Rye Mutual Aid (RMA) has recruited hundreds of volunteers but, with so much to do, many are working hard behind the scenes, none more so than Jane Barrie.
Jane has a shop in Tower Street, ‘Jane’s Stitches’, a professional clothes and repair shop which like many is temporarily closed in order to protect her staff and her clients from the virus. But, not being one to rest on her laurels, when she heard that RMA were looking for volunteers she rose to the challenge.
She had the perfect credentials and skills to sew face masks for the volunteers who collect shopping and medication for vulnerable people in the Rye area and so she got to work.
Not content with just making masks Jane is now leaving bundles of elastic and bias binding in bags in a large bag in the porch of the shop. “That way anyone who is sewing for the RMA can help themselves to the materials to make the face masks.” Yet another example of how the tremendous local community spirit is galvanising everyone together.
RMA have also started a sewing club and are pushing hard to make 10,000 masks locally for not only their volunteers, but for residents in the Rye and local area. The intention is that by having 75% of the population wearing masks the transmission of the virus could by cut by between 30% and 40%.
For more information click here and go to their Facebook link or go direct to Facebook – or your “search” function will probably get you there. RMA are looking both for people to join their sewing club and for material to sew.
Thank you, Jane, for all that you are doing for RMA. Once the dust has settled, and we get back to some sort of normality, why not drop in and see Jane in her shop in Tower Street or call her on 07779 062430 if you want to help with mask making, I’m sure she will have some anecdotes to share with you from her time ‘stitching up’ for Rye Mutual Aid.
Image Credits: Rye News Library , Nick Forman .