Eloise in Year 11 has been going above and beyond during lockdown to sew facemasks, scrubs, and kit bags for her friends, family, and local community. All of the lovely messages from the people she has helped keep her motivated! We caught up with Eloise to ask her about her motivation, and what got her started on this incredible, altruistic project.

"My mum spotted a request for volunteers to join a sewing group to help make PPE items for the NHS. Given my GCSE’s were cancelled, and I enjoy sewing, I thought that it would be a good use of my time. I joined the volunteering group which coordinates what is needed to be sewn. The first request was for scrubs, so I collected old bedsheets from people in my village and used these to make some scrubs.

After making these, my mum showed some of her friends what I had done and one of her friends (the headteacher of a local primary school) asked if I was able to make her a set of 20 facemasks for her staff members using fun fabrics so as not to scare the children. I hadn’t attempted any face masks at this point but Katy Lohner-Benson kindly recommended a pattern which is the best I’ve seen so far! My little cousin (age 3) saw a photo of these masks which I had sent to my Auntie and really liked the look of the one with the pink watermelon fabric. My Auntie asked if I could make one from this fabric for my cousin so that masks didn’t feel too scary to her. I made this mask for her and made a matching one for her favorite baby doll. After completing these masks I asked The Royal High Prep School if they wanted any and went on to make 15 for them. During this set of mask making, I heard that there was a request for kit bags for primary school children returning in June. Since my Auntie works in a primary school, I thought I would see if her school needed any. She asked her headteacher who requested 73 to be made within four days!- After 25+ hours I managed to complete all 73 bags and the 15 masks for the prep school.

Soon after finishing these, a staff member from the primary school in my village also asked for a set of 6 face masks which I managed to complete just in time before the school re-opened.

With the government suggestion to wear face-masks on public transport, someone from the village posted on the community pages to ask if anyone could make a fabric mask for them. My mum replied to this with a photo of the others I had made and asked how many they would like. I then made a pair of plain blue masks for this person. Off the back of this, lots of people spotted my mum's reply and have been messaging her requesting set amounts. I have just finished a special request from a mother who wanted two pink face masks for her daughter who has been feeling particularly scared about the whole situation. I made these two for her with a matching dolly mask and two pink flowered ones for her mum.

I have created a list of people and their requests which I am working my way through. With every mask I make I seem to be getting another request! I have also been asked by a neighbor if I could make one for her and 17 of her friends!

Lots of the recent individual people who are requesting masks have wanted to pay me for them. This isn’t something I intended to charge for but for the ones that are persistent I have used their small donation to buy more fabrics and elastics which means I have enough materials to continue making masks for other people as most of my own own fabric has been used up. This is a photo of the fabric and elastic I have bought for the next set of masks.