Railway team help deliver vital PPE across Peterborough

The PPE distribution centre was opened in April as part of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Resilience Forum response to Covid-19.

The centre distributes approximately 40,000 items to over 50 different locations per day and the operation is crucial to enable vital supplies to get where they are most needed. Throughout the pandemic, the emergency PPE has been distributed with the help of volunteers, however, as the centre is set to close at the end of the month, additional help to move the remaining supplies was needed. Nationally, the PPE supply chain has recovered significantly, and PPE can now be obtained easily via normal supply routes.

Six workers from Network Rail’s Peterborough and Hitchin depots agreed to help out, and they are all working full-time this week to distribute the remaining PPE stock before the closure of the LRF PPE hub.

The partnership has come about through the Department for Transport’s Taskforce, which was set up to support the wider nationwide effort to tackle Coronavirus. As Network Rail has a wide range of assets, resources and capabilities across the county, the organisation has joined the group to offer ideas and practical help to the NHS and other organisations.

Andrew Ferris, who works for Network Rail in Peterborough, said: “When I heard that volunteers were needed to distribute PPE, I was more than happy to get involved. In times like these, we all need to work together.

“Network Rail encourages all of its employees to take volunteer leave to help with good causes and I am delighted to be able to play my part in getting this PPE to those who need it most, which will help in the fight against Covid-19.”

Sarah Learney, Programme Director for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), commented: “The Local Resilience Forum PPE hub has been a massive partnership effort, delivering PPE every day to locations across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. We have supported everyone from care homes and GPs to pharmacies and prisons, plus many others working on the frontline.

“I wanted to say a massive thank you to Network Rail volunteers for helping us in the final week of a hugely successful operation and for delivering PPE to organisations all across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.”