AN industrious charity team of volunteers have stepped up their mission to support Oldham’s NHS front line heroes in the battle against coronavirus.

Initially, Saddleworth Round Table were asked to provide food, drinks and personal hygiene products to exhausted nurses and back up teams.

But Round Table’s Mike Procter said: “This has now escalated into request for personal protective equipment (PPE).

“The equipment is in the system but is taking its time to get to Oldham Royal Infirmary.

“The government is delivering to where there is most demand, so it appears to be London first, then the Midlands then the new Nightingale Hospitals.

“Oldham is quite a way down the list. The kit will come but our Round Table can now fill as short term requirement.”

He went on: “Through contacts, we found several manufacturers in the UK willing to sell us visors, masks, aprons and hand sanitiser as this is destined for a front line NHS hospital with an immediate need.

“We picked up and delivered our first batch of PPE equipment on Saturday - 500 visors, several hundred masks, 10,000 aprons and 40 lots of sanitiser.

“This equipment was requested by Oldham's intensive care unit (ICU) and desperately needed. We have spent just over £4,000 of the money raised to date.

“We urgently need more as there is so much me we can supply to help our NHS frontline heroes. Please share the link.”

Mr Procter said he is in direct contact with Kerry Byrne, assistant director of nursing.

He said: “Kerry is now very kindly coordinating the requests from within the hospital, specifically ICU and A&E amongst other departments - (ambulance station, district nurses.

“The requests we are receiving are directly from the front line staff.”

And Mr Procter’s children, Libby, 15, and Michael, 11, Hulme Grammar School pupils, helped pack the goods.

“We’d normally do this as a Round Table get together but obviously we can't, so they are my only two helpers,” he added.

Can you help this initiative? Check, https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mike-procter-srt558