Horsham woman injured in crash caused by dangerous driver donates face masks as a thank you for support received

Jane Akerman is hoping to help the NHS in limiting the further spread of the coronavirus in the community by donating the masks to Age UK Horsham District.

The 59-year-old said: “I hope that the face coverings will give some of our older residents more confidence when they are out and about.

“I am delighted to be able to support Age UK in a small way and hope they are successful in helping some of our more vulnerable residents return to a more normal way of life in the weeks and months ahead”.

Jane was critically injured in the accident on the A264, in August 2016.

She had emergency surgery at the Royal Sussex County Hospital and had three further major operations over the following two years which have left her with restrictions to her everyday life.

Joe Akerman, Jane’s husband, said: “She will always be grateful for the care she received at the hospitals where she was treated and has now found an opportunity to give a little back to society for all the support she received when she needed it.”

Earlier in the lockdown, Jane hand sewed a few basic face coverings to protect herself and Joe when venturing outdoors.

These took time to make so she decided to buy her first sewing machine in order to speed things up and improve the quality of her products.

Having made enough for family and friends she recently saw an appeal on social media from the Horsham branch of Age UK for donations of face coverings for older residents coming out of shielding following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Jane immediately bought more fabric and has set about the task of making more face coverings, which she has begun to donate to Age UK Horsham District, in Denne Road, which has now merged with Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove.

Claire Long, head of relationship development at Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove, said: “We are so grateful to Jane and others who are making these masks for us, which we’ll be distributing to older people locally.

“Many are on low incomes or just beginning to come out of isolation after a long period in lockdown, so it’s a practical way we can help.

“We’re also asking anyone else who is handy with a needle and thread if they can make us some and drop them off at Lavinia House in Horsham.

“This has been an incredibly tough time and we’re determined to be there for older people, whatever they’re facing.

“We’re pleased that by distributing the reusable masks, we can at least make some people’s lives just that little bit easier.”

For more information about donating handmade masks to be distributed by Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove, visit https://www.ageuk.org.uk/horshamdistrict/

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