Businesses and organisations donate PPE to front-line social care workers

April 20, 2020

Beena Khan from Medpharmdent UK with her donation and Paul Coulson from Forward Motion

Gloves, aprons and face masks have all been donated after an urgent appeal for personal protective equipment (PPE) was made in Southend-on-Sea.

The council is working daily through the Essex resilience forum to manage the receipt and onward distribution of nationally and local sourced personal protective equipment, but we have also asked the borough’s businesses and organisations to donate equipment to protect social and community care workers in need of additional PPE during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Over twenty businesses and organisations have responded to the appeal, including Tomassi's restaurant, medical and dental instruments manufacturer Medpharmdent UK, serviced office space provider Seedbed Business Centre and training provider Eden Training. Local nurseries and schools, such as Le Ballon Rouge Montessori Day Nursery, St. Michael and All Angels Pre-school, Leigh Road Baptist Church Pre-School. St. Helen's Catholic Primary School, Kingsdown School, Lancaster School, St. Thomas More High School and Southend High School for Boys, have also made PPE available. South Essex active travel initiative ForwardMotion has donated 118 unopened boxes of latex gloves from its two cycle hubs.

The donations have been given to social workers and community care givers so that they can continue to provide essential care and support to vulnerable people throughout the coronavirus crisis. This includes residents who have been recently discharged from hospital, the elderly and those with long-term health conditions.

Paul Coulson, ForwardMotion Cycle Hub Manager, said: “We’re so pleased we could donate these disposable gloves to help protect our front-line social care staff who are looking after so many people at this challenging time.”

Councillor Trevor Harp, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: “I would like to thank all those businesses and organisations who have come forward with PPE donations, we are extremely grateful.

“This equipment will help to protect the lives of social workers and community care givers as they do their vital job of providing care, comfort and support to vulnerable people in Southend-on-Sea.”

The Council is still taking donations of unopened boxes of disposable gloves, disposable aprons and masks. Businesses or organisations wishing to donate items can email livewell@southend.gov.uk with details of what PPE they have available and contact details.