A business owner has come up with a novel way to replenish hand sanitiser stock – but needs your help.
Dan Lacey, from Norwich, has set up a crowdfunder called Combat Corona to buy hand sanitiser from a company in Asia.
But the minimum shipment is 250,000 units so the 54-year-old has asked people in Norfolk to buy their own share.
Depending on the amount you donate, each hand sanitiser would cost between £1.48 and £2.50, which includes postage and packaging to a UK mainland address.
For example, £10 buys four lots of 60ml hand sanitiser while 25 hand sanitisers costs £43.
If the fundraiser meets the target, charities St Martins Housing Trust and Food and Beverage Buggies would also receive a share of £2,000 worth of hand sanitisers.
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Mr Lacey, the director of Norfolk alcohol sales and distribution company The Norfolk Hub, said: “We want to give back to society and those most at risk on our doorstep so it was important to also allocate some of the stock to local charities.”
The idea for the crowdfunder came while Mr Lacey was considering measures to protect his staff during the coronavirus outbreak.
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He added: “Initially, it was for my business as I wanted it to carry on working safely. I worked overseas for 24 years and spent a lot of time in Asia where I have contacts.
“Through one of my contacts I was able to secure a shipment but because of the huge demand for the product right now they will only send a minimum of 250,000. I could not afford that amount so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to give everyone a chance to buy some as stock is scarce at the moment due to panic buying or incredibly expensive. “As it is coming straight from the supplier it is a low price and just to make clear we are not making profit from this.”
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So far the crowdfunder has raised nearly £2,000 but the race is on as the campaign will close in a week and needs to hit £400,000.
Mr Lacey said: “Let’s see if we can get there and do something positive during these negative and worrying times.”
For more information on the Combat Corona fundraiser click here
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