Avid stitchers from Perry Barr and across the city have bagged thousands of thank-yous from police officers for providing a useful piece of kit.
West Midlands police officer showing off his kit bag
Volunteers from Blue Line Stitchers, set up by Jo Spear, from West Midlands Police’s custody suite in Perry Barr, along with the Birmingham-based group for the Love of Scrubs, known as ‘sewing angels’, having been sewing, pressing, packaging up and delivering kit bags for officers to take their uniforms home with them and help prevent any cross-contamination.
West Midlands Knitters Hand Over 5,000 Kit Bags
The civic-minded volunteers have handed around 5,000 kit bags to frontline police officers and forensics’ officers and traffic units.
They have also stitched around 16,000 washbags, face masks and scrubs for hospitals, GP surgeries, care homes and other frontline organisations across the West Midlands region.
Detention escort officer Jo Spears said: “The time and effort that everyone has put in is just amazing.
“From the people who have donated the fabric, to the sewers stitching the bags, everyone who’s got involved really does epitomise what community spirit is all about.”
Chanel Morrison-Jolley is the co-ordinator for the Birmingham group, which has about 1,000 volunteers – ranging from their oldest sewer who is 97, to children of five and six who are helping parents fold and pack the finished items.
Chanel said: “It’s been an honour to help. So many people found they had time on their hands, especially during these lockdowns, and they just wanted to do something that would make a difference.
“Not only have we been supporting the police and all the other key workers, but it’s been great for so many of the volunteers to be able to do something positive from the safety of their own homes.”
“Now we’d like to say a massive thank you to each and every one of you who’s been a part of this, for all your hard work and dedication- we really appreciate your care and kindness.”
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