Across the country, business owners are demonstrating ingenuity as they begin to adjust to this strange new world we find ourselves in. Adapt and overcome remains the mantra for many whose business models have been disrupted by the Coronavirus crisis. As local businesses modify their operations to meet the challenges of our times, we thought it would be fitting to shine a light on a handful of those that we work with. From feeding our frontline workers to assisting in the production of vital PPE, these businesses are embracing change and playing an important role in the fight against this pandemic.
Fighting the virus
For the last 15 years,
Wolf Laundry has been supplying commercial laundry solutions from its Barnsley headquarters. As the team witnessed events unfold across the world, they knew they would have a role to play. Jamie Billcliffe said: “Having previously partnered with a UK based manufacturer on the development of an Ozone generator for the care sector we identified an opportunity to assist in the fight against Coronavirus.” Their WolfO3 generators produce ozone gas into spaces that need to be disinfected, killing 99.999 percent of pathogens in the air (including SARS, Coronavirus, and influenza). Jamie continued: “Since the launch, we have helped numerous businesses and charities supplying nearly 80 units, with a further 100 units arriving in the coming days. This much-needed boost in the fight against this pandemic has been a lifeline to hospices and care homes throughout the UK.”
Supporting the production of PPE
Jarrow-based
UTS Engineering is supporting Barbour as they continue to produce critical PPE for frontline services. The fabric used in the manufacturing process is far heavier than that which the company normally deals with, and so UTS designed specialist machinery to help Barbour adapt its factory. Currently, Barbour is manufacturing 1000 to 1500 disposable gowns a day. Managing Director of UTS, Shaun Sadler, said: “We are fighting a battle against an invisible enemy and companies must step up and use their resources to assist the national effort. The NHS staff are true heroes and we must keep them safe at all costs. “Barbour is doing an absolutely amazing job at supplying our NHS trusts with PPE at an incredibly fast rate and we are eager to help them in any way we can. So far, we have donated two rigs which we designed and assembled from scratch. “We are looking at other things we can do to help assist production. It is heartening to see that local people and local companies are coming together to support our communities and NHS workers.”
Feeding the community
Delifresh is a specialist food supplier that works with some of the top chefs and restaurants in the North East and Yorkshire. As the country went into lockdown, the company’s Head of Innovation Development, Robert Ramsden, set up on
emergency online grocery store within the space of a day to help support soaring demand for home deliveries and to ensure access to quality food for those who need it. Since starting the site, the Delifresh has taken over 30,000 orders. The team has since become involved with a campaign to
feed frontline workers in which they’re helping to deliver free, fresh fruit and vegetables to hospitals and care homes. Robert Ramsden said: “Supporting our wider community has always been central to us here at Delifresh and this aspect of our DNA is even more important in these challenging times which is causing huge issues for so many. “We have decided that every penny we have taken & carry on to gain in delivery charges since we launched
MyDelifresh we will donate. This is over £10k to a fantastic charity – Transforming Lives for Good – these guys are continuously working with families who are struggling, providing support in numerous ways to try and improve lives.”
If you’ve got a story you'd like us to shine a light on, get in touch. Stay indoors and stay safe.
