Mail Force helps out Mencap home as PPE charity drive enters fresh phase, writes ROBERT HARDMAN 

Mail Force, the charity providing personal protective equipment for the UK’s fight against the coronavirus, will enter a fresh phase this week as it begins an ambitious new programme of support for some of Britain’s best-known charities.

Some of that PPE is now already in active use on the Covid-19 front line following the first delivery to Mencap, one of Britain’s largest providers of social care.

As we reported on Saturday, donations to Mail Force – which was launched by the Mail and its partners less than two months ago – have now passed the £10million mark. 

Having delivered more than 7.5million items of essential equipment to the NHS and care homes, the focus is now expanding to include the charity sector.

One of the first to make use of our PPE are the staff at Mencap’s Valley Road residence in Nottingham. It has remained infection-free throughout the pandemic and that is how everyone wants to keep it.

Valley Road is a much-loved home to nine adults with varying forms of learning disability, supported by a team of regular care workers.

When the coronavirus crisis began, it caused a very specific set of additional problems for the staff and for residents like Robert. 

For anyone with a learning disability, things like familiarity and routine are especially important for a happy life. In next to no time, though, the pandemic turned everything upside down.

Robert had always mapped out his week very precisely between his duties at the local Mencap charity shop, a shift at a nearby industrial museum, activities at a local day care centre and so on. Suddenly, they were all cancelled.

Meanwhile, Andrew, had always looked forward to spending his weekends with Mum and Dad. Suddenly, such trips were off – and there were no visitors either.

At the same time, all the staff were instructed to wear PPE, especially face masks. They were particularly concerned at the impact this might have on the residents if they could not see familiar faces. 

But there can be no compromise with PPE in care settings like this, where a virus can spread through a communal space in no time.

‘We did worry how they would adapt to all these changes,’ says support worker Ellen McCarthy. 

‘But I have to say that we’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well everyone has coped.’

The staff relied on patience, quiet explanation and innovation to help the residents adapt. In the early days, they would sometimes draw a smile on a face mask to give it a friendly face. 

They were particularly worried about the effect on Denise, 61, a shy resident who likes to communicate through a family of teddy bears of which she is extremely protective.

Then someone had the idea of asking Denise to make PPE for all her teddy bears. She proudly shows me her favourite, ‘Daddy Santa’, who is now wearing a blue surgical face mask just like those worn by the staff.

There is a happy buzz about the place. Everyone has now settled in to a new normality and staff have created work activities and special themes (last week was ‘Hawaiian Beach’).

The residents have opened their own ‘pub’ in a shed in the garden, serving each other soft drinks every afternoon. The residents still talk animatedly about the highlight of last month’s ‘VE Day week’. 

‘Splat the virus!’ laughs Kevin, a resident here since 1986, as he recalls a game which involved chucking wet sponges at pictures of the coronavirus.

Behind the scenes, however, staff all know they must follow rigorous PPE procedures. 

In each of the two adjoining houses (one for men, one for women), there is a designated PPE area in the utility room full of equipment. Used kit must be quarantined in special bins for several days prior to going in the rubbish. 

In the early days of the pandemic, staff found themselves worrying where the next batch of PPE was coming from. 

‘We never ran out but our area manager was driving all over the place to make sure,’ says assistant manager Anna McMahon.

Now, though, there are no such worries thanks to the generosity of donors to Mail Force.

The charity will be delivering hundreds of thousands of pieces of PPE to Mencap’s regional offices over the coming weeks, ensuring there is a steady supply for the charity’s 8,500 workers across the UK for months to come.

And at a time when fundraising operations have fallen through the floor, it will ensure scarce funds can be diverted to continue other essential work.

‘It just makes life so much easier for everyone,’ says Ellen, as the staff and residents all gather round to give a big round of thanks to Mail Force. At which point, even Denise and Daddy Santa are delighted to join in.