Local volunteer awarded BEM in New Year's Honours

Zoe Sutcliffe from Littleborough, has been awarded a British Empire Medal for services to the community in Rochdale during Covid-19.

Zoe, one of the co-ordinators of Scrubs Hub, Bury Oldham Rochdale Areas – which saw volunteers band together to provide the NHS with much-needed items – and her fellow organiser Maxine Grimshaw, of Bury, were named in the New Year's Honours list.

Zoe said: "I was very shocked but very honoured to accept this on behalf of the group."

 

Read more: Volunteers are sewing scrubs for local NHS heroesPublished: 09 April 2020

 

Across eight weeks from 8 April to 16 June 2020, hundreds of volunteers joined forces under Scrubs Hub Bury, Oldham and Rochdale to produce 10,921 much-needed items for the NHS.

A virtual network to assist with the national shortage of scrubs, Scrubs Hub supplied a variety of sewn items – from gowns to surgical hats – to eight hospitals in Greater Manchester with the aim to alleviate demand due to the pandemic.

 

 

Posting on Facebook, Maxine said: “We have accepted this as a massive thank you and recognition of the brilliant work our fabulous team of volunteers did during the height of the first lockdown in this ongoing pandemic.

“Thank to every single volunteer who sewed, raised money, helped with admin and our bikers and drivers who made deliveries and distribution possible.

“A true team effort, I’m so honoured to represent you all. Thank you for all you did for the NHS and the frontline.”

 

Read more: Scrubs Hub volunteers sew 10,921 items for hospitals in just eight weeksPublished: 04 July 2020

 

Local hospitals that benefitted from the project included Rochdale Infirmary, Fairfield General and Oldham Royal Hospital.

Over two months, the group voluntarily provided the NHS with:

• 2,360 sets of scrubs (trousers and tops)
• 5,403 scrub bags
• 2,468 mask extenders
• 399 headbands
• 191 surgical hats
• 100 gowns

The group also raised funds to produce and deliver urgently needed PPE equipment to the coronavirus frontline in Greater Manchester and with support from 15 companies, Scrubs Hub raised a total of £12,346.