An Ely woman who recruited 100 volunteers to help make and donate scrubs, caps and masks for frontline workers across Cambridgeshire to help in the fight against COVID-19 has commended the group’s “wartime spirit”.
Lesley Partridge, who runs Sew Much To Do, originally set up the Ely Scrub Hub to give “some of the ladies something to do during lockdown”.
Since then, the group - which was formerly called For the Love of Scrubs - has grown to have 100 volunteers, with people signing up across the country to do their bit. People have also volvunteered their homes to be hubs for others to drop off old quilts to, for them to be made into scrubs.
“The need has changed so quickly and our Ely scrubbers are doing a fantastic job - orders for scrubs are coming in thick and fast and these are all being completed by volunteers,” she said.
As demand has increased - including from Addenbrooke’s Hospital - the group is now calling out for sewers to come on board.
“It’s a real community thing and, after this, I do hope we have a great community group of sewers. It’s been cracking how everyone’s come together, I can’t thank them enough.”
While other groups are creating protective equipment to sell, Lesley says what her group is doing is the complete opposite.
“We’re not doing these to sell, that’s not what we are. We’re donating to care givers - and that includes doctors, dentists, people who work in care homes and those who give home help.”
Lesley says the group has so far donated 650 scrubs and that “as people go back to work they are recognising that they are needing PPE more - we’ve even had dinner ladies contact us.”
The group is now putting together paramedic bags because their uniforms are much bigger, and members have also raised £275 towards the group’s efforts with the help of family and friends.
“We would like anyone who needs gear or would like to join the group to get in touch via our Facebook page,” Lesley added.
Search for Ely and surrounding villages - Scrub Hub (Formerly For the Love of Scrubs) on Facebook.
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