A GROUP of women from Addingham have formed an ‘army’ to raise money to buy vital Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for frontline healthcare workers.

The group - Addingham Visor Army - raised £4,000 within just six days of forming and sourced and distributed 350 visors to Airedale Hospital and local GPs in the Wharfe and Aire Valley.

They also donated £400 to Manorlands to pay for PPE and are making a similar donation to the Marie Curie Hospice in Bradford. They are now expanding their mission to provide gloves and face masks.

Justine Bradley, a milliner from Addingham, came up with idea on April 18 after learning of the desperate need locally for PPE among staff caring for patients with Covid 19.

Justine soon recruited her daughter Amelia and another five local women to help with the fundraising. A company was then sourced to provide the group with NHS approved visors.

Sara Mortimer, manager of Addingham Village Social Club, and a member of Addingham Visor Army said: “We are now also working with a student from Cross Hills, Taylor James Overton-Barrett, who is making the visors for us to distribute to local care givers and other front line staff. Around 300 visors have been distributed to care settings in the Wharfe and Aire Valley, local osteopaths, our local mental health team and a group of redeployed physios working with recovering Covid 19 patients.

“We could not do all this if it wasn’t for the generosity of the local people and their donations. To donate you can use our go fund me page clicking on the link on our Facebook page – The Addingham Visor Army. We will take cash donations - you can give these to any of the Army in person or drop off at the Craven Heifer in Addingham. There are also donation boxes located around the village at the post office, the Co-op, Rowlands Pharmacy and The Swan Pub.

“We will continue to fundraise and do what we can for as long as we are needed. Please get in touch if you are front line care givers and in need of any help with PPE through our Facebook page or by contacting Justine Bradley on 07962177733.”

The Addingham Visor Army is made up of: Justine Bradley, a milliner who has adorned the heads of Royals and celebrities who has now turned her attentions to adorning the heads of NHS staff; Jan Garth, MD of The Precision Plastic Ball Company in Addingham; Sarah Mayo, of Addingham Sandwich shop; Ann Wilson, a food technologist who normally works at the Co-op head office in Manchester; Phoebe Kidd, an Ofsted registered childminder; Sara Mortimer and Amelia Bradley who was due to take her GCSEs this year.