A campaign which calls on businesses to donate PPE to support the NHS and other frontline coronavirus workers has exceeded 100,000 items.
Spearheaded by Martin Rigley, managing director at Lindhurst Engineering in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, the #ppe4nhs campaign has substantially exceeded expectations.
Originally set up to cover just the Ashfield and Mansfield areas, the campaign then expanded into the rest of the East Midlands.
It has now received and distributed items of PPE across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and even South Yorkshire.
Mr Rigley said: “Just eight weeks ago, when we started the #ppe4nhs campaign in Mansfield and Ashfield - we never imagined how big it would grow and the great success that it would become.
“We’re absolutely delighted to have secured donations totalling over 100,000 individual items, which have now been distributed to key workers in the NHS and in the community.
“Most importantly though, as a result of our campaign, there are frontline workers who now have access to the PPE that they need.”
The campaign has been backed by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, which supports economic growth across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
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Its communications department has been lending its expertise to attract donations from across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
Rob Harding, D2N2’s head of marketing communications, said: “This is an incredible milestone for everyone and we are extremely proud to be an active supporter of the PPE4NHS campaign.
“We know how challenging many people are finding the current Covid-19 situation. However, the response of the local business community to this campaign has been inspiring, with donations helping to support the NHS and key frontline staff in social care and community support.”
With the PPE4NHS campaign continuing to solicit donations, businesses interested in donating should visit D2N2lep.org/PPE4NHS.
Specifically, the following items are required:
*Fluid resistant masks including, although not exclusively, FFP2 or FFP3 rated (the rating is marked on each mask).
*Coveralls / medical gowns / disposable aprons
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*Nitrile gloves
*Sanitising gel
To make the donation process as quick as possible, emails should include PPE supply details including quantity and postcode, a contact name, and phone number.
Businesses will be asked some questions about the type of support that can be provided and will be contacted as soon as possible if the support is needed.