The Sunderland sewers making hundreds of scrub bags and face masks for NHS staff

Residents and small business owners in Sunderland have joined the fight to help provide much-needed equipment for NHS workers and care home staff on the frontline of the crisis.

Tailor Frankie Bulmer – who owns The Little Sewing Mill in Chester Road – has made around 500 scrub bags, as well as face masks and mask adapters for staff at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

With her business currently closed due to the lockdown when she was contacted by some of the nurses to say they were in need of bags for putting their scrubs in the wash, Frankie offered to make them for free.

Running out of material, she put out a request for donations on the Pallion Action Facebook Group and was ‘overwhelmed’ by the response – with more people volunteering to help her sew the items.

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“It was amazing the amount of material that was donated, it was overwhelming,” said Frankie, 49.

“I’m not alone in this, there is a fabulous sewing and crafting community in Sunderland and we’re all working together to try and meet the demand – It’s like our own little sewing bee we all keep in touch with each other.

“There’s a lovely community feel at the moment with people all pulling together to help.”

As well as Frankie and six volunteers, other Sunderland-based sewing and craft shops including Daydream Sewing and Crafts, Dot Cotton’s and LuLu’s Craft Shop have been stitching non-stop in the last few weeks and delivering them to Sunderland hospital.

Between them they are also supplying the items to staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead and the RVI in Newcastle, as well a number of care homes in the region.

“It’s a little lift for people as well, some of us have had to close our businesses but many people are retired and just want to help out,” added Frankie.

“You hear about big companies doing things all the time – we can’t compete with them but we’re just doing our bit and every little helps.”

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