Free online sewing workshops are being made available to help meet the demand for scrubs in the NHS.

Kent Adult Education, which has a head office in Sittingbourne and centres across Kent, is offering the courses for those who want to help make much-needed garments for key workers.

There are 'sew along' classes to help people make tops, trousers and gowns from start to finish – with the fabric and patterns for these supplied – and workshops for people who are already helping to produce essential kits for workers on the front line, but need a helping hand from specialist tutors to complete them.

Tutors can show how pockets should be inserted or how to put sleeves the right way up, for example.

Tutors will also be able to send out a free resource pack of fabric, pattern and instructions for those who have started or want to make more than one set.

Alison Cutts, curriculum leader and sewing tutor, said: "I saw groups of volunteers were being organised on Facebook to sew scrubs for local NHS key workers in hospitals, GP surgeries, clinics and care homes.

"Supplies were short due to extra changes being needed to reduce contamination and additional staff being taken on to cope with the demands of the Covid-19 outbreak.

"I joined a group and started making scrub sets and then appealed to colleagues and students to assist as the demand was huge, with requests for 10 to 50 sets coming in several times a day over the various Kent scrubbers groups."

After being encouraged to focus on helping meet the needs of the community, Kent Adult Education has so far bought and distributed 300 metres of fabric for local groups, which would make about 85 sets of scrubs, and had sent out more than 40 individual packs.

"People were frequently commenting that they wanted to help but weren’t sure their sewing skills were up to it, so we programmed 14 online classes, with experienced sewing tutors who have been sewing scrub sets in their spare time," Alison said.

"These have taken the format of drop-in classes for advice and demonstrations on any parts of sewing the scrubs or isolation gowns that those sewing were stuck on, and also sew along classes where you can make a scrubs top, trouser or gown following the tutor's step-by-step demonstration and instruction."

"Some students have been sewing to fulfil orders placed through the Kent Scrubbers Facebook groups and others are making PPE for family, friends and neighbours who are key workers."

Alison said the response to the classes had been brilliant.

"They have filled up very quickly and the students are all pleased to be able to do something to help and feel that what they are producing is made to a good standard," she said.

"They have also enjoyed the social aspect of connecting with new people, some have never accessed anything online before and have been encouraged that they could do more in this way too."

The workshops are running from now until Tuesday, May 26. To take part or to find out more, click here.

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