People pulling together to make uniform wash bags for NHS staff and carers

Many are offering to make the bags to benefit The Mid Yorkshire Trust and other hospitals throughout the UK.

Staff put their uniform in the bag, ready for an immediate hot wash to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, protecting themselves and their families.

Rachel Riley is a nurse on the Oncology ward at Pinderfields, she said: “From a nurses point of view, it’s a wonderful gesture and also peace of mind that we can transport our uniform home as safely as possible.

“I have two young children and I have felt very anxious about bringing my uniform home.

“I first saw a post on a nurses COVID-19 Facebook page and I knew my friend was wanting to help, she has made loads.

“If people want to make some they can send them in with people they know who work at a hospital.”

Christine Gibbons, a retired teacher and seamstress who lives locally has been making the bags.

She found out about the idea from her daughter Vicci, who saw the idea on Facebook.

Vicci said: “I have a lot of friends who work in the intensive care unit, as my dad was in their care for a long time.

“I was conscious about the idea of the bags and how many people would benefit from them.

“My mum is really creative, she used to sew amazing dance dresses for me and she was always in charge of the art department when she used to teach.

“I know she’s always got materials lying around the house so I mentioned the idea to hear and within half an hour she was on the case making the bags.

“Within a matter of three hours she’d sewn about 12 bags and within four days she’d made another 20 from some old bedding.

“She was itching to make more, with the help of her granddaughter, Brooke, my mum is teaching her how to sew.

“My sister has friends at LGI, she’s in contact with some of the nurses there so we’d managed to get loads of my mum’s bags to Pontefract, Pinderfields and Leeds."