Coronavirus kindness: Hand sanitiser donated to homeless by gym boss

Luke Wilmott Luke Willmott with 1,000 bottles of hand gelLuke Wilmott
Luke Willmott has donated the 1,000 bottles of hand sanitiser to homeless and vulnerable people

A businessman has donated more than 1,000 bottles of hand sanitiser to homeless and vulnerable people in Nottingham.

Luke Willmott, who runs a gym, said he had bought a large amount of gel for members to use but decided other people could also benefit.

He handed some to a homeless charity and others were being left in places such as churches and soup kitchens.

Mr Willmott said he wanted to give back "because people are struggling".

Banner image reading 'more about coronavirus'
Banner

He was able to get hold of the hand sanitisers from a friend who manufacturers them.

"With my gym, we have to keep it clean and be careful in the current climate so I wanted to make sure I have enough hand sanitiser for all our members," he said.

"I was able to purchase quite a large amount and I thought it would be a good idea to spread it out across Nottingham."

Luke Willmott 1,000 bottles of hand gelsLuke Willmott
Mr Willmott said he was able to get he hand sanitiser from a friend who manufacturers it

Mr Willmott has worked with charity Matthew 25:40 in the past to help homeless people in Nottingham and handed them 300 bottles to share out.

Other bottles will be sent to elderly people who have been unable to buy any in the shops, and to children.

"I'm just trying to make sure the hand gels get to the people who need them and avoid people selling them on to make a profit," he said.

"We need to stick together in times like this. We need to help each other."

Presentational grey line

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].

BBC Local Radio stations across England are helping to keep communities connected during the Coronavirus crisis.

If you want to Make A Difference get in touch with your BBC Local Radio station at bbc.co.uk/makeadifference