Companies that have supported frontline workers across Greater Manchester by donating millions of items of vital Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are being thanked for their support.
Equipment such as gowns, masks, gloves and hand sanitiser have been donated to Greater Manchester’s PPE taskforce, which was set up following the COVID-19 outbreak to help ensure the city region’s frontline services have vital supplies.
In some cases, companies and organisations have changed what they were manufacturing to enable them to produce and donate vital supplies.
While there is currently a good supply across the city region thanks to the work of the taskforce, the donations are hugely supporting NHS and social care staff, and the emergency services across Greater Manchester.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “Time and time again as we responded to this pandemic we have seen the best of people and organisations across Greater Manchester.
“You so often hear about the spirit of Greater Manchester and the sense of community across the city-region and generous donations such as these go a long way to showcasing the fantastic support we have seen for our key workers.
“All the donations we have received have helped to keep our incredible frontline workers safe while they carry out their vital work and from everyone in Greater Manchester I would like to express a heartfelt thanks to these organisations and companies for their donations and support.”
Donations have included The Hut Group donating 25 tonnes of PPE to Greater Manchester NHS.
The Manchester distillery Didsbury Gin turned its hand to producing bottles of hand sanitiser to support frontline workers.
They donated 20,000 bottles that went straight into the social care system across the city-region.
Liam Manton, founder of Didsbury Gin, said: “We were aware at the time that our region’s social care providers, who look after some of the region’s most vulnerable people were short of vital PPE and hand sanitiser and that there was an urgent need. Our company is born and bred in Manchester, and we’re in the fortunate position that we can utilise our supply chains and to give back to the Mancunian community during these challenging times.”
Manchester business Tibard usually provides work wear and uniforms to organisations across the country.
With their key market of hospitality being effectively put on hold prior to lockdown, they made a collective decision to repurpose their manufacturing in order to provide scrubs and non-medical gowns for our health and care services. To date, they have manufactured more than 50,000 garments for frontline workers from their home in Tameside.
Managing Director Ian Mitchell said: “We found ourselves in a rather odd position, with our customers not wanting clothing because their establishments were shut but at the same time we kept hearing how the NHS needed more equipment to help tackle this pandemic. It was important to all of us here at Tibard to do our part to support our medical staff and that’s why we had to offer our services.”
Manchester-based consumer products group PZ Cuzzons has been donating bottles of its Carex hand wash and hand sanitiser. It recently donated 500,000 bottles to organisations and charities across the UK, including in Greater Manchester.
This included 350,000 to support thousands of charities and NHS key workers across the UK and weekly donations to Manchester Foundation Trust Charity to support more than 20,000 care packages for NHS workers in Greater Manchester. On top of this, PZ Cussons is donating thousands of bottles to local charities, including the Seashell Trust, as well UK-wide NHS trusts, the Nightingale hospitals and key workers including Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.
Ian Henderson, Carex’s Global Head of Brand said: “These are extremely challenging times for many people, and we are absolutely committed to supporting those in need. Everyone at Carex and PZ Cussons wants to help in any way they can and as a manufacturer of essential products that help stop the spread of COVID-19, it’s our obligation to ensure they get to those that need them the most. We are working tirelessly to support a variety of incredible charities, community and key worker support groups”
So far Greater Manchester has received 5.4m items of PPE from the national pandemic stock and has ordered over 19m items through direct procurement – 7.7m items have already been delivered with a further 1.8m due to arrive within the next seven days.
