Arena Reports

There is no denying it, 2020 had an impact on all of us. It showed people rising to the challenge and performing their duties with even more care and devotion than before.

They took personal risks to help others, and it was only right that they should receive some assistance.

Many of our brethren feel deeply in their heart a constant drive to help. W Bro Selwyn Foreman, LGR from Kindred Arts Lodge No 5784 has always been involved with local charities, and this year was no exception. For many years, along with the Rotary Club, he has provided support to local hospices. But in April this year, it became apparent that those hospices were going to struggle. For one thing, they were not getting the Personal Protective Equipment they needed for the safety of their nurses and doctors.

WBro Foreman decided to do something about it. He used all his connections and influence within the Neighbourhood Watch and the Rotary Club of Edgware & Stanmore to organise events and raise money for the local charities and hospices.

But money, necessary as it is, isn’t all that can help. W Bro Foreman was determined to do something beyond fundraising. He put some notices out to attract other volunteers and, within hours, received enthusiastic responses from a sewer, a garment manufacturer, a driver and a graphic designer. All of them were eager to help whichever way they could during this awful crisis.

The small team came together. The first job was to find out how many scrubs were needed. They contact St Luke s, Kenton, the Peace Hospice, Watford and Michael Sobell, Northwood and ask them what they needed.

The next step was to contact a local Scrub Hub, one of the many teams of seamstresses making scrubs for NHS hospitals; but all were too busy to assist them. The team had to be more resourceful.

WBro Foreman should know all about fabric and garments. After his grandfather came over from Minsk, he exercised his tailoring skills as a bespoke men's tailor opposite the Hackney Empire in the 1920's. But that experience hadn’t transferred to Bro Foreman; he had to learn everything on the go.

It took a few calls to various contacts throughout London to reach out as far and wide as they could. They got in touch with specialists in fabric cutting and several seamstresses from northwest London and South Herts. All were delighted to bring their skills to help out. Finally, WBro Foreman contacted furloughed warehouses that had garment and material ready to be used. The team grew, even getting its experienced quality controller to check all the finished scrub sets.

The material had to meet the NHS specification: colourfast up to 60 degrees centigrade, and the weight above 115 grams per square metre. The team borrowed the design from another scrub-hub and started with a pilot for the two-piece outfit in six sizes. Then they put all of them to the test of the scrub-hub. After they passed the NHS quality checks, they could work in earnest and take orders.

They established routing schedules for the collection and delivery of fabric and finished goods between warehouses, cutters, sewers and hospices. The biggest challenge of all was to comply with social distancing. It forced the team to adapt to new ways of working.

In the end, it was all worth it. Nothing could have been a better reward than the appreciative smiles on the faces of the nursing directors at the hospices. Congratulations to Bro Foreman and his team.

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 43 January 2021 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons - Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 43.