Volunteer group making scrubs for healthcare workers

Volunteers from across Caerphilly County Borough have been making sanitary clothing for healthcare workers at hospitals, care homes and doctors’ surgeries during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr in Ystrad Mynach, as well as the Royal Gwent in Newport are among the places to have been sent scrubs by volunteer group Caerphilly Scrubbers.

The group is made up of 32 seamstresses who have been making the scrubs to help the staff on the frontline in the battle against Covid-19, with many more making equipment to stop the elastic on PPE masks from rubbing against healthcare workers’ ears.

Machen resident Mia Beechey, who is part of the group, orders fabric and supplies, with seamstresses collecting them and then returning the finished products to her.

Doctors then collect the scrubs from Ms Beechey, which are issued free of charge.

Each scrub set costs between £3.50 and £5 in fabric.

Ms Beechey, who works as a clerk at Pentwynmawr Primary School, near Newbridge, said: “As I’m out of work due to the current crisis, I wanted to be able to help do something to protect our precious NHS nurses.

“In the past few weeks, we have had a great response from the public, and many residents have joined us on our journey, but we still need help purchasing supplies such as fabric and the more volunteer seamstresses we have, the better. Any donation will be most appreciated.”

Cllr. Carl Cuss, Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet member for social care and wellbeing, thanked the Caerphilly Scrubbers for “helping us look after our key workers at this very difficult time”.

Cllr Cuss added: “The response in Caerphilly has blown me away, and I could not be prouder of the way everyone has stepped up to help us tackle the spread of Covid-19.”

Any seamstresses who would like to volunteer to make scrubs can find out more information at obv.sr/scrub1

Anyone who would like to make a donation to the group can visit obv.sr/scrub2

To buy something off the group’s Amazon wishlist, visit obv.sr/scrub3