A GENEROUS firm has donated £7,000 allowing hundreds of mask to be delivered to Colchester Hospital staff battling coronavirus on the frontline.

Anne Lucking, 53, from Wivenhoe, wants to raise up to £500,000 to support staff on the wards at the Turner Road site in the weeks and months to come.

Now an anonymous Colchester business has donated £7,000 towards the campaign.

It means the first masks have been delivered to staff treating patients on wards on the frontline.

Anne was inspired by the Gazette’s NHS Guardian Angels campaign, which is raising money for hospital staff treating patients with Covid-19.

All the money raised by Anne’s initiative will buy essential personal protective equipment (PPE) for Covid-19 wards at Colchester Hospital.

“It is brilliant to receive this donation from the generous Colchester business which has allowed me to buy several hundred masks,” she said.

“But they will only last days. PPE is expensive because masks and gowns are in huge demand as they are essential for our amazing NHS teams.

“I can source this equipment if I get enough donations.

“These people are putting their lives on the line for us, every hour of every day.

“The first batch of masks have been delivered already to Colchester Hospital and I will receive some gowns later this week, but they will only protect two wards for five days.

“The JustGiving page, backed by the Gazette’s Guardian Angels Campaign, has raised £2,829 but I need much more.”

It costs approximately £32 to protect one nurse for a 12 hour shift.

Anne’s husband, Simon, is one of the directors of Colchester’s popular Three Wise Monkeys restaurant and bar and the loyal staff volunteered to help pack the PPE despite being furloughed.

To donate to the PPE campaign or to find out more about Anne’s bid visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/anne-lucking.