News: College member of staff supports national campaign to sew scrubs for the NHS
Nottingham College is feeling proud of one of its members of staff who has put her skills and love of creativity and craft to excellent use, to help our NHS and frontline carers.
Amy Victoria Gathercole (who works for the college part-time in its communications team), is a part of a team of three volunteers who are coordinating the Nottinghamshire chapter of a national initiative called ‘For the Love of Scrubs’. Amy and the team have enlisted the support of over 200 members so far, who have committed to sewing scrubs and other needed accessories in their free time for NHS workers. Alongside this they are also organising fundraising, and a distribution and delivery network.
The group have already issued over 50 scrub kits to volunteers to be sewn and delivered to the NHS later this week. So far they have fundraised over £1000 to help pay for fabric, patterns and postage.
Alongside the scrubs, hundreds of laundry bags, button headbands (to secure face masks), and scrub hats are being created too. Amy has even encouraged some of her fellow Marketing Team to dust off their sewing machines and pitch in!
A GoFundMePage, which Amy helped to create and promote has been set up to receive donations to support the cause. The money raised is being used to buy fabric in bulk and to pay for delivery costs.
Amy is spearheading the Nottinghamshire element of a national movement to support NHS workers in ensuring a constant flow of vital PPE can be supplied to those on the front line; including in our hospitals, GP surgeries, specialist Covid-19 units, care homes and to workers within the community too.
Amy is working with two other coordinators (who only ‘met’ a week ago!) on the project, and along with their 200 members (and counting) they aim to continue to supply scrubs for as long as they are needed.
Amy said:
I became involved in the national movement that was started by an NHS nurse (Ashleigh Linsdell — Boston — Lincolnshire) because I felt inspired. This is a time where people are stepping up and supporting their communities in so many ways. The national campaign, now with over 27,000 members is amazing and important, I couldn’t not offer my skills to help.
I love to sew, make many of my own clothes and knew that in joining this movement, I could put my skills and my time to good use. I wanted to use my own networks locally to really get things going in Nottingham and I’ve been completely taken aback by the support we’ve managed to achieve in such a short space of time, from local people, friends, family and the wider community.
We currently have over 200 people from Nottingham, sitting at home and working in local factories that are still open now making vital protective garments for our caregivers in the NHS. There’s no better way to show support and solidarity with our NHS, and help protect lives at the same time.
I’m coordinating the local effort with a couple of my new friends, Aaliya and Emma. We’re just thrilled to be able to help and truly make a difference, and let so many others work together on this community effort to support our local heroes.
— Amy
John van de Laarschot, Chief Executive of Nottingham College said:
This is a fantastic achievement for Amy and her team. We’re proud of her for taking the initiative to get something like this off the ground locally, showing that we all can play a major part in supporting our NHS and each other during times of crisis. Amy’s cause has motivated hundreds of people locally and in turn, they will help save lives. The College has donated hundreds of items of PPE to frontline NHS workers in the last couple of weeks but what Amy is doing, by raising money and putting her sewing skills to good use, is especially admirable.
— John van de Laarschot, Chief Executive of Nottingham College
Well done Amy!
Published on:
- 7th April 2020 (5:07 PM)
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