FAMILY SCRUBS UP WELL
Kind mum and son run up scrubs and PPE for carers
Mum and son make PPE for care home workers
A mother and son from Hamilton have been protecting frontline workers during the coronavirus crisis by crafting their own scrubs and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
With the help of the community they have raised more than £500 for materials, and are providing highquality clothing and tools to enable nurses and staff in care homes to look after vulnerable people in the area.
Mags Merson and son Jude have given up their time to help workers free of charge, and the Avonbridge and Abercorn House are just two of the care homes that gladly welcomed their handiwork,
Receptionist and dress maker Mags, 48, said: “I started making face masks really early on and dropped them off at local nursing homes.
“It just seemed to evolve from there when we decided we wanted to make things more comfortable for the key workers.
“I wasn’t getting in to work so I just wanted to keep busy and do something and at the time it was very much volunteering and helping my community.
“Somebody suggested that I do scrubs, which I thought seemed a bit of a task, but after going through a tutorial I thought I would give it a go.
“It takes me about a whole day to do a set of scrubs but I’ve managed to cut that down a bit as I’ve been going. I offered my services because I have a machine and I know how to do them.
“There’s a couple of organisations that give you fabric to make them yourself, but I wasn’t sure when they would get back so I decided to do my own.”
Left to their own devices, Mags and Jude, 14, started a fundraiser online to help purchase materials and fabric.
And thanks to generous support from the community, their mission was up and running in no time.
“I’ve always been really crafty so I was more than happy to do it”, Mags explained.
“When we started, the PPE issue in care homes was absolutely horrendous. The workers were working in stiff uniforms and only had paper PPE masks, a bit of plastic for the apron, it was pretty minimal stuff.
“So, rather than going full in helping the NHS which already had lots of support, I decided to help the local care homes.
“I made up some sets and sent them to some care homes to try out and it evolved through word of mouth to the point individuals were asking me to do theirs for them.”
Locals have offered donations to Mags for her scrubs and PPE, but she has kindly refused as she just wants to help key workers feel safe in their job.
“I didn’t want these workers having to pay for the privilege of looking after the elderly and vulnerable in our community”, Mags added.
She has signed her scrubs with a personalised blue heart on the fabrics as a nod to the good work frontline workers have been doing during the pandemic.
She has also passed on her number to those receiving her scrubs, offering free alterations if any fitting issues arise.
Mags and Jude have continued their good work helping key workers where they can, and have even launched a new face mask initiative, Funky Face Masks, crafting personalised coverings for discounted prices which friends, family and members of the community have enjoyed. She said: “I’ve kept making everything with Jude. He’s been doing a lot of the cuttings and the basic parts of the sewing, but I’ve been helping with the proper construction part as it’s quite fiddly.
“The masks are reusable and good quality. Recent legislation has come out saying it needs to be a three-layered mask but I’ve been doing that from the start.
“We’re called Funky Face Masks and we’ve being doing lots of cute, whimsical patterns to try and lighten the mood. They’re £4 so we’ve tried to make them affordable.”
Check out the face masks on Instagram at @_funky_face_ masks. Go to www.gofundme. com/f/1zu0kz3gk0 to back their fundraiser.