This Mackem mask business is facing the pandemic in style with face coverings from retro Sunderland strips to Niall Quinn's disco mask

A range of Mackem masks has been launched to help people get through the pandemic in safety.

Coverings such as Sunderland Til I Die, Niall Quinn’s Disco Mask, and Kevin Ball Hard As Nails are all available at £10 each (as well as masks in the style of Sunderland strips) from the Wearside-based company Mackem Cards which operates online and has its own website.

Mackem Cards was formed seven months ago and is linked to a Facebook engagement project called Wear The People. As a one-off project, they launched a card on Sunderland being in the Checkatrade Trophy final.

It did really well and led to other products such as lockdown birthday cards which say ‘Stay Alert, Control The Virus, Save Lives, Eat Pink Slices.”

Others say: “Have A Git Mint Locked Down Birthder” and “Put On Yer Disco Pants It’s Yer Birthder!”

The firm’s social media manager Mal Robinson said: “We launched the business and then went into lockdown which was not ideal. The idea of face masks was mooted in May when we were all asking if we were going to have to wear them.

"Then Boris stipulated we would need them and we had contacts in that field.”

The team of graphic designer Liam Grieves, director of operations Nicola Ward, social media manager Mal Robinson and intern Sam Rosenthal make up the online business which has got off to a flying start.

Mal is hoping that the Covid-19 restrictions end as soon as possible but the pandemic face masks and birthday cards are kept by people ‘as a keepsake’.

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