Fareham grandmother leads effort to make 1,700 cloth bags for front-line care staff

Jan Hinks, of Kiln Road, Fareham, came up with the idea after speaking with a friend who works for the NHS at the beginning of April – and three weeks later, Jan and 40 volunteers have produced 1,796 bags.

As a form of infection control, front-line care staff are being advised to remove their uniforms before returning home, leading Jan to create a cloth bag that can be placed in a washing machine so staff do not have to touch their uniform again.

Now, the 57-year-old has been ‘inundated’ with orders and offers to help make the bags.

She said: ‘In three days I had a team of 20 volunteers.

‘We have delivered bags to more than 50 locations, including 32 care homes.

‘Last Friday, I thought we were finished, but we have had so many more requests, we’re going to keep going.

‘I’m not sure how much longer we’ll continue though – there will be a saturation point.’

Jan has said her team ‘has been absolutely fantastic’ and has advised anyone looking to help to focus on sewing and craft groups making scrubs for NHS staff.

The grandmother-of-two said: ‘We don’t need any more volunteers – with the best will in the world, we are at capacity managing deliveries with the volunteers we have.

‘There are more and more scrub-making groups on Facebook people could help.’

Supporters of the bag-making group have donated more than £900 to keep the team stocked with cloth and materials.

Jan added: ‘Any money we have at the left once orders stop will be donated to the NHS.’

Aaron Hardman, the manager of Hunters Lodge Care Home, in Kiln Road, said his staff were ‘incredibly grateful’ to receive a donation of more than 30 bags from the craft group.

He said: ‘The bags are brilliant as it’s further infection control that’s in place.

‘Luckily we have not had any cases here, but we have had a few people needing to be in isolation because they have been in hospital.

‘So taking every precaution is vital.’

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