Kettering furniture store staff create hundreds of wash bags for the NHS

Furloughed staff at a furniture store in Kettering have gone back to work to voluntarily make almost 1,000 wash bags for the NHS.

Like non-essential shops up and down the country The Furniture Centre in Pytchley Lodge Road is currently closed because of the coronavirus crisis.

Most staff have been furloughed - but they are putting their new free time to good use by helping our national health service, all while social distancing.

Owner of five years Richard Smith said: "I have had to furlough most of my staff because of the coronavirus but they are coming in on a voluntary basis to help get this work done for the NHS.

"We put it out on Facebook and we have been inundated. We had 36 requests for 1,020 and so far we have already made 800."

Staff have been using surplus fabrics and offcuts from the production of sofas, which would normally go in the bin, to create the bags which will help prevent contamination for NHS staff and make washing their work clothes easier.

Volunteers Julia Ginns, her son Kieran, Nettie Chambers and Nadine Shadwell have been cutting and sewing the wash bags with Richard and Nadine delivering them to health centres around the county.

So far donations have been made to KGH's intensive care unit, St Mary's Hospital, Corby Community Hospital and Willowbrook Health Centre, Bedford Hospital and more with Leicester Royal Infirmary also requesting some.

It's hoped that the staff will soon move on to start creating gowns and masks in the coming weeks.

Richard added: "The feedback we have had has been overwhelmingly positive. We've never seen anything like it."