Greater Brighton has welcomed the work of leading healthcare companies GSK and Diversey to help protect essential workers in the fight against COVID-19.
Global brand GSK, which has a branch in Worthing, contacted the Sussex Resilience Forum (SRF) with the offer of supplies in April.
GSK Worthing has traded IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) – which has been in short supply during lockdown – for hand sanitiser manufactured by Diversey. Diversey have supplied their proprietary sanitiser to GSK sites, some of which has been donated to SRF.
This week a large donation of hand sanitiser was handed over to public services across the county.
Simon Foster, Site Director at GSK Worthing said: “We are incredibly proud to be able to make this donation of hand sanitiser to help support the many brilliant staff across Sussex who are at the forefront of this fight against COVID-19. The supply for this donation is the result of a fantastic collaboration by our site team, our suppliers and the team at Sussex Resilience Forum, and I am delighted that this much needed commodity can be put to excellent use, benefitting our local community.”
The SRF co-ordinates the Sussex-wide response from emergency services, local authorities and other agencies linking in with health services and Government.
It is the mechanism through which stocks of hand sanitiser and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for Sussex frontline workers including care staff, firefighters, social workers and those working for voluntary organisations are being co-ordinated to enhance the supplies from central Government.
This month, the logistics work stream within the SRF has taken several deliveries of PPE which have been distributed throughout the county to protect keyworkers.
Marc Clothier, T/Superintendent, Sussex Police and SRF Tactical Chair, said: “This is a fantastic example of how businesses, organisations and the public of Sussex have really come together in the face of COVID-19.
“There’s no question that this donation will help front-line workers in doing what they do best: protecting and supporting the people of Sussex.
“Thank you so much to the teams at GSK, Diversey and also to all of those businesses and individuals who’ve helped us by supplying PPE items since this crisis began.”
The appeal for items continues and any businesses with high quality supplies should email the details to sussexresilienceforum@sussex.pnn.police.uk.