Bespoke upholsterer switches to PPE during COVID-19

South west London interior specialist E & A Wates has swapped furniture restoration for personal protective equipment (PPE) production.

E & A Wates showroom and workshop are temporarily closed in response to Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Over the past week, E & A Wates have supplied and cut foam to assist in making over 4,300 visors for NHS frontline staff within 21 hospitals in London and neighbouring counties with potential for another 2,500 components if required.

The visors are being made in conjunction with a prop maker, Faye Jones, and over 60 colleagues who crowd-sourced the project so the visors can be donated to NHS hospital staff. The group have made 6,650 reusable visors so far with 3,200 planned for production over Easter weekend