Hastings women give up their time to make scrubs for our healthcare workers

The women - who normally work in performing arts industry making costumes for film, TV, theatre, opera and ballet - have set about making the clothes in a bid to address the national shortage of protective clothing for healthcare workers.

The team – called RX Scrubs – is made up of pattern cutters, makers and embroiderers, all with a specialty in producing garments to a client’s brief.

Each working in the own homes, the ladies have now started producing the essential garments for a number of clients.

Jane Grimshaw, a member of the team, said more than 1,000 metres of fabric were delivered last week and production started on Friday.

The team worked throughout the weekend starting on the initial 100 sets of scrubs. They said they hoped these will be ready to be delivered to clients free of charge later this week.

RX Scrubs say they have already received orders from local GP practices, St Michael’s Hospice and are awaiting confirmation from wards at Conquest Hospital.

Jane said: “The creative industry is now closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Hastings is a creative hub as quite a lot of costume makers live here. As we woke up one day, we had about a year of work in front of us. By the evening, there was nothing left.

“We realised that there was this huge requirement for protective equipment so we put our skills to good use.

“The team includes a number of costume makers as well as a costume supervisor who organises all the different makers on a plan and orders the fabric.”

Jane said the team spent this weekend making the first batch of scrubs which would be ready for delivery later this week.

She said she and the other volunteers worked to a brief they were able to design themselves, applying their skills in costume making.

“The film and theatre industry has an incredible skillset,” Jane added.

“We all have a very high skillset which can adapt to doing these things. Across the country, many groups are coming together to make scrubs to deal with this national shortage.

“We have some people making shirts, others making trousers and then some are making both.”

RX Scrubs set up a fundraising page last week to help cover the cost of the fabric.

In the space of 48 hours it had raised more than £3,500 and has now reached £4,679.

Jane said any extra money raised will be donated to other groups making scrubs for healthcare workers elsewhere in the country.

If you would like to make a donation to Jane and her team, click here.