Cramlington firm donating PPE to good causes as a thank you for support during pandemic

L to R Mel Jackson, of Blyth Town Council, Rebecca Sharp, Wenyan Sharp, and Julie Summers, of Blyth Town Council.

Wenyan Sharp has thanked her loyal customer base for supporting her business supplying protective gloves, tools, and personal protective equipment (PPE) to industry during the pandemic.

She fell in love with the North East during her years at Sunderland University before securing high profile positions with Corus Group and the University as well as running her own Chinese restaurant.

In 2015 she formed Galaxy Industrial Supplies and opened her premises on Cramlington’s South Nelson Industrial Estate two years ago to supply Personal Protective Equipment and tools to industries.

She said: “Up until COVID, we sold our PPE and hand tools almost exclusively to wholesalers and distributors but with high street shops closing we had to rethink the way we worked.

"Crucially for us, what we supplied was in big demand due to the pandemic and we worked hard to ensure that everyone who needed our PPE supplies got them.

“Our customer base suddenly went online, and we found ourselves working directly with small businesses and individuals rather than through wholesalers and distributors.

"These people kept us busy, and their loyalty was amazing. I’m truly grateful for everyone who used us to help protect them during a very dark period in everyone’s life.”

Wenyan found that as well as gloves, her biggest sellers were Alcohol Disinfectant Wipes and Hand Sanitizer.

As a thank you to her local community she is arranging to provide these items free of charge to good causes in South East Northumberland.

Her first batch will go to music fans attending the “Blyth Live” free festival run by Blyth Town Council on Saturday, June 18.

Mel Jackson, event organiser, said: “We will have upwards of 16,000 people coming to see our headline act Boyzlife and it is important that everyone feels safe at the event.

"The fact that many people will receive a sanitizer is a nice touch from a local business that is built on keeping people safe.”

Wenyan added: “Our business is all about protecting people with the products that we supply.

"The Festival is a great way for us to show our appreciation to the people who bought our products.”