Fran's army of sewers create 'scrubs' for Harrogate Hospital frontline staff

After launching the Facebook group Harrogate Scrubbers following reports of a shortage of scrubs during the Covid-19 crisis, Fran Taylor said more than 300 people had joined the Harrogate Scrubbers group, raising a total of nearly £5,000 already.

Fran, who has taught maths at St John Fishers High School for the last ten years, said she had been amazed that everyone from sewing groups to furloughed workers to local businesses had got in touch with offers of support.

She said: "The community response has been genuinely humbling, with offers of help from people stuck at home, community groups, local companies and professional sewing groups.

‘We have furloughed opticians and retired former NHS workers who are sewing from their homes and producing quality items that will save lives.

"We also have a huge army of volunteer drivers who are so grateful to have a purpose and help other people out.

"It has created a team atmosphere and real community spirit, actually giving people a purpose and the ability to feel that they are supporting the NHS both through staying at home, but also doing something productive while they are there.

"This really is a celebration of people coming together and I feel so lucky to be a part of it."

In liaison with Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT), which operates Harrogate District Hospital, Fran's target is to make 700 scrubs for staff working in the Harrogate area to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

In the battle against the pandemic NHS staff who previously didn’t require scrubs now urgently need scrubs, including laundry bags, scrub caps and waterproof gowns, to help them to keep work/home clothing separate, protecting both staff and their families.

But Fran is urging the public to keep on supporting the campaign to help staff at Harrogate Hospital.

She said: "We still need more funding and support to enable us to answer the appeal the hospital has now put out for gowns.

"Even if you can’t sew, we need people to deliver the fabric and patterns to the homes of the people who can help out.

"We need people who can help cut the huge rolls of fabric in spaces like village halls, volunteers to cover the admin behind the deliveries, and we need supplies donating and money raising.

"Just £27 will sponsor three full sets of scrubs plus a laundry bag for a hospital worker which will allow them to protect themselves whilst they are working.

"This money will allow us to buy fabric and our fantastic network of volunteer sewers, drivers and distributors will do the rest.

"These scrubs will be delivered directly to workers at the hospital and will make a massive impact on the fight against Covid-19."

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Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust 's chief operating officer and accountable emergency officer, Robert Harrison, said: "We have been overwhelmed by the public response to supporting both the NHS and our local hospital and staff.

"The ability to change out of work clothes, wash everything at 60 degrees and avoid any cross contamination is becoming increasingly important as the number of patients in hospitals grow.

"Community initiatives like this are very welcome, as there simply aren’t enough supplies to cover all staff.

"We are very grateful for the support of members of the public – thank you to the wonderful local community for your support for the NHS."

Among the businesses in the Harrogate district which have offered to support Fran's caampaign so far are Accommodation Harrogate, Ripon Lions, 1001 Claro and Harrogate Lodge (Masons), Showtime Fabrics, Furnish and Fettle Interiors, Enid Taylor printers, White Road Sewing and two other Facebook groups - Supplies for Key Workers in and around Harrogate and The Mother Scrubbers fundraiser.

White Rose Sewing in Harrogate's owner Phillip Pearson said: "We are more than happy to help promote this scheme to all our sewing customers to encourage their support and get people involved.

"We have a range of sewing machines in stock if people don’t have one, and can also collect and repair them, so we are able to support the people taking part if they have any problems."

How to help Harrogate Scrubbers

Roles and items needed include:

People who can sew both scrubs and bags to put them in

People able to deliver and collect the fabric and scrubs

Donations of money to help buy the fabric and accessories

Donations of plain lightweight polycotton fabric or new sheets

Volunteers to cut the fabric into packs and prepare them

Printers to print the patterns to go in the packs

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