Bob the Cannock builder making hundreds of masks and visors for NHS
A Cannock builder has put his time at home during the coronavirus outbreak to practical use.
Bob Eccleston has been working at his home in Bridgtown to produce protective face masks and visors for free use around the community.
The 64-year-old started working on the project more than a week ago and has produced 60 visors and around 20 samples of face masks from materials he found at home.
He said: "The original ones I made were basically hard plastic that I'd had lying about in the in the attic and the shed for years.
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"I'd been into the shed, picked up an FM mask and then, suddenly, a little light bulb came on.
"I found I'd got some plastic on the roof of the shed, so decided to get that down and play with it, so that's where it started."
Bob has had a number of people helping him around the Bridgtown and Cannock area and has plans to create more than 500 face masks and more than 3,000 visors in the future.
He said the inspiration for mass-producing both products came after speaking to the general manager of the local NHS trust, who asked if he could do this, although sourcing materials would be hard to do.
He said: "The actual sourcing of the materials is going to be difficult as I've only got so much at the moment.
"With the materials I've got, we should be able to make 300 masks, but after that, I'm working on promises from other people that I'll get the materials I need."
Bob has an extra motivation for doing the work he is doing as his wife is a frontline key worker in the NHS, working 12 hour days during the outbreak.
He said: "I do feel like helping people along the way is helping me because I am not somebody who can sit around and do nothing.
"If Bob from Bridgtown can do this in his shed, then hopefully anyone can do it!"
If you have any materials you can give to Bob to help him produce visors and facemasks, call him on 07719 920450.