What a couple of weeks it’s been. Between sobering news headlines, endless daily briefings and uninterrupted social media it’s safe to say most of the messages we’ve all been seeing have not been the most uplifting. However, if you look for it, there have been some pretty amazing stories out there of companies and individuals doing what they can to help front line staff, essential workers and well, all of us really.

From keeping essential products stocked, the food manufacturing supply chain going and donating goods to those who need them, to finding innovative solutions and adapting skills, knowledge and equipment to make the tools and resources most needed right now, it’s been incredible to see the swift actions and adaptability of so many. The commitment to putting people before profits has been impressive.

Now don’t get us wrong, we know companies need to make money and consider profit, which just makes the work many of these organisations and teams are doing at a time when there’s more pressure than ever on businesses even more reassuring to see.

So, ICYMI* as they say, here’s a round up of some of the stories my colleagues and I spotted and shared last week from our #positiveposts #engineerstotherescue and #helpthemakers series over on our Escape Recruitment Services page.

You’re sure to spot other stories – we’d love you to share them with us so we can highlight them in our future posts and help spread some much-needed positive news with others.

Innovation and collaboration:

• Italian engineers developing 3D printing solution to convert scuba masks to ventilators
• Individuals using their know-how and local facilities such as Transition Stirling to make PPE
• A host of organisations including 4c Engineering and Aseptium working together to produce 1,000 face masks for Raigmore Hospital within a week 
• Major car manufacturers transforming their factories to produce medical equipment
• A student in Kentucky, USA developing and donating masks to help medical professionals working with deaf or hard of hearing patients

Production and operations:

• Medtronic doubling production of ventilators
• Vert Rotors offering equipment loans to SMEs

Donations:

Donations of goods to help or simply to provide a kindness to people working at the front line:

• Highland Spring donating over 26,000 bottles of water to ambulance crews across Scotland
• Paterson Arran providing free biscuits and shortbread to all care staff, NHS staff and emergency services
• John Lewis and Waitrose delivering an entire van of Hotel Chocolat products to NHS workers
• Stoats donating boxes of oaty treats to local hospitals and care homes and to Lothian Buses who are on the road every day and every night getting people safely to work
• Travel accessories retailer Trtl sending 5,000 socks to hospitals in Scotland and another 5,000 to hospitals in London

There have also been companies supporting workers in their industry directly impacted by the lockdown:

• Bunnahabhain, Deanston, Tobermory Whiskies donating 10% of online sales to help hospitality industry workers affected by Covid-19

And other organisations reaching out to vulnerable customers personally:

• Ross County FC manager calling elderly season ticket holders to check they are okay

Not forgetting, of course, the many companies big and small committing production facilities and resources to making hand sanitiser. Here’s just a few:

• William Grant & Sons
  • Three plants switching to produce around five million litres of ethanol for hand sanitiser and all profits invested into future actions that help alleviate the spread and impact of the virus
• Leith Distillery
  • Producing WHO standard hand sanitiser for free for local frontline NHS, social, care home and charity workers
• Diageo
  • Donating 20 million litres of alcohol for hand sanitiser production
• INEOS
  • Delivering on their promise to building a factory to produce and donate one million bottles of hand sanitiser a month for free
• Deeside Distillery
  • Creating sanitiser gel to help charities and front line services
• Glasgow Distillery
  • Creating 1,500 litres of hand sanitiser in a week (due to double that next week) for the British Red Cross

 

*if you’re not down with the lingo, it means “in case you missed it”

 

 

Author: Andrew Dow |Senior Consultant | Engineering, Manufacturing & Supply Chain

andrew.dow@escaperecruitment.com   | 07769 970786