old lawnmower to pay for printer filament and has made hundreds of protective visors for workers who need them, while Irene has been making scrubs and gowns for staff at University Hospital Wishaw.
The couple answered the call after their daughter-in-law Fiona Craig, 40, from Pather noticed appeals for volunteers on social media and realised their hobby skills could be put to good use.
Fiona said: “There was a Facebook post and I tagged Irene in it and she ended up making scrubs for Wishaw General.
“Then I saw a post by a university who were making 3D printed visors. Joe has a 3D printer so he started making them.
“He’s now giving them out to care homes and carers out in the community. I have 50 lying at home right now that people are coming to collect.”
The modest couple were happy to help out but keen to downplay their efforts.
Irene said: “I do quilting and make tartan bags as a hobby. I’m up to my eyeballs in bags so when I saw this it suited me fine.
“There’s a whole group of girls in the area who volunteered to make scrubs for Wishaw General and I was doing that.
“There was a time when I had to wear scrubs so I appreciate their value.
“They managed to satisfy the requests so I’m now making gowns.
“They are going to Wishaw General but others are making them for Monklands and Hairmyres.”
According to Irene, 1,600 people volunteered to make scrubs.
She continued: “It’s been such a great response. I’m quite slow making them, some of the girls are dressmakers and seamstresses and can knock them up quickly.
“Sourcing material is getting difficult as everybody is now using the same material for the same purpose. I was lucky as I’ve had a couple of donations and bought material with that.”
The pensioners are just happy to be able to do their bit for key workers.
Joe has tried out several different designs for visors.
He said: “I joined an online group who have prints available to make the visors; printforvictory.org.
“I found a version and managed to modify it to what I wanted to do with it.
“It’s really just a bracket I print and you insert clear cellophane A4 panels.
“You just need to use a normal paper punch to make four holes in the sheets and that’s it.
“They give a little bit of protection and peace of mind.
“I’ve had donations from friends and I’m making up packs and giving them out to whoever needs them.”
Each visor takes around an hour to make and it was during another enforced lockdown that Joe first mastered the art of the 3D printer.
“We lived on a farm in Dumfries during the Beast from the East and were snowed in,” he added.
“By luck I had ordered this 3D printer kit for my model flying hobby so it kept me sane for a few weeks while we were stuck in the farmhouse.
“The one I’ve got cost about £150. It comes flatpacked but the trick is tweaking it to make it work.”