News & views

9 April 2020

The LLEP is delighted to report that our partners at Leicester College have responded quickly to the government’s call and local #ppe4nhs campaign to donate personal protective equipment (PPE) to the NHS.

Last week a new campaign was launched, calling on businesses in the East Midlands to donate personal protective equipment (PPE) to support NHS staff dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.

The #ppe4nhs campaign is seeking donations of unused PPE from local businesses as the NHS desperately needs any supplies they can get.

This contribution by Leicester College is greatly appreciated, but more is still needed. The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership Ltd. (LLEP) is calling on businesses across Leicester and Leicestershire to follow in the footsteps of Leicester College and donate any unused PPE that is not currently needed.

One of the unfortunate effects of the coronavirus outbreak has been to shut down businesses across the country. Leicester and Leicestershire has a strong core of advanced manufacturing, food and drink and construction businesses, many of which will have store cupboards full of PPE going unused whilst premises are closed, or staff furloughed.

Items that are most in need include fluid-resistant surgical masks (including although not exclusively FFP2 or FFP3 – the rating is marked on each mask); nitrile gloves; visors or goggles; disposable aprons or overalls; sanitising gel; and overshoes.

Verity Hancock is CEO and Principal of Leicester College, and is a member of the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership Ltd. (LLEP) Board of Directors. She said:

“We know how challenging many people are finding the current coronavirus situation. At Leicester College we have been looking into ways we can help during such difficult times, for our local communities, the country and the world.

“Some of the things we have been able to help with include donating stock from our refectories to Mosaic Church Foodbank and providing more than 100 respirators from our construction area to the NHS to provide staff with essential PPE to protect them.

“We know many of our staff and students have answered the government’s call for NHS volunteer responders. We are continuing to support many students, for example by providing money in place of free school meals to ensure that they can buy food.

“We will continue to do whatever we can to support our students, staff and local communities and are looking into what other resources we may be able to offer.”

Kevin Harris is Chair of the LLEP Board of Directors. He said:

“We are calling on businesses across Leicester and Leicestershire to follow the example of Leicester College and donate any spare, unused PPE to the NHS. Right now, our health workers’ need is far greater than that of business, as they respond to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

“I’m always amazed by the resourcefulness and ingenuity of our business community here in in Leicester and Leicestershire, and I’m confident that they can rise to the challenge of supplying PPE to the NHS and make a tangible contribution to the fight against coronavirus.”

The LLEP is working with partners across business support and membership organisations, local authorities, district councils, NHS and emergency services as part of LLR Prepared, the Local Resilience Forum that delivers emergency planning for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

LLR Prepared has developed mechanisms for collaboration and co-ordination amongst partners to ensure we all share clear communications and plan future interventions towards recovery for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

All partners of LLR Prepared are putting out the same call to their networks to provide PPE for the NHS.

To donate items, please e-mail [email protected] to arrange a delivery location and time. Please also share the details of your donation, along with the hashtag #PPE4NHS on social media, to spread the message to other businesses that may be able to help.