Seeing a distressed nurse in floods of tears in her car prompted a Felixstowe Scrubber into action.

Of course, Karen Banham was not a scrubber at that point, it was only when she decided the best way she could support the NHS and other carers, was to put together scrubs for the front-line staff.

Her husband Graeme came up with the name and the Felixstowe Scrubbers was formed.

Other stitchers and sewers quickly joined in and Karen and her 35-strong band of volunteers went into full production making scrubs for Felixstowe Hospital, The Grove Medical Centre, district nurses, Ravenswood surgery and Ipswich Hospital, among others.

The Scrubbers are churning out around 70 sets a week, and are currently focussing on getting some done for Howard House surgery and Felixstowe's Minor Injury Clinic.

Karen recalled the moment she decided to take action.

"The project began when I saw a post on facebook from a nurse who had just come off her shift and was sat in her car crying," said Karen. "I cried the whole way through it and she moved me so much that I knew I wanted to do something to help nurses.

  

"I spoke to my sister and a couple of friends and we started making scrubs to take to the hospital. It escalated from there as more and more people asked me if they could get involved. Help was flooding in. 

"My husband came up with our name 'Felixstowe Scrubbers' which I felt added a smile in this time of crisis."

The Scrubbers initially bought their material from local shops and e-Bay but that supply line was not totally reliable so they utilised spare duvet covers and any other material they could get their hands on.

They now use a supplier from Elmsett and only use new fabric but need help with funding, with £2,500 raised so far on their JustGiving page. 

Karen said: "I receive messages every day from nurses and health professionals. 

"Their gratitude has been incredible and very humbling.

"We have been making around 70-80 sets of scrubs a week. It takes approx. five metres of fabric for one set so it costs around £12 per set of scrubs.

"People have been so generous, not just with their kind donations but with their offers to help in other ways.

"It has restored my faith in humanity.†

While Karen's the Felixstowe Scrubbers are at capacity due to the logistical challenges of co-ordinating everyone, there are other groups which are doing their bit.

Sewing Scrubs For NHS Ipswich Hospital, includes sewers from Felixstowe and the surrounding area.

The group was put together by Adriana Watson along with Kate Mason, who are based at Ipswich Hospital, and they were quickly joined by another five ladies as the project grew, and they now have a team of 70.

Using templates provided, the scrubs are sewn together by the volunteers, that include Women's Institute members, school administrators, and a seamstress. 

"We sew scrubs for Ipswich Hospital to specifications they have provided," said Adriana. "Fabric is either bought through our Just Giving funds, some sewers buy their own or use their "stashes", others have fabric donated by people who buy online and have it delivered to them or we receive fabrics people have had in their attics and other storage places. 

"The generosity of the community is unbelievable and very humbling. 

"These are completely funded by generous sewers who use their own fabric or fabric donated for hospital scrubs that are mostly too light weight."We have sewers who have had bed linen donated – it is the perfect fabric." 

Scrubs is not all the helpers are doing, as it has been discovered people who wear masks find that their ears get really sore – so headbands with buttons or crochet mask extenders, are being created and for staff who work in their uniforms (not scrubs) uniform bags are being provided as well. 

The efforts of all involved has meant Ipswich Hospital is now fully stocked with scrubs and the focus is now turning to help other healthcare professionals in need of supplies.

Donate to Felixstowe Scrubbers here…