// Kingfisher announces £1m worth of donation of protective medical equipment to health services across Europe
// Five trucks of protective eyewear & masks worth over £200,000 given to NHS emergency hub in the Midlands
Kingfisher has announced a donation of protective medical equipment to health services across Europe worth £1 million as demand for the items soar in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The home and DIY retail group, which operates B&Q and Screwfix in the UK as well as other fascias in France and Poland, said it would donate five trucks of protective eyewear and masks worth over £200,000 to the NHS emergency hub in the Midlands.
Kingfisher also confirmed it had ordered a further three million face masks from suppliers in China and Israel that it expects to arrive towards the end of April.
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These will be for donation to the health authorities in the UK, France, Poland and Romania, or to equip our colleagues who are facilitating Kingfisher’s online and click & collect orders in stores.
“There is a global peak in demand, but by ringfencing stock and using our international supply chain, we can help bring essential PPE to where healthcare needs are greatest in our markets,” Kingfisher said in a statement.
To date, Kingfisher has donated £300,000 worth of personal protective equipment to NHS staff and 2.5 million products including gloves, masks, visors and protective suits to hospitals in Paris.
Meanwhile, rival home, garden and leisure retailer The Range announced earlier this week that it would offer all NHS 10 per cent off any in-store purchases until the end of April.
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