Wipes firm aiding health heroes

Charities and healthcare bodies in Greater Manchester are benefitting from antibacterial wet wipes thanks to key workers at a Wigan manufacturer.

Staff at Nice-Pak International have launched a new product in just two weeks – and are donating packs along with their Sani Hands antibacterial hand wipes to hospices, NHS bodies and care homes to help them in the fight against coronavirus.

The contribution comes after an increase in demand for hygiene products due to the coronavirus, in particular antibacterial wipes used both in and out of the home.

Donations have been made to Wigan and Leigh Hospice, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust, 111 North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust and Dean Wood Manor care home in Orrell.

In addition, Nice-Pak supplied packs to Halton Haven Hospice in Runcorn, Cheshire.

The company’s efforts have also been praised by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham for its PPE donation to a local NHS trust.

Deborah Thatcher, HR director at Nice-Pak, said: “We received numerous requests from colleagues and external healthcare organisations for donations to the community.

“As a result, our teams worked incredibly hard to produce a new antibacterial wipe in just two weeks and donated thousands of packs around the region. Developing and manufacturing a new product can take months, so to complete it in 14 days is a record for the business and reflects the passion of our people to help our communities.

“We are really pleased to be able to offer our help during this crisis and hope they play a role in keeping people safe.”

Rebekah Ashley, IPU manager at Wigan and Leigh Hospice, said: “This is a such a useful donation from Nice-Pak and we are very grateful to them for thinking of us.

“The wipes are absolutely crucial to prevent the spread of infection and are being used throughout the hospice building.”

Liz Darley, registered manager at Dean Wood Manor care home, said: “It was a kind donation of surface wipes and hand wipes for Dean Wood Manor care home.

“The staff team have found them very helpful to keep infection control standards at the highest standard possible.”

Speaking about a co-ordinated approach to tackling PPE shortages, Andy Burnham said: “I’m proud of how our partners across Greater Manchester have come together to work in a co-ordinated way to make sure our frontline services have the vital PPE they need to do their jobs and I thank them for their Herculean efforts.”

Nice-Pak International is the world’s largest wet wipe manufacturer

It produces wet wipes on behalf of global brands and retailers, and its products include baby wipes, cosmetic wipes, moist toilet tissue and household cleaning wipes.