16 April 2020

New Scots' community spirited scrub bags material appeal gets underway

The strong community spirit among Aberdeenshire’s New Scots is being recognised as families work to produce scrub bags for health and social care workers to carry home and wash their scrubs in.

On Wednesday (15 April) morning, one of the Syrian families shared on their New Scots WhatsApp group that they were hoping to support NHS Grampian and Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership by making the bags for health and care workers. This was immediately met with responses from lots of others keen to lend a hand, a pattern and specifications were sourced and then they got to work that night using materials they already had at home or donated by neighbours.

By Thursday morning, Syrian and Iraqi families had produced 52 scrub bags and the first delivery has already made its way to Inverurie Health and Care Hub. The next delivery will go to a local care home where one of the New Scots team works and after that they’d like to share them with the community nursing team. Mwaffak Araman, who is one of the main producers of the bags along with a friend who was a fashion designer in Syria, was a tailor in Damascus before he settled in Inverurie four years ago.

The group hopes to continue making the scrub bags for as long as they’re needed but they’re looking for local residents to donate fabric. The material must be made of cotton or a minimum 50% poly cotton mix and they are appealing to people in the Kintore and Ellon areas to drop off donations of items such as sheets, duvets or pillowcases when they’re out on their next essential journey.

To arrange a drop off, either email Katie MacLean via katie.maclean@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or post a message on the Friends of Al-Amal Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/420273575333007/

The NHS and social care systems are treasured by New Scots' families as many arrived in Scotland with complex medical needs. They are very grateful to everyone who has helped and supported them, and this small act of kindness is their way of saying thank you.