NORFOLK-BASED GIN FIRM DONATES HAND SANITISER TO CHARITY CARE HOME FOR THE VISUALLY-IMPAIRED IN ‘AMAZING GESTURE’

A Norfolk gin maker has come to the rescue of staff at a charity care home for the visually-impaired who were struggling to get hold of hand sanitiser – by donating 48 half-litre spray bottles and two huge refill containers of the ethanol-based product.

Patrick Saunders, owner of Fakenham-based Black Shuck Gin, delivered the sanitiser to Thomas Tawell House, the specialist Norwich care home for elderly visually-impaired people run by Vision Norfolk, the charity formerly known as the Norfolk & Norwich Association for the Blind.

Like many care homes, staff at Thomas Tawell House have found sourcing hand sanitiser extremely difficult during the Coronavirus crisis, with both scarce availability and soaring costs posing problems.

Black Shuck started making the alcohol-based product in February, and have pledged to donate a quarter of their production to charities and those without the ability to pay, with the remainder being sold at cost price.

“We cannot begin to express our gratitude to Black Shuck for this amazing gesture,” said Gina Dormer, chief executive of Vision Norfolk.  “Our wonderful staff at Thomas Tawell House are doing an amazing job, despite the well-documented issues of obtaining PPE and other vital supplies right across the care home sector.

“Patrick, Sarah and the team at Black Shuck said they have donated the sanitiser to us in recognition of their appreciation of what the charity is doing – which means so much to our staff who like so many in the care sector are working in difficult and stressful conditions.

“So many Norfolk businesses are stepping up and demonstrating that they care about their local communities.  We should be very proud of them.”

Black Shuck Gin was launched in 2015 after two years of recipe development.  The family firm makes a range of gins, as well as a vodka and various liqueurs.