Thanks to kit bag volunteers

24 February 2021

As the pandemic continued and fears of transmission within Forces grew, West Midlands detention escort officer Jo Spear, who is based at Perry Barr, set up a group of nimble-fingered volunteers to make kit bags to allow officers to safely transport their uniforms.

The Blue Line Stitchers, along with the Birmingham group of ‘sewing angels’ For the Love of Scrubs, have sewn, washed, pressed, packaged and delivered more than 5,000 kit bags for frontline officers, staff in custody and response departments and forensic and traffic units across neighbourhood teams.

They have also made around 16,000 washbags, scrubs and face masks for hospitals, care homes, GP surgeries and other frontline organisations in the region.

The chair of West Midlands Police Federation, Jon Nott, said: “So many of our officers are out in their communities every day, not knowing what they may have come into contact with, so these bags were a godsend for them to be able to safely take their uniform home to wash after a shift and help prevent any cross-contamination.

“These volunteers have put in amazing time and effort and we’re so grateful to them all for providing these but also for the support they are showing officers at a time when everything is still so uncertain. I’d like to thank them all for their generosity and kindness.”