Wigan campaign Headbands for Heroes goes countrywide

Headbands For Heroes was set up in Michele Nel’s home in Shevington Moor several weeks ago, making headbands that protect the ears of carers and health staff from the elastic of facemasks.

More than 5,300 have now been produced by an army of makers and bikers, who have dropped them off at health facilities across the country, mainly in the north west but as far as Somerset as Edinburgh.

Michele, a sewer and crafter, has co-ordinated the amazing campaign and has 90 sewers making the headbands – using 1.5km of elastic along the way – and after using up all her own material is now collecting it via

donations.

Michele said the campaign has received some very generous donations from the public and a couple of

businesses.

The campaign will benefit thousands of health workers who will be grateful for the comfort on their long shifts helping others,

She said: “They have gone all over the country, from Edinburgh down to the south and Somerset, with more and more new places added to our list every week.

“All delivered by our volunteer bikers (and the odd car). They come from a lot of different clubs.

“Up until recently we have used our own personal stash of materials, but we now sell face masks to specifically buy materials that we need. These are then distributed to all our makers.

“We have received very generous donations from the public and businesses and most recently from Standfast & Barracks in Lancaster sending us six bolts of fabric.”

To date, Michele said the campaign has used nearly 1.5km of elastic for the headband which it buys using the funds raised.

She added: “Our amazing group of four admin do all the background work and that is extremely extensive.

“It has been such a pleasure and honour to help where we can.”

For more information, people can visit the website, which was set up by her son in Cape Town, through www.heskethemporium.com which has all the free items as well as the fund-raising masks.