Banburyshire crafters help NHS staff by making scrub bags for safe laundry handling

Members of the Oxfordshire branch of UK Crafters have been hard at work with their sewing machines making the bags for the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust (OUH).

Banbury member Jenny Feeney said the bag-making has come in response to an appeal from the trust which is trying to supply each staff member with two bags. The OUH runs the Horton General Hospital, the JR, the Churchill Hospital and the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre. Huge efforts have been taking place to adapt facilities at the JR and Horton to take the influx of coronavirus patients.

The laundry bags are simple drawstring bags, about the size of a pillow case rather like school PE bags. The fabric they are made from needs to be cotton or poly-cotton and able to withstand multiple hot washes. They will enable the staff members to take their work clothes home safely and wash them without removing them from the bag.

Mrs Feeney said: "I have figured that the starting measurements would be 36" x 20" or as close to that as you can manage. Folded once in half to 18 x 20.

"It's hard hearing what the NHS have to go through to do their job and help people. It must be so difficult for them. It feels good to be able to help them protect themselves and their families in this way. They are like the people's soldiers in blue fighting a war and we need to support them however we can. It nice to know that, with our skills, we can be helpful to those who are working their hardest to look after those who are at their lowest."

Those wanting to find out more about the effort can join the crafters' Facebook page here. All the details of what needs to be made along with instructions for preparing finished bags and postage are available there. Alternatively email [email protected]