Portsmouth Distillery steps in to help Swanmore College's desperate plea for hand sanitiser during coronavirus pandemic

The Portsmouth Distillery at Fort Cumberland started producing hand sanitiser last month as a way to survive the pandemic.

The firm - run by Vince Noyce and Giles Collighan, former Royal Navy officers, and Dich Oatley, a drinks industry professional - is now ramping up production after spotting a plea on Facebook from Swanmore College.

The Meon Valley secondary school said it was struggling to source hand sanitiser at reasonable prices - and it needed 300 bottles to put one in every classroom.

Vince saw the post and got in touch - offering sanitiser at cost price.

He said: ‘I messaged the school, they got in touch and the hand sanitiser is being delivered today - a couple of days later. They also put out a message to other schools and so far we have received orders from five different schools.

‘We’re pleased to be helping out. We are hoping to be able to fulfil the local demand. We will do our best to help.

‘We’re just a small Portsmouth business that is trying to keep its head above water and help out where we can so we can return to doing what we love when this is all over. We have to do what we can to survive.’

School business manager Chris Loveday said: ‘People who work in the public sector do not get into it for the pay, we do it to make a difference, so it has been disappointing to see companies trying to profiteer at a time like this.

‘However, Portsmouth Distillery is a local company doing something positive - and that should be celebrated and rewarded.

‘The headteacher and the whole school is eternally grateful to them and for the fact that the community has come together to support education.’

The Portsmouth Distillery was set up in 2018 and usually crafts a range of small batch, artisan spirits. It has been offering free local delivery of its produce from its website theportsmouthdistillery.com

It won Start-Up Business of the Year at this year’s Business Excellence Awards, run by The News.

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