A HOME care provider has bought and delivered 1,000 reusable face masks as a gift to their customers and staff members.

Bluebird Care Winchester, Eastleigh & Romsey made the donations following the UK’s law change, which now requires face masks to be worn in all shops and indoor public places to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

Bluebird Care, who provide care to people in their own homes throughout Winchester, Eastleigh and Romsey, hope the move will provide their customers the protection and confidence to return to their local communities, with some of their most vulnerable clients having shielded at home since March.

For their staff, Bluebird Care donated two masks each – one for them and one for a loved one.

Managing director of Bluebird Care Winchester, Eastleigh & Romsey, Norman Murphy, said: “Some of our customers have been shielding since March, so we wanted to give them the protection and confidence they need to make even the slightest return to a normal lifestyle.

"Their safety is our number one priority and we hope this gift will encourage them to return to the local shops and routines that they love."

He added: "For our staff, we wanted to ease the burden that lockdown has had on us all by supplying masks to not only them, but also their loved ones.”