AN APPEAL is being issued to the builders’ merchant sector across Dorset to provide much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) to NHS staff.

With intense supply chain pressures affecting the ability of healthcare professionals to source the equipment, national trade body the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) is co-ordinating a response across its membership. It is appealing for merchant members to donate items, including visors and safety glasses, in a bid to tackle the shortages. The move is part of a national initiative co-ordinated by the Construction Leadership Council, a body of trade associations in the industry working directly with the Government during the pandemic. There are 710 businesses in the BMF’s membership, with combined annual sales of more than £32 billion - operating from more than 5,450 branches nationwide including Dorset.