A Welsh village has come together to create their own PPE for our NHS staff.
A group called the Aneurin Bevan Scrubbers was set up in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
They provide scrubs and other medical coveralls to NHS services, social services and other providers who require additional cloth uniform items in the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area.
The group was formed around two weeks ago with just 18 members. Within days, 300 members had joined all wanting to do their bit.
Now the group has over 700 members. This has allowed them to produce 400 scrubs and over 2,000 bags for staff to transport scrubs.
Sara Wall, a group coordinator for Magor, said everyone has found a way to help.
She is a maths teacher at a high school but is juggling the two roles.
"We have volunteers of all ages from 8-years-old to 91," she said.
"The goal was to give something back to our NHS and the group has just taken off remarkably.
"All our volunteers are doing something to help. We have drivers who are picking and dropping off material.
"There are lots of people who are sewing and it's great to see the younger generation get involved also. It gives them soemthing to do and a sense of belonging."
Mrs Wall said she wanted to thank the community for getting involved.
She added: "With the pandemic, people just wanted a way to get involved and our helpers have shown that.
"The younger generation are our future and they've learnt important skills. We have had the hospital chaplain ask us for donations too so we're just making sure we're meeting the demand."
Bridgitte Higgins, 56, from Rogiet, Monmouthshire, also volunteers with the group and works as a seamster.
She said: "I came across the post on social media and wanted to help because I have no work right now anyway. I started asking for volunteers near to where I live.
"People were donating fabric and helping to sew which was great. It shows great community spirit and we are all doing what we can.
"The majority of us are all at home safe but our NHS staff are on the frontline and we should be doing what we can to help and support them."
The group are asking for donations and are asking people to donate old bedding.
One set of scrubs needs approximately three metres of fabric.
To make one set of scrubs takes approximately 3 meters of fabric. To donate and for more information, please visit their website here.
A spokeswoman for the group, said: "We work by having coordinators for each Aneurin Bevan health board region, who have drop-off points for people to donate fabric and sewers to leave finished items.
"Finished items are picked up and delivered to NHS staff and hospitals. Fabric comes from everywhere bought with donations, given to us by the roll from sources from curtain makers to the BBC casualty team, and most often cut up from bedsheets and pillow cases donated by our eternally generous local communities.
"Our rallying cry through all this has been scrubs on backs. It's our reason, our drive, our start and end. Our heroes are protecting us with their bodies, but we've got their backs."
