With vital travel restrictions reducing its operating hours and flight programme, Southampton Airport is putting its resources to good use supporting a local campaign to sew scrubs for health workers.
The airport is still operating lifeline flights to the Channel Islands, but using the downtime to support the response to the Covid pandemic in practical ways. As part of this, staff from our engineering department have set their industrial-sized printer into action printing out sewing patterns for a Winchester-based community scheme using their crafting skills to make scrubs for health workers.
The engineering team has also put its 3D printer to good use to create adjustable straps for face masks to help safeguard responders and is looking to supply those to carers.
The scrubs sewing initiative was started by Winchester business woman Laura Skilton, Laura said: "My mum's friend works in ICU and said they were short on scrubs and after a bit of research have found that there is a nationwide campaign to sew scrubs for the NHS and other workers across the care industry. Hampshire seems to have a lot of people wanting some."
Engineering Manager Martyn Coombes said: “When Laura needed help printing out patterns for volunteers we were only too happy to oblige. If we can support the pandemic response and the brilliant NHS in our local community in any little practical way, we are honoured to do so.”
Laura is also fund-raising to boost this project and other similar ones helping the NHS. Anyone wishing to donate can do so here.