Lockdown has definitely changed this week, and I am left feeling somewhat anxious and lost. There is talk of schools of reopening and my eldest daughter has been making the most of the more relaxed rules. She has been out for a 26K bike ride with a friend and also for longer walks with one friend. She has totally stuck to the rules but it makes me feel uneasy. Whilst I acknowledge the purpose of lockdown was not for Covid to disappear but rather for the NHS to be able to manage capacity it still feels risky and I am looking at how to manage and minimise the risk to my family but following current guidelines by wearing face masks in public.
Chloe herself has said, that now she has been out more, being indoors is even harder. The boredom is bearing down on her, especially now that her university work is complete for the academic year.
Taking Precautions
Finding the sensible approach is important because many of us will be venturing out more and more in the next few weeks as workplaces and schools open up once again.
New guidelines issued by the government this week (Monday, May 11) suggest people should wear face coverings in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not possible, such as at workplaces, at shops, and on public transport. However sourcing face coverings that offer more protection than just looking pretty is challenging. I myself have been overwhelmed with the many designs I have seen advertised on social media.
Thankfully as lockdown restrictions are eased, a Bristol-based manufacturer is helping people to stay safe while looking stylish – with fashionable face masks.
Face Masks for the Family
Firstly there is a huge difference between face coverings and face masks. Coverings offer little to no protection and masks are high quality PPE. The masks from Badge Design are washable and reusable plus they come with disposable filters.
Branded garments specialist Badge Design has a range of off-the-shelf designs to suit most tastes: pretty, colourful, or playful. It makes smaller masks for children and its Maskulinity range features camouflage and skull designs for customers who want something more edgy. These are the ones that are suitable for small orders that you would typically order for your family. Badge Design are one of few UK companies with combined textile and print capability and they are confident they are pretty much the only company offering bespoke, branded PPE face masks.
Face Masks Bulk Orders
The firm even offers masks decorated to the customer’s own design. The minimum order of 25 for bespoke garments is ten times less than the 250 required by many suppliers.
And as the masks are made and printed in Bristol, the garments can be dispatched within days, while suppliers sourcing masks from China are struggling to get orders to customers before mid-June.
Managing director Grev Leigh spent a month working on prototypes that were effective against coronavirus, comfortable to wear for long periods, practical in design, affordable and act as a two-way wall against giving or receiving the virus.
The washable polyester masks are stitched with a pocket into which particle filters can be inserted.
The PM2.5 filters, also supplied by Badge Design, block particles as small as 2.5 microns in diameter – a quarter of the size of the dust or pollen particles caught by DIY or allergy masks – and offer two-way protection, keeping both the wearer and those they come into contact with safer.
Face Masks for the Community
One of its most popular masks is the vibrant blue and rainbow decorated Thank You NHS mask, and Badge Design pledged to donate 50 percent of the profits proceeds to NHS charities.
Thank You NHS masks cost £10 each. Bespoke printed face masks are £6.80 per unit for minimum order of 25, coming down to £3.60 per unit for order of 10,000 or more. Sought-after PM2.5 five-layer filters are £10.80 for pack of 20.
And the company – which currently has the capacity to make 5,000 masks a week – is offering a discount to charities, care homes, emergency services, pharmacies and GPs’ surgeries.
The Future and Face Masks
Wearing face masks feels somewhat alien to us and at the start of the year, it would never have been what we expected in this country however things look uncertain at the minute.
- A vaccine appears to be a long way off and we have to learn to live in this new socially distanced environment. I don’t want to stay hidden indoors but it is sensible to take the precautions we can for our families and wearing a face covering is one way of minimising the risks and could potentially help us all feel safer when outside of our homes.
- Plastic disposable face masks are going to add to a growing waste problem and are more likely to be disposed of in unsafe places. It is better for the environment to use washable. According to an analysis by scientists at University College London, if every person in the UK used one single-use mask each day for a year, an extra 66,000 tonnes of contaminated plastic waste would be created.
- Most homemade attempts will not offer the level of protection you require because refashioned cotton (t-shirts, socks) absorb the moist vapours in which the virus is transmitted. Badge Design use Co-polyester which repels moisture.
- It is expected that wearing a face-covering will be a requirement in many places, especially health care settings, and other public places. Therefore it makes sense to be prepared now and order a face covering that not only looks good but also has been well made and offers a level of protection. Order yours by clicking this link.
