The Manchester-based alcoholic drinks supplier has halted production at its distillery so it can repurpose and instead produce hand sanitiser during the COVID-19 crisis.

By converting its alcohol supplies, Didsbury has been able to supply vital public service providers in the Greater Manchester area, including the NHS, Great Manchester police, fire services, and other care providers that also include homeless shelters.

To assist those people working tirelessly during the pandemic, Didsbury has stepped up to the plate by producing hand sanitising products during the COVID-19 crisis. On hearing that Didsbury was trying to do all it could to help Greater Manchester Police, Spectra was only too happy to offer 2000 bottles and accompanying caps free of charge as a gesture of support.

Jayne Smy, Customer Services Supervisor at Spectra who oversaw the enquiry said, 

“When Didsbury contacted us, it was obvious they were serious about doing everything they could to help vital local services in the fight against COVID-19. We felt it was only right that we should do our bit to help them achieve their objectives”.

Jayne went on to add, 

“Helping Didsbury assist the Great Manchester Police resonates with me on a personal level because my daughter works for the police force and is one of those working on the frontline”.

When asked in a recent interview why Didsbury decided to switch production from gin to hand sanitisers, Didsbury’s founder, Liam Manton replied, 

“The chancellors’ comments about being judged by our capacity for compassion’ really struck a chord with us during his recent statement. We are extremely proud to be doing our bit for the community during this difficult time.” 

Initially, Didsbury responded to a direct call from police officers on the ground, concerned that without proper protection, they are exposed to the highly infectious virus.

In recognition of everyone’s efforts, Ian Hopkins, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, said, 

“This is brilliant, thank you so much for the support. I have spent a fair amount of time this week speaking to my colleagues at the frontline. This will mean so much to them as they continue to provide policing services across Greater Manchester.”

On social media, Didsbury said of Spectra, 

“Huge shoutout to Spectra Packaging today who’ve donated plastic bottles. We’ve sent these bottles to Greater Manchester Police, NHS and Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership which are being filled with hand sanitiser and distributed to the community and front line workers. Such a pleasure to be working with other businesses committed to helping those in need!”. 

Browser Upgrade

We have detected you are using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer. To take advantage of an improved user experience, we would recommend upgrading to Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or Safari.