Not all heroes wear capes.
And that’s definitely the case for Specials Sergeant Phil Leonard, who has been helping to produce much-needed face masks for local care home staff at his factory, Daylight Grip & Textiles, in Salford.
The factory, which usually supplies for TV and film productions, decided to utilise their skills and supplies for the good of the community, as business comes to a halt amid the pandemic. Phil and his team have been using their time wisely, by utilising spare fabrics to create face masks, uniform wash bags and adjustable headbands for hooking face masks to – and they’ve been personally distributed by Phil free of charge.
Speaking of the gesture, Phil has said: “We realised that we had the materials and equipment to produce the much-needed face masks for carers on the front line; it was just a case of adapting our day-to-day process.
“So far we have only been distributing the masks locally but we recently received a request from a care home in Telford which we agreed to fulfil because the more people we can help the better.
“As soon as a nurse or carer finishes their shift, they can place their uniform into the washable bag ready for an immediate wash when they return home. This means that the uniform can be taken home as safely as possible and helps limit the spread of the virus.”
Adding: “I am unable to go out on patrol at the moment due to recovering from surgery so this is just my way of serving the community and doing my part whilst I am out of action. I am privileged to be part of a fantastic police team who are working hard in these challenging times to keep the communities of Bury safe so it is important to me to help where I can.”
Phil joined the force that operates in Bury back in January 2019, and runs Daylight Grip & Textiles with his brother.