Queen's Birthday Honours: Team Scrubbers linchpin Lin Gell from Warsash receives British Empire Medal for work during Covid-19 pandemic

If you’d told Lin Gell 18 months ago that she would have organised a network of hundreds of volunteers to sew 15,000 sets of scrubs, she wouldn’t have believed you.

But now, proud grandmother Lin is looking back on her hard work as founder of Team Scrubbers during the pandemic, as she has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2021.

Lin is joined by volunteers, charity founders, role models and more in being recognised by the Queen for many amazing things, including contribution to the Covid-19 response.

Lin said: ‘I couldn’t believe it when I got the message, I’m really pleased obviously. I nearly fell off my chair into my pond! I was gobsmacked, I’m not very often lost for words.

‘We helped the NHS so much across most of the county. We became massive in such a short space of time.

‘People did appreciate it and I’m still in touch with lots of the nurses. People said what a difference it made to them.’

During the first lockdown, Lin quickly got to work in setting up Team Scrubbers to co-ordinate the efforts of keen sewers across Hampshire as key workers desperately needed PPE.

Demand continued to grow and Lin’s team found themselves sewing at all hours of the day to keep up with orders for hospital staff, GPs, teachers and more.

SEE ALSO: Warsash gran who helped stitch thousands of masks and protective clothes for health workers is honoured

Thanks to 400 volunteers, Team Scrubbers managed to create and distribute 15,000 sets of scrubs, 10,000 scrub bags, 500 sets of children’s pyjamas and 30,000 face masks.

These masks were sold at £2 to raise thousands in funds for the Royal British Legion and Crisis Food Gosport.

These stellar efforts throughout some of the most difficult times in recent history are what has led to Lin receiving the award.

Lin said: ‘This is something nice that came out of it all. I would never have dreamed of this 18 months ago, it’s amazing.

‘I’d like to thank every single person that did something. Every single person played a part in it and this medal I am going to get is for every single one of them, not just for me.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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