Volunteers aiming to create 20,000 visors for healthcare staff in Chesterfield

Ashgate Hospicecare, Whittington Moor Surgery and Lime Tree House in New Whittington are just three of the healthcare settings to benefit from the visors –being made by volunteers from Broken Souls Rescue.

The masks are the brainchild of Stephen Greaves, volunteer at Broken Souls Rescue and owner of SG Design Studio Architectural Services in Derbyshire.

Stephen used his office’s 3D printer, which is more used to printing architectural designs, to create an initial batch of 200 visors.

Word spread and now, with an army of volunteers and funding from businesses for materials, Stephen is hoping to make and supply more than 20,000 masks.

He said: “Fundraising during lockdown is particularly difficult so the opportunity to both support the national pandemic effort locally and raise money for the charity is something I am delighted to be able to do.

“We are relying on donations to enable us to purchase the material used to make the visors.

“Other than this, all time, cutting and expenses is given from volunteers. Without these volunteers, this would not be possible.”

Hundreds of masks have already been gratefully received by healthcare settings in and around Chesterfield.

Derbyshire Building Control Partnership (DBCP) is one of a number of businesses paying for the materials and is also helping to distribute the visors.

Ali Ward-Foster, partnerships manager at Ashgate Hospicecare, thanked DBCP for the donation.

She said: “We are incredibly grateful for the support of our community and local businesses like DBCP who have donated essential PPE supplies to the hospice.

“The equipment not only keeps our patients and staff safe but also enables loved ones to spend precious time together when it matters most.

“For that we cannot thank everyone involved enough.”

Karen Mitchell at Lime Tree House added: “It is reassuring to know there is community spirit at these difficult times.”