A CHARITY and an army of community volunteers are making scrubs for NHS staff.

Glenroyd House, on Medomsley Road, in Consett, has set up a production line making medical wear for people in a nearby hospital.

Making five a time, with a network of helpers who have sewing machines, they have so far completed 25 sets.

Sharon Unsworth, manager of Glenroyd House, said: “We have ordered the material that the NHS actually use and we have got a team of volunteers who are observing the two metre social distancing.

“Once they are cut we are taking it to people who are isolated who have their own sewing machines or they borrow one of ours, then we got an collect them when they are finished the following day.”

The project has been masterminded by Angela Fenwick who said it was ‘the moral thing to do’, while the volunteers are co-ordinated by Karen Hallcro.

Ms Unsworth said: “We have got loads of volunteers around the Consett area. “We put it out on Facebook asking people if they could help us make some scrubs and we got inundated.

“There has been a brilliant response. People have been in touch from as far away as Hartlepool. We cannot get over the generosity of people these last few weeks. It unbelievable.”

The scrubs have been sent to University Hospital of North Durham.

Durham County Councillor Alex Watson, who visited the charity recently to see the work for himself, said: “The scale of the voluntary effort is monumental, the volunteers are priceless, magnificent heroes every single one of them, their passion is huge.

“They are delivering food parcels as well as hot meals for the vulnerable, people in hardship as well as to our senior citizens.”

Glenroyd House already houses the Durham Christian Partnership food bank but has now started its own community pantry to help people during the coronavirus lockdown.

Ms Unsworth said: “It is for people who are not able to get red vouchers for food parcels from a food bank so we can help them with food.

“The food bank closes at 12pm so after then if anyone is after food we give them a small parcel, which should enable them to go and get a red voucher.

“If they cannot get a red voucher then we will give them food.

“It could be that they are furloughed and are having to wait a while for their pay to come in.”

Glenroyd House is supplied with food by FairShare, Morrison’s, B&M, Lanchester Dairies and has recently had a £1,500 donation of food from funds raised by the local pool league.

Ms Unsworth added: “With universal credit a lot of people have got to wait five or six weeks until they can get their payments

“So what we are doing is helping to tide people over until they can get their benefits.

“We are getting loads of support and we are keeping it local for people in the area.”