In a bid to help our healthcare professionals, gamekeepers and moorland managers from across the Northern Pennines have joined forces to collect personal protective equipment [PPE] which has been donated to local NHS trusts

Many NHS facilities are lacking in protective eyewear, an item which the shooting community are well placed to distribute to those in need. Working together, estates from across the North Pennines have collected over 500 pairs of protective eyewear, as well as purchasing sterile nursing kits, face visors, face masks and protective gloves.

Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and Borders praised their work, commenting:

“In these unprecedented times, it is so heartening that folk from all walks of life are coming forward  and co-ordinating help for our vital NHS workers who are doing so much to keep us all safe and well. It is absolutely brilliant that the Northern Pennines Moorland Group have been able to organise vital PPE items like protective eyewear and sterile nursing kits to be sent to local NHS Trusts. This is a great example of communities coming together for the common good.”

The PPE will be distributed to Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust, North Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, and the Darlington District Nursing Team.

The Northern Pennines Moorland Group also used funds remaining from last year’s charity clay pigeon shoot to buy more supplies, while Allan Sowerby Ace Fixings Cumbria Ltd made a number of donations.

Although staying healthy and safe is of course the priority, keeping up morale is also vital. With that in mind, local children have been encouraged to draw or paint pictures of rainbows, which will then be laminated and sent to the NHS Foundation Trusts to be displayed around wards. Feedback from nurses so far is that they love to receive children’s happy drawings, especially at this time.