A month ago, I knew I couldn’t stay at home while the NHS and other key workers were struggling to get PPE.
My wife and daughters started making PPE, masks and headbands for the local Morriston hospital. She then joined Swansea Bay UHB – For the love of Scrubs Volunteer Group. The organisation has 250 volunteers, all making essential items for Swansea NHS staff.
Separately a friend, Michael Gwilliam, has a 3D printer and started making face shields. I offered to deliver these items direct to those who needed it. Michael had made his own GoFundMe page called Swansea Covid 19 3D Face Shields asking for donations to help fund the materials to produce the face shields. Local Swansea councillor Joe Hale loaned two 3D printer and Michael went on to produce 140+ face shields a day.
I decided to reach out to the rest of the E.ON engineers in my team to donate to Swansea Covid 19 3D Face Shields. They were the first to donate, and then started distributing for Swansea Bay UHB. The following Engineers from my team agreed to become volunteer couriers – Russell Lodwig, Nathan Jones, Peter Magorrian, Carl Thomas, Jason Madden, Terry Jones, Matthew Lewis and Steve Knight.
Swansea Covid-19 3D Face Shields recently received a letter from Her Majesty the Queen’s representative Louise Fleet JP, Lord-Lieutenant of West Glamorgan, to thank us for the work.
The team has been an instrumental cog in the wheel, ensuring key workers safety. We have carried out these tasks whilst adhering to government advice, ensuring safety has always been a priority. We have all pulled together as a team in these difficult times to try and help our local NHS and key workers.
Robat Hanratty-Russell
