When a local health provider put out an urgent call for surgical gowns, Melton City Council, in partnership with Network West, quickly coordinated a team of talented volunteers to help deliver some relief.
The result was 50 hand-sewn gowns which, this week, were handed over to Western Health to help meet a desperate supply shortage in their surgical clinics.
To ensure the gowns met requirements, Council invited members of local sewing groups to participate, gathering a team of 15 volunteers. The group was led through a how-to on crafting the gowns by sewing teacher Elizabeth Charlton at Council’s Stevenson House, who provided instructions and support at a distance.
The volunteers were also provided with sewing packs, which Council purchased from a local business, and which were safely delivered.
City of Melton Mayor Cr Lara Carli said she was grateful to the volunteers who spent hours sewing the urgently needed gowns.
“The need for personal protective equipment has been high throughout the COVID-19 crisis and I’m pleased that together, our dedicated volunteer sewers and Council could help make a small difference,” Cr Carli said.
“These gowns will not only serve the surgeons who will wear them but their patients who rely on safe care and treatment.
“This project is a wonderful example of the generosity within our community and I thank our volunteer sewers for their hard work and commitment.”
