A North Staffordshire parent has attracted thousands of Facebook followers having set up a group to support parents who are home schooling their children due to the coronavirus shutdown.

More than 5,500 people are following Help, I’m Now Home Schooling! run by Carly Twigg of Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The Facebook platform gives daily updates including helpful tips, cooking demonstrations and instructional webinars for parents staying at home. Not content with giving online support, young mum Carly has also been putting her sewing skills to good use making facemasks and other garments which have been handed out to nurses, care workers, Burslem-based charity Helping Angels, physiotherapists, key workers in manufacturing and warehousing, teachers and  vulnerable friends and relatives.

“I wanted to stay busy while on furlough and set up the Facebook group thinking I might get 100 or so friends joining up,” said Carly, who normally has a busy working life as PA for the Directors at BNI Staffordshire.

“It has gone a bit crazy and we’ve had lots of people sending in tips and advising on how to keep children busy and motivated. I ran a motivational workshop with wellbeing coach and former headteacher Hayley Lamb and we’ve had cooking lessons on video from locally-based chef Cris Cohen.

To get involved with Help, I’m Now Home Schooling!, just search for the title on Facebook and join the group.

As well as looking after four-year-old daughter Esme, along with Carl, her husband, Carly has made over 70 facemasks and hats, is working her way through making 60 cloth bags and plans to try her hand at making scrubs for hospital workers and carers.

Said Carly: “I am used to a busy working life and wanted to do my bit. The masks and hats have proved popular and the bags are designed for people to put their PPE in before leaving work and then  straight into the washing machine when they get home. I have also made patterns for each item and given them out to others who want to support our key workers. There’s going to be a huge demand going forward as many people will want face masks as they emerge from lockdown.”

Carly is a familiar face on the Staffordshire business scene. Working from an office at the Lymedale Business Centre, Newcastle, Carly assists around 200 local businesses who make up the membership of the award winning BNI Staffordshire referral marketing network.

ENDS
For media enquiries please contact Nigel Howle by telephone on 0776 2043436 or by email at [email protected]