Hundreds of care homes across the UK have this week benefitted from a major donation of personal protective equipment (PPE) by leading public services provider Amey and its parent company Ferrovial.
Earlier this month employees were invited to put forward a care home of their choice to receive a combined 90,000 items of equipment, including face masks and aprons, to help protect fellow keyworkers and vulnerable residents from Covid-19.
Chief Executive Amanda Fisher, said: “Many of us have loved ones either living or working in care homes, which is why I am extremely pleased to launch this initiative. Coronavirus has hit the most vulnerable members of our communities hardest, and so it feels only right that we play our part as responsible business in helping those in need at this difficult time.”
Of the hundreds of nominations that followed, over 200 locations were chosen and this week Amey has been working alongside social enterprise Ethical Stationery to deliver the parcels.
Several care homes have been quick to respond with photos and messages of thanks, including Overley Hall in Telford, Shropshire, who responded: “It made us feel very humble to be nominated and then to be successful and receive the masks. Kind gestures like this mean so much to us, and we have been so touched by peoples’ thoughtfulness. It sounds like Amey are going above beyond in these difficult times.”
Matthew Kershaw, a business manager at Amey who nominated a care home in his community, also commented: “I was delighted to hear that my nomination was successful and that my Grandma's dementia care home, Branch Court Care Home in Blackburn, received a pack of 250 face masks. As a small home having to struggle to buy PPE for themselves, this has made a huge difference to the staff, and therefore the work they can do with those they care for.”
The donation has been made possible by Ferrovial’s Covid-19 Juntos (Together) Fund – a €10m global initiative aimed at supporting charities and organisations at the front line of the fight against coronavirus.
The PPE for care homes campaign is the latest in a series of recent donations by Amey under the Ferrovial Juntos Fund, including £135,000 to the Trussell Trust who supports the largest network of food banks in the UK with over 1200 food bank centres providing emergency food and practical, compassionate support to people in crisis and £44,000 to SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity.