A Glasgow tailor who has transformed his business to help others has today (22nd May) delivered his 5000th piece of protective equipment to a local care home.
Tommy Rae (54) was so inspired by the work being carried out by our medical and care community that he decided to offer practical help.
In the past few weeks, from premises in Easterhouse, Tom’s transformed business has been making scrubs and masks that are donated for free to the NHS and Glasgow’s care homes.
With a small army of volunteers, and a crowdfunding page to allow him to buy raw materials, Tom has now handed over his 5,000th piece of kit, a set of surgical scrubs, to St Joseph’s Nursing & Residential Home in Glasgow.
He said: “I had a heart attack two years ago and know the selfless dedication that our NHS and care workers give to us every day.
“Knowing how short of PPE they were, I decided to turn my skills into doing something that would benefit the sick and those taking care of them,” he said.
Through JustGiving, Tommy raised over £5,000 to buy high-quality cotton material, and designed his own scrubs which, according to his clients, are an improvement on the NHS’s own design!
He’s also sourced additional equipment, and taken on a dozen volunteers – from amateur seamstresses to a retired tailor, and a nurse at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
As the Covid-19 outbreak passes, Tommy intends to change the focus of his company to make PPE a core part of his business – but retaining an element of charitable giving for the care sector.
“I would like to thank all the volunteers who work with me, and who have become as precious as family,” said Tommy.
“The people of Glasgow have been utterly fantastic, from volunteering, or donating money or material. Most of all, all of us owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who is providing care to the sick and the elderly and frail,” he said.
William King from St Joseph’s Nursing & Residential Home in Cumnock said that “Covid-19 has been an enormous challenge for the NHS, the care sector, and for all those we look after.
“Tommy and his wonderful volunteers have made a very real difference.
“Most of all, at the most difficult of times, it’s been humbling to realise that the true spirit of Scotland is generosity and kindness,” he said.
