A GROUP of sewers are getting busy cutting and stitching in Okehampton to make headbands, laundry bags and scrubs for nurses caring for coronavirus patients.

The Covid Sewing Team was launched by Christine Munkenbeck and Sue Kendle after Christine saw an online appeal for headbands from a nurse at North Devon Hospital.

Christine, who runs the One Okehampton Craft Group in Okehampton, joined forces with Sue, of Sooz Custom Clothing in East Street, and other keen sewers to stitch and dispatch headbands with nifty buttons to secure the nurses’ face masks — worn constantly at the moment — to stop them getting sore behind the ears.

The first 21 headbands were dispatched direct to North Devon Hospital on Monday, April 6 delivered by a driver from the Okehampton and District Community Transport Group taking a patient to the hospital in Barnstaple.

Christine said: ‘I have had to self-isolate because my husband has a heart condition and so I have to stay at home. I was feeling particularly useless, thinking what can I do to help and then I saw this post and it has really gone from there.

‘The urgency of this is such that they really need things yesterday, so Sue and I thought let’s just get cracking.

‘The headbands help keep the nurses’ hair back from their face as well as stopping their ears getting sore, with the elastic on the masks being looped around the buttons on the headbands.’

They have also been making laundry bags requested by nurses, which allow them to transfer their scrubs straight to the washing machine after a shift without touching them again, reducing the likelihood of infecction.

‘The idea of the laundry bags is they go straight in the wash. They haven’t got to touch them again, because people are changing their scrubs a couple of times a day,’ added Christine.

‘A practice manager in Plymouth asked for 40 bags because their nurses are changing their scrubs a couple of times a day.

‘It has all gone a bit bonkers this week with the demand, and now we are starting on making scrubs.’

Sue has been coordinating the sewing of the scrubs, with volunteers this week starting to sew colourful scrubs for the staff at the Children’s Hospice South West in north Devon and lightweight scrubs for NHS staff who are finding they are getting too hot under their personal protective equipment.

She is supplying fabric at cost from her shop and her wholesaler in Plymouth, and has arranged for patterns and fabric to go out to more than 20 volunteers. The first order is for 14 sets of scrubs for the CHSW.

‘I’ve just had the first sent back, the lady who sewed them has just dropped them off, and they are absolutely gorgeous,’ she said. ‘She’s made a beautiful job of them.

‘The time that everyone has been putting in is really valuable. All the volunteers have been giving freely of their time and are often using their own odds and ends and I’m supplying thread. Between us we are making it happen.

‘We have been bowled over by how generous people are. Some people are buying material to sew, some are sewing and some are cutting out patterns. Even if you don’t have a clue about sewing we can find you something to do.’

Anyone who is able to make a financial contribution can help by going to the team’s page on the Go Fund Me website, under ‘Covid Sewing Team’, where they hope to raise £500 to buy the materials and necessaries like cord and elastic. Volunteers wanting to sew or help in other ways can contact Sue on 01837 659758 or message her via the Sooz Custom Clothing Facebook page.