People who care about the safety of NHS workers are doing their bit to help – because they feel they’ve been left with no choice.
Some people have volunteered to help on Facebook, via a group called For the Love of Scrubs UK, and are making scrubs for staff in their own local hospitals.
One of those volunteers is retired UNISON staff member Wavenie Jones.
“I used to sew over 20 years ago and I loved it,” she says. “I made clothes for myself, friends and family, and also made a few home furnishings.
“I put my sewing machine away when life got busy and forgot all about this super craft skill. I started watching the fantastic Great British Sewing Bee TV show last year and remembered how much I loved sewing, so I had my trusty – and a bit rusty – machine serviced and am gradually getting my sew-jo back.
The trusty sewing machine
“Social media has enabled me to connect locally with other people who love to sew and a few of us meet up for a monthly coffee break and crafting chat.
“One of my friends in this group mentioned that a doctor friend of hers was in dire need of hospital scrubs. She did a fundraiser to buy fabric and asked if anyone was willing to help sew – I jumped at the chance!
“We managed to make over 25 sets of scrubs, of which I sewed three sets.
“After supporting my friend, I volunteered on the Facebook group, specifically making scrubs for Queen’s Hospital in Romford. I’ve sewn five scrub tops [pictured at the top of this article] for them and plan to do more.”
Wavenie says it’s “a privilege and quite humbling to get involved. It’s my way to say ‘thank you’ to the awesome NHS and all keyworkers during this difficult time, using my skills to help the community.”
