UK Creatives Launch New Initiatives In Support Of The NHS

In these uncertain times, we are finally recognising the crucial and tireless work of healthcare staff and others leading the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Key workers on the front line are braving unprecedented situations each day in a huge effort to save lives. Now, many industries are playing their part in supporting the staff in any way they can.

Across the UK, the NHS is under a lot of pressure, with a shortage of Personal Protective Equipment and other vital supplies, hence the urgent need for companies to offer resources to help in these critical times. Items such as masks, ventilators and scrubs are being produced, with many creatives donating time, food and money towards the operation. A strong community spirit is emerging and, with the creative world coming together to show their support, it is bringing a sense of hope in an overwhelmingly difficult period.

The below initiatives offer a glimpse into the ideas, and the innovation, which are already underway, helping to support the NHS and each acknowledging their gratitude for the continuous efforts of health teams and staff across the nation.

Batch Works Scale Up their 3D Production Facilities to Create Recycled Plastic Face Shields

East London 3D design studio Batch Works began in 2016 with a mission to use 3D printing to disrupt manufacturing and production industries. Creating design-led pieces for the home, they have now altered production to offer medical supplies in a bid to localise the production of urgent equipment needed for the NHS. Two weeks ago they launched Batch.Shield, a campaign to produce face shields which not only offers much needed protection for frontline staff but also showcases a more sustainable future for the creation of such items. In collaboration with Milo Mcloughlin-Greening and Salome Bazin at Cellule Studio, Batch.Shield began with a GoFundMe campaign to help kickstart the process, raising nearly £15,000 so far.

Taking the design concept from Dr Shakeel Shahdad and adapting it to an efficient and local production method, the team can now produce a shield within 30mins at a current production rate of 240 units per day. Through increasing automation, they will be increasing production levels to 480 units per day with an initial commission of 10,000 shields to be delivered straight to London’s Nightingale hospital based at the ExCel centre.

These new models are produced with disassembly in mind. The 3D printed components create the headband and visor, made with 98.5% recycled PET (a large proportion from disposed medical supplies), and can be easily taken apart for washing or replacement if needed. With this mindset of reuse, it not only puts forward a sustainable alternative to existing models but showcases the benefits of local production hubs and the logistical ease it brings.

Speaking with the founder and CEO, Julien Vaissieres, he is keen to highlight how this could revolutionise the current healthcare industry. “This is a proof of concept for Batch Works,” he states, “It’s showcasing the limitations of current supply chains and gives people a glimpse as to how operations can be run differently and the scalability of 3D printing as a process.”

Going forward, the studio are exploring long-term solutions with H4 medical – an existing NHS supplier – with the aim to create a sustainable and commercially viable offering. With production of the first batch of 10,000 beginning two days ago, deliveries are being made daily to the hospital, thanks to a collaboration with London bicycle logistics firm PedalMe, and the business model can be easily replicated from city to city.

“Interest in the project has been huge,” continues Vaissieres, “Long term we hope to provide further products in collaboration with H4 Medical. This is a trial of how the future could look for NHS supplies.” The team have applied for government funding but 50% of the first batch has been funded by the initial donations. The NHS have paid for the remaining 50%, however the team are still accepting donations to help ease the current strain on the UK’s health service. Requests for shields can also be processed here.

London Shirtmaker Creates Scrubs for NHS Staff

UK luxury shirtmaker, Emma Willis, is turning its attention to providing scrubs to the NHS with the first delivery of 60 sets being made this week directly from its Gloucester-based factory to Gloucester Royal Hospital. With production increasing daily, the team are working hard to help provide hospitals with these much-needed supplies in order to help tackle the current pandemic.

The initiative began with their own cutter Samantha, witnessing first hand from her mother, an NHS vascular scientist, the urgent need for supplies of extra scrubs. Maintaining the attention to detail and comfort placed on their existing collections, each set is made from Swiss cotton offering a cooler and softer alternative to the usual NHS stock fabric. The brand covers all production costs themselves with each set only costing £30 to purchase. Donations can be made to help increase the volume of production via a JustGiving page.

The GoodWash Company Donate Wash Packages to those on the Frontline

Welsh wash care brand, The GoodWash Company, has already donated nearly 4,000 emergency wash packages with further donations continuing each week directly to healthcare staff. With each package containing shampoo and soap bars, to help reduce the spread of infection, the campaign is an example of the positive work the social enterprise has undertaken since launching in 2017.

Alongside sourcing all ingredients from local and sustainable sources, the company is also offering customers the chance to purchase a ‘Diolch’ bar online which will be donated to NHS workers, community heroes or vulnerable citizens. 250 have been given out so far with the team making more supplies over the Easter weekend alongside further wash packages to be distributed next week.

The brand’s ethos is to ‘change the world, one wash at a time’ and, through the GoodWash Foundation, the profits from each sale go towards charities and organisations helping the lives of people and animals each day.

Cameron Design House Turn from Lighting Design to Face Mask Production

North London sculptural lighting studio Cameron Design House have also adapted their facilities to create protective face shields for the NHS. Housing a small team producing approximately 2000 shields each week, they can be collected to be donated free to hospitals across the nation. Again, via JustGiving, they are looking for donations to allow them to increase production and offer vital supplies to an extended number of staff.

Smaller independent brands and emerging designers are also contributing by offering a percentage of profits from each sale towards NHS charities. ESME, a London-based art and design brand, has created a set of postcards (perfect for sending to loved ones through this difficult time) with 20% of the profits going towards the NHS Charities Together initiative. Founder Esme Shayler-Webb is keen to spread a positive message, even though it is a challenging time for individual makers and brands. “If we all do what we can to give back a little and strengthen our sense of community,” She comments, “we can face this in the strongest way – togetherness is so important right now.”

While many businesses are going through financially challenging times, it is heartwarming to see the response which has rippled throughout the past weeks. This is just a small snapshot into the vast selection of organisations offering time, equipment, money and food in support of our frontline heroes. This coming together, especially within the creative fields, is highlighting the community spirit which offers some comfort in such an uncertain period. Let’s hope, that in the future post-COVID-19, we don’t forget the much needed lessons we are learning from the values of charity, equality and generosity which must remain central to all our organisations going forward.