Bosham firm Batt Sails swaps sails for scrubs as it helps produce PPE for NHS workers across the country

Bosham-based sail making company, Batt Sails, has been manufacturing facial visors for NHS workers.

The firm has the ability of producing up to 1,200 and has already produced 800 per day and has distributed them across the UK.

Owner Dick Batt said: ‘All we have been hearing on the news and on social media is about the drastic shortage of PPE and I knew we could use our facilities to produce visors.

‘Almost everything that we needed to produce them, we had. It meant we would be able to be quick putting them out so I was pleased about that.

‘We have adapted our sail making facility in Bosham and are now manufacturing and distributing high quality PPE visors on a not-for-profit basis. A notable feature is their comfort and the protection they afford to the forehead or hair.’

The firm, which has been running for over 40 years, is also using its computer cutting facility to cut out the designs for scrubs for volunteers to help sew.

The firm has set up a crowdfunder to cover the costs of essential materials and distribution costs to continue manufacturing PPE to provide it to registered carers and hospices.

Dick said: ‘The more we raise the more we can do to help fill this urgent need.

‘One of my mantras in life is “if you can do, you should do”. We will do what we can do as long as we can and as long as it takes. If they want the help, it’s there. I look forward to the day when we won’t need to be doing it.

‘We want to be here when this is all over and if we can do something to help in the meantime then we will.’

The team, which is made up of three members of staff, with only two working at once at the moment, is also continuing to produce sails alongside their work making PPE.

Dick and his staff have been working extra hours to ensure no tasks are compromised.