The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 49: June/July 2020 | Page 11

By Fiona Scott
thical inspiration in business
ws, from all over the globe
a minute by minute basis – it
ded moments of light on the
munity in Swindon and
may be doing someone’s
service offering to do
ing customers or the
Angela Ashworth
company that changes its production to provide something
for the fight against the virus.
We’ve asked our readers to nominate people or companies
they have felt have made a difference at this time. There were
many we could feature – and this article honours all of them
even though we are shining the spotlight on just seven to
represent the seven weeks of ‘strict’ lockdown.
Angela Ashworth is the Co-Founder of
Purple Lime, based in Corsham. While
Angela and her team were very busy
helping clients deal with lockdown and
supporting them with applying for various
grants and funding, she also got involved
in another way with the Covid19 effort.
She joined a team of volunteers to sew
scrubs for the NHS and social care sector
and rediscovered her love of sewing.
Angela has been nominated by her own
team for spending all of her spare time
helping others.
Angela said, “Doing this has made me feel
uplifted. I feel and have felt that I can do
something practical to give back to society
in a small way. I know it helps people in my
community and at my GP surgery, or in the
care home down the road.
“Once I got going I loved it and I realised
I’d forgotten how much I love sewing. In my
20s I made all of my own clothes and I intend
Lucas Gleed
Lucas Gleed is a Digital Marketing
Apprentice with the Platform Project
CIC in Swindon and is in the early stages
of setting up his own company. He was
nominated for being a proactive and
positive young voice in the Swindon
business community, particularly online.
“I’ve been working with The Platform
Project for about a year and in my role
of digital marketing apprentice for ten
months. We run Youth Development Social
Enterprise challenges and we’ve launched
a youth issues magazine called #iDare
(www.idare.blog) “I have been put on the
Government Coronavirus Job Retention
Scheme due to the work that The Platform
Project do. Luckily, I am continuing with my
apprenticeship learning. This time has also
helped me start really planning for my own
business.
“One thing that the pandemic has helped
me to figure out, is what services I want to
offer. I’ve been doing some consultancy with
Michelle Phillips from Magnetic Mindset
Coach Community Interest Company, helping
her to gauge what it is she wants to get out of
her social media accounts and also helping
to do so again. So far myself and hundreds of
others of volunteers have made about 1,000
sets of scrubs and rising in just four weeks.
We used donated duvet covers, table cloths,
sheets and pillowcases – and have some
very cheery sets made up which I’m sure
will bring a smile to the wearer and patient.
With the usual fabric running low, they had
to be made from durable fabric which could
be repeatedly washed at 60 degrees C to kill
the virus.”
her to get more of a social media following.
“One of the biggest things that has
surprised me is how giving and generous
people are being. I’ve seen loads of posts of
people looking for someone to pick up their
shopping or people offering to do shopping or
pick up medicine for people. It’s really nice to
see everyone coming together in these times
of need.
“I’ve found as the lockdown has
progressed my motivation to get things done
has really diminished. I’m really hoping it
comes back soon! I’ve realised just how
much I enjoy going out and talking to people
– even if it’s just saying “Hi!” to someone on
the bus. I’ve also realised how much I enjoy
eating out…. I’m sure everyone can agree
with me on that!”