ICA ladies get busy making scrubs for nursing homes

THE organisational prowess of the ICA has been harnessed nationally in recent weeks as members bid to do their bit to help during the Covid-19 crisis. From little acorns, mighty oaks grow and it was a simple idea from Ferns native and costume director Sinead Lawlor which resulted in ICA members across the country mobilising to make scrubs for nursing homes and care centres.

Tapping into a great network of people in film and theatre for help, combined with a network of people cocooning across the country with expertise in dressmaking and crafts, the Sew Scrubs for Ireland Initiative was born.

Across Co Wexford, ICA members have been busily working behind sewing machines. Initially, 20 sets of scrubs were made from material purchased from Sinead’s initial Go Fund Me account, but in addition the Wexford

Federation decided to purchase its own material as its chosen charity for 2020 with the goal of kitting out nursing homes across the county.

It’s transformed into an efficient operation. Rolls of material were quickly purchased online, with Jim Wallace of Acorn Fashions providing materials on a voluntary basis, for which the

Federation have made a donation to the Hope Cancer Support Centre on Jim’s behalf.

A total of 14 guilds are currently involved in the project – Bree, Ballyfad, Boolavogue, Ballyanne, Ballyoughter, Castlebridge, Camross, Duncannon, Horeswood, Inch, Kilrane/Rosslare Harbour, Monaseed, Oylegate and Wexford Town – and it’s all being coordinated by Wexford Federation President Mary D’Arcy. If anyone is interested in getting involved, she can be contacted on 0874183180.

To date, 30 sets of scrubs have been presented to Lawson House and 30 to Cherry Grove Nursing Home. Staff in both were delighted with the donation and commented on the high quality of the work. There are a large number of requests from other nursing homes around Wexford and the ICA ladies are determined to keep plugging away at their machines with the goal of handing over some more freshly made scrubs next month.

ICA present scrubs to Cherrygrove nursing home Priesthaggard: (from left) Shirley Doyle of Duncannon ICA, Siobhan Cummins, Director of Nursing, Marian Kehoe from Duncannon ICA, Statia Fuhrmann from ICA Horeswood, Catriona Sinnott from ICA Horeswood and Mary D’Arcy, ICA president.