Coronavirus business update: Latest news across the North West

North West-based Under Pressure Cleaning is supporting Greater Manchester charity The Bread and Butter Thing by volunteering to fully clean, wash and disinfect the charity’s fleet of seven food refrigeration vehicles which are used to deliver food parcels to people on low income.

The Bread and Butter Thing helps more than 8,000 registered families across Greater Manchester and Darlington through a weekly affordable food service using surplus donations from across the food industry.

Since the coronavirus pandemic the charity has seen a 460% increase in demand in April alone, and is now supporting more than 3,700 households each week.

Under Pressure Cleaning managing partner Peter Heseltine said: “The impact of the COVID-19 crisis has hit everyone hard, so just imagine how difficult it is now for those people who needed the help of The Bread and Butter Thing before the pandemic.”

The charity delivers food to families who are struggling to afford everyday basics through a fleet of refrigerated sprinter vans designed to transport food products.

Peter added: “These vehicles are what people’s food is being transported in, so we want to help them and the charity by making sure they are properly cleaned and disinfected, especially when there is a global health crisis taking place.”

The Under Pressure Cleaning team carried out a full cleansing operation at TBBT’s operations hub in Trafford Park on June 6.

TBBT operations manager, Rachel Reid-Fernandez, said: “What a fantastic job the guys have done. We must ensure our vans are clean and safe and they have achieved this for us.

“It is brilliant that they have give up their own time and energy to help us. We hope that we can continue to work with Under Pressure as the results are just what we need to transport our food safely to our members.”

TBBT is also supporting other charities from across the North of England from Eggcup in Lancaster, Open Kitchen Manchester and Food Cycle, as well as projects in Teesside.

TBBT is currently redistributing 65+ tonnes of surplus food each week – that’s more than 150,000 meals a week.

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Liverpool FC has delivered 25,000 protective face coverings to the Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) headquarters in Liverpool city centre.

LFC gave the face masks to its official charity, LFC Foundation, which donated them to the Liverpool CCG – the organisation responsible for planning health services for the city.

The Liverpool CCG will distribute the medically-approved face coverings for free to local GP’s, initially, and will identify further need in the health system to donate any remaining masks to.

Matt Parish, director of LFC Foundation, said: “We are delighted to donate these important face coverings to the Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group, which we hope will make a difference locally.

“We, like so many, are so proud of the work that the NHS does for us all 365 days of the year and it’s important to us that we help wherever possible.

“It was a pleasure to meet with some local GP’s and I hope these masks will help to support their vital work.”

Jan Ledward, chief officer for NHS Liverpool CCG, said: “I’d like to thank LFC Foundation for this generous donation, which will be used to protect local NHS staff and patients from COVID-19.

“During these difficult times it’s more important than ever that local organisations and individuals come together to support their local community to make a real difference.”

The club has also launched a range of LFC face coverings for supporters. Proceeds from the sale of these products will continue to contribute to LFC Foundation’s support in the local community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Claire Ferguson

Staff from The Christie charity have been stepping in to support cancer patients as part of the hospital’s ongoing work to support patients during the coronavirus outbreak.

In addition to continuing to seek donations, where possible, for the work of The Christie hospital, around 16 staff at the charity have been helping cancer patients directly and have been allocated to a variety of different roles across the hospital.

Charity staff have been providing a range of support for their hospital colleagues including providing transport for patients at risk to get them to their essential appointments, delivering essential pharmacy medicines to patients at home, providing portering support and screening patients coming into the hospital each day by checking their temperature.

This ensures that patients who may have the COVID-19 virus are identified quickly, offered appropriate support and do not put other patients or clinical staff at risk of catching the virus.

Charity staff member, Claire Ferguson, a senior community fundraising manager from Withington, is one of the charity employees who have been helping over the last couple of months.

Claire, 37, has been delivering essential medicines from The Christie pharmacy to patients in their own homes to save them from having to make unnecessary journeys and putting themselves at risk.

She said: “As charity staff we are more than happy to support the Trust with anything which helps during this challenging time.

“It’s a privilege to be able to support our clinical colleagues in this way so that they can continue providing the vital services for cancer patients undergoing treatment during this challenging time.”

Steph Bryant, 28, a corporate fundraising coordinator from Didsbury, has also been supporting patients with pharmacy deliveries, in addition to doing patient screening and portering duties in the hospital.

She said: “The screening service is a brand new team set up due to the coronavirus pandemic to help ensure the safety of patients and staff when entering the hospital. I’m so proud to be helping out during this challenging time.”

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Donation to Dr Kershaw’s Hospice

The UK’s largest independent coatings manufacturer, HMG Paints has expanded its production capabilities on its 70%+ alcohol-containing hand sanitiser.

It follows the Collyhurst business making donations of hand sanitiser to many needy recipients, due to a national shortage of product.

One was Dr Kershaw’s Hospice, in Oldham.

Rebecca Bentham, head of income development at the hospice, said: “We are very grateful to HMG Paints for their kind donation of hand sanitisers.

“In these unprecedented times our patients and staff’s safety is paramount.

“The donation has contributed to our nurses being able to take all relevant precautions when providing necessary care within the community.”

HMG has been issued a permit from the Health and Safety Executive allowing the supply and manufacture of sanitiser because of the SARS-CoV2/coronavirus
pandemic.

Managing director, John Falder, said: “The First Thing Sanitiser being approved by the HSE has meant we have increased our production capabilities on the sanitiser line.”