A company based at Nottingham’s BioCity, has launched a ‘masks for the masses’ campaign...
A company based at Nottingham’s BioCity, has launched a ‘masks for the masses’ campaign selling masks for £6 (£5+VAT) each to the public and donating one for every two sold to charity. The masks are not PPE or medical grade, but do offer at the very least a physical barrier against the outside world. They are knitted using a microfibre polyester and an antimicrobial yarn. The masks come in two colours, black and burgundy, and are fully machine and hand washable.
The company behind the masks are Footfalls & Heartbeats, founded by New Zealand-born chemist Simon McMaster. He said; “The history of textile production is knitted into the fabric of almost every building in central Nottingham; from the Lace Market to the Victorian Mills that produced hosiery by the train load. Footfalls now considers itself to be a part of that tradition and history.”
The masks are created on a high-tech Santoni-X knitting machine. These machines are usually used to manufacture compression bandages for use on chronic leg ulcers and for wound care. For every pack of two masks they sell, Footfalls & Heartbeats will donate a mask to a key worker or charity organisation .
Looking at trends in Asia, these kind of masks will most likely become a regular staple in all of our lives for a while and before too long you'll probably have some of the big fashion labels offering you masks as part of their range. So it's nice to buy them locally from a company with some medical credentials.
The masks are now available for £12 (£10+VAT) a pair from the Footfalls & Heartbeats website
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