Coronavirus brought us closer to our communities

Three women explain how the global pandemic spurred them into action

- KARA O'NEILL

'I'M PROUD TO PLAY A SMALL PART'

Helen Vincent, 47, lives in Claygate, Surrey.

It was just after we’d gone into lockdown, in early April, when I spotted an article on the BBC News website about a community project called Scrub Hub. It was asking keen sewers to help produce made-to-order scrubs for NHS staff and care workers who were struggling to get hold of personal protective equipment (PPE).

I’d dabbled with dressmaking when my daughter, Phoebe, 10, was little and thought I could be of help. And when I saw that my community didn’t have its own regional hub, I volunteered to set it up and be the point of contact.

I started by contacting a few friends who I knew loved to sew, and Scrub Hub added my name and email address to its directory. I printed off the patterns it provided on the website and began ordering fabric.

Before I knew it, my inbox was inundated with people offering to help, from experienced seamstresses to amateurs. I started making packs for everyone, containing the fabric, patterns, thread and elastic they’d need to make a basic pair of scrubs. I’d leave the packs outside my front door, alongside a bottle of hand sanitiser for people to use before they touched them.

When they finished, they’d leave them in a box on my driveway and, wearing gloves, I’d send them out to all the nursing homes, GP surgeries and care agencies that needed them, with instructions on how they should be washed thoroughly before use. It’s been all go since then, and I’ve mostly taken care of the admin side, making sure we have scrubs in a range of different sizes. We also have volunteers making gowns, aprons and headbands.