A GAUNLESS valley clothing designer has set up the North East’s first “scrub hub” to create invaluable kit for NHS staff.
Victoria Emmerson, of South Side, near Butterknowle, started the venture in response to a country-wide scrub shortage and was immediately inundated with offers to help.
She said: “I thought I would be doing a dozen or so but I ended up with an order for 40.
“Since I set up the GoFundMe page I have had hundreds of emails offering to help and I have managed to raise £1,500.”
The first order came through her mother-in-law who works in the medical field. Mrs Emmerson, who started her own sewing business above Clarendon’s, in Barnard Castle, after completing a costume and design degree at Huddersfield University in 2007, decided to launch the hub while on child care leave from the educational role she currently has with North East Autism Society.
She will now use the cash she has raised to order material needed to make the scrubs and to supply other machinists helping out.
To get involved, search for Scrub Hub North East on Facebook or email victoria
[email protected].
People who want to make cash donations towards material costs can visit
gofundme.com/f/scrubhub.
Mrs Emmerson said: “The page is set up to raise money for materials, and any money left over at the end of the project will be donated to St Teresa’s Hospice, Darlington.”
People can also visit scrubhub.org.uk to find out more about others in the UK.
